It was not too long ago that social media erupted on the scene, like a tsunami bringing with it countless new waves of information. Consumers were quick to grab onto the wave and ride along to see where it took them. All industries are on social media in one form or another; it has become a necessity in order to generate business, in fact in some cases even to stay in business. Not all of the businesses have the knowledge, or the expertize to properly engage in the media highway. It has become a highway full of curves and dangerous precipices that can derail the program. I can’t claim to be a media guru, but I have attended enough workshops on the subject to have a good understanding of it. When owners ask for help on how to set up their media programs, this is what I tell them – the basics so they understand how it works. I do have an IT person that is a media guru, and he actually sets the programs up.
The basics of Social Media
I explain that the hotel person must be able to track who the social followers are, and where they go. Messages must be consistent, and clear – make sure that there is a social media policy in place. Don’t overshare, it is better to listen, remember that social media is a two way medium. Don’t over post items, remember more is not necessarily better, and post things that are relevant and useful. Customers will thank you for this action. I have seen some media postings that have useless information, and are not relevant to the message. Don’t make that mistake. Properties also need to respond in a timely manner: today’s customers expect a quick response when asking a question.
Mistakes Can Be Made So Read On
One of the biggest mistakes property owners can make is being inconsistent in their social media campaign. These are some very basic instructions to give the reader an overview of what it takes. I will tell you that it is very complicated and it takes a lot of work to have a good social media highway beating to your door. Social media, revenue management, all of these elements are needed for a profitable hotel to survive. General Managers have to have more experience than they did ten years ago. The hospitality business has become a social revenue management business. It is dominated by numbers, and social media. Take a look at hotel websites, look at how they are done, those icons are links to the hotel’s media guru. When you ask a question you will receive an answer in a timely manner. Whether it’s Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or a host of others, there is a person behind them. It does not matter the size of the property, small or mega, they all need to have a social media program if they expect to compete.
Do You Need To Hire a Media Expert?
If properties have to hire a media expert, so be it, it will be money well spent. Find a person at your property that will be in charge of answering the media questions that begin to flow into the property. The right responses will generate new business, remember to smile when engaging with customers. Yes, customers can tell if you smile, remember that. There are some businesses that are slow to embrace this wave, I say to you: get on the boat and steer in the right direction, before you get capsized and go under. Well, something like that.
About the Author
Alan Campbell has been in Las Vegas for over 30 years and has worked for the major strip hotels. He has spent some time in California, Los Angeles where he worked for the Radisson and Sheraton hotels. Alan considers the hospitality industry the best job in the world – it is the only place that both king's and Paupers will visit you.
The Hotel Guy
