Social Media for the Hotel Industry

With the large number of Web 2.0 websites these days, it is not surprising that a lot of people are spending a lot of time online. Social media and sites that focus on consumer-generated content get a lot of buzz because it goes beyond traditional business to consumer interaction. Nowadays, people can interact among their peers and other users to get the best information possible. In addition, the social media creates networked connections and one-on-one relationships among people. Significant events, current developments, and interesting trivia are shared “virally”.

To cope up with these changes, the hospitality industry needs to know where and how to concentrate their efforts. Market research is required. For example, it is critical for hotel revenue managers to identify where their target consumers usually spend their time only and then focus on these websites. According to hospitality experts, hotels face a challenge of reaching out to consumers that use these media. If they are successful, not only will they retain their current market share, they develop new markets as well.

Essentially, it is important for hotel revenue managers to realize that utilizing social media is almost free. But it requires a lot of effort, promotions, and marketing. Building connections and being with the community is two of the most important factors to increase hotel sales. Profit optimization can only occur when hotels understand how leveraging works online. Web 2.0 technologies enables them to build brand awareness and consumer loyalty through proactive endeavors that boosts profitability.

It has been said that careful targeting and the consistent delivery of relevant messages is the key to successfully using these tools. Together with market research and marketing though, it is also critical for hotels to implement the most effective hotel rate distribution strategy to increase hotel electronic sales. Some tools that will help include forecasting software, price distribution software, and inventory software.

In addition, utilizing search engine optimization and search engine marketing techniques are also essential in these endeavors. Nowadays, there are a lot of web marketing applications that has been designed to improve traffic and brand recognition. The software can also be used for other industries aside from the hospitality industry. This is because the necessity of adapting to new technologies is not only apparent in hotels but in the overall business environment as well.