Hotels and Social Media? Oh My!

By Alan Evans When you're traveling for business or pleasure lately do you find yourself tweeting "Thank gosh my plane's on time- looking forward to flying @Southwest!"? Or maybe sharing a Facebook photo when you discover your hotel room has Kiehl's travel bath products and a tub the size of a swimming pool?  When you arrive to your hotel destination, are you checking into foursquare before checking in at the Front Desk?  Welcome to the New Media Hotel/Hospitality World; Proudly incorporating all aspects of Social Media as quickly as possible.

All industries have realized that emerging media affects a consumer's experience with their brand and product or service.  Social media websites are also beginning to realize their full potential and continue to offer improved advertising opportunities for businesses. Because of the participative nature of social network marketing, you can advertise your product or service free of charge by online word-of-mouth, or viral marketing.  Having the ability to chart a customer's satisfaction/experience online and generate feedback in reply to their customers gives hotels tremendous advantages when retaining customers and building brand loyalty.

Marketing Directors in Hospitality and Hotel industries want to capture the positive consumer experiences one enjoys while staying at their property, then share it online so it generates a viral buzz.  Hotels are using Twitter to interact directly with their guests, but they’re also using the social media platform to generate general interest by offering all types of promotions.

Because social media is a platform for the customer’s voice  —and that voice can be heard by anyone in the world— the hospitality industry as a whole has embraced social media in a huge way.  Hospitality businesses of all sizes— from the biggest hotel chain to the little neighborhood Bed & Breakfast— have found their own unique way to harness the power of Facebook and the distribution possibilities made available via Twitter.