We should not forget that, above all, we buy and sell experiences. Sometimes companies suffer what they call “marketing myopia,” a term used to refer to the mistake of defining our market in terms of the product, instead of the necessity that said product fulfills…
“Nobody wants a ¼ inch drill…what everybody wants are ¼ inch holes in the wall.” Theodore Levitt.
It is the same with social networks. We do not open a facebook account, we accumulate fans and consequently, everyone speaks well of us on the internet and the reservations go through the roof. To create a community that actually gives value to your business, you have to offer some kind of benefit that cannot be achieved elsewhere. With social networks, the customer has more power than ever before. Achieving this cannot happen without having a business approach completely focused on the customer. We are there to listen to you, to learn what satisfies you, what does not, and to create bonds…
Keeping in mind that assumption, today I want to share 7 suggestions to help you be dynamic with the presence of your hotel in the social networks, as a platform for sharing and providing experiences.
1. Put up a sign in the computer or wireless internet connection area of the hotel that includes a “call to action” similar to “Find us on Facebook” or “Follow us on Twitter.” If you offer your customers free wireless internet connection, it will be easier.
2. Use a welcome page, which your users see as soon as they log on that has invitations to keep in contact with the hotel.
● Become our fan on facebook
● Follow us on Twitter.
● Check in on Foursquare.
● Subscribe to our newsletter.
● If you are a minube user, share your experience here.
● If you are a user of …
3. If you have a Twitter account, use it to increase the satisfaction of your customers. Leave some kind gesture in the bedroom if a follower has twitted his arrival to the hotel and take advantage of this resource to increase customer satisfaction during and after their stay in your hotel. Here you can read a great success story.
Twitter is after all a nucleus of opportunities. You can carry out searches for key words related to your business, such as “hotel madrid” or “romantic getaway”…and find countless twitts requesting recommendations.
4. Look for an original way to make your social networks known outside the virtual world, starting with a promotional leaflet, your restaurant menu, or something else fun like these:
5. Offer your clients some advantage to make a reservation or become fans: free wireless internet connection, free breakfast, a discount, etc.
6. Take a chance and integrate technology into your events. We can see the case of a hotel in Ibiza that made use of RFID technology so that guests shared the event on Facebook. However there is no need to incur a high cost. You can simply make sure that there is a photograph and let the people know that you will upload the photos, and even do it at the same time.
7. Organise competitions to increase your number of potential customers, attracted by a prize, and build their loyalty by giving them awards. In this article you can find out more about competitions.
As you must have already guessed, the majority of these actions can be carried out in your hotel without spending a lot. All that is required is a bit of originality and interest in participating in the conversation. The humour and the game control the tone of the message in the social networks and have the ability to expand quickly. If you have still not ventured into the world of the social media…Take a chance!
