Some of us aren’t the biggest fans of Facebook or social media in general, but by this time, we’re all aware of the huge impact it can have on your hospitality business – be that a hotel, lodge, guest house or tour company.
Social networking sites and apps have revolutionised the way that people use the internet today. If you don’t have an active social media presence, you simply don’t exist. You are missing out on huge opportunities to engage and sell to your existing and potential new guests!
Unsurprisingly Facebook is still the most popular and influential network in the world with over 2,9 million users, according to Statista.com! www.statista.com As we all know, Direct Bookings are the holy grail of online travel bookings, avoiding unnecessary admin and costly commissions to websites like Booking.com and Tripadvisor. To help you take advantage of this social media giant’s marketing and advertising tools to increase your direct bookings, we have put together some all important key tips.
Also see: How to Boost your Direct Bookings
Some of the key benefits of using Facebook includes being able to stay more connected to guests by direct communication and encouraging and responding to feedback. It helps to build brand awareness by sharing unique content, increasing your guest loyalty and to promote packages, exclusive deals and of course generate bookings, either through Facebook itself or by linking directly from your social media channels to your website.
It’s easier to get started than you think and a lot of it can be done quickly, easily and FOR FREE!!! All you need is a little bit of know-how and a knowledgeable marketing company to hold your hand and guide you through it.
Here’s our list of things you should be doing to get Facebook to work for you:
Being in the hospitality business is a passion and Facebook is the perfect place for you to show that passion. Pair that with the info shared above and you’ll have the perfect tools to help you build your online empire and generate all those sought after direct bookings.
Should you require more info about putting together a successful online marketing strategy, we’re here to help!
Social networking sites and apps have revolutionised the way that people use the internet today. If you don’t have an active social media presence, you simply don’t exist. You are missing out on huge opportunities to engage and sell to your existing and potential new guests!
Unsurprisingly Facebook is still the most popular and influential network in the world with over 2,9 million users, according to Statista.com! www.statista.com As we all know, Direct Bookings are the holy grail of online travel bookings, avoiding unnecessary admin and costly commissions to websites like Booking.com and Tripadvisor. To help you take advantage of this social media giant’s marketing and advertising tools to increase your direct bookings, we have put together some all important key tips.
Also see: How to Boost your Direct Bookings
Some of the key benefits of using Facebook includes being able to stay more connected to guests by direct communication and encouraging and responding to feedback. It helps to build brand awareness by sharing unique content, increasing your guest loyalty and to promote packages, exclusive deals and of course generate bookings, either through Facebook itself or by linking directly from your social media channels to your website.
It’s easier to get started than you think and a lot of it can be done quickly, easily and FOR FREE!!! All you need is a little bit of know-how and a knowledgeable marketing company to hold your hand and guide you through it.
Here’s our list of things you should be doing to get Facebook to work for you:
- Probably the most successful of all Facebook tools would be a little bit of paid advertising. Either boost a post or create an actual Facebook Ad. It doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg and it works really well if you are mindful of who you are marketing too. Knowing your guest is key! Facebook advertising should be an essential part of your hotel’s digital marketing strategy to drive direct bookings back to your own brand site
Also see: Planning for Success in 2021: Facebook Boosted Posts VS Facebook Advertising - If paid advertising isn’t currently in your budget (we know times are tough) organic posts can still have a small modicum of success if done correctly. Be sure to make your content memorable and interesting enough for those seeing it to share, in turn garnering some extra followers and potential new guests. Not only is fresh content helpful from a social media perspective, but it will also benefit you from a search engine optimization point of view and engage guests that find their way to your site.
- Facebook Stories are a great way to make short video clips on how your establishment/tour company operates, showcase your best elements ( think events or special occasions ) and remember to show off those great guest experiences to create some excitement among your followers.
- Promos are also a great way of marketing directly to your followers and offering something unique and special to them which often creates impulse bookings and generates some direct traffic to your booking pages.
- Reviews are crucial to any online marketing campaign, so be sure to ask your guests to leave a review on your social platforms. Even if the review isn’t as shiny as you would like it to be, you can still deal with it publicly and resolve any issues, getting your review score as high as possible. This shows other potential visitors what they can expect from their future visits.
- Being active regularly on your page will help you build even more followers over time. Tagging people and other businesses, sharing some curated content you think your audience would like and commenting on other posts you support will draw the desired attention to your establishment. Be sure to use targeting hashtags when you post for maximum effect!
- Word of mouth advertising is way more powerful than most people realise, so be sure to encourage your guests to use check-ins or location tags on any related content they post to their own social media pages.
- Make sure your main page CALL TO ACTION button reads BOOK NOW and links directly to your website’s booking page. When you’re posting about your establishment it’s also a good idea to always include a booking link in the actual post, making the process very easy for the potential guest.
Here’s a little more on that: How to Increase Direct Bookings through your establishment’s website
Being in the hospitality business is a passion and Facebook is the perfect place for you to show that passion. Pair that with the info shared above and you’ll have the perfect tools to help you build your online empire and generate all those sought after direct bookings.
Should you require more info about putting together a successful online marketing strategy, we’re here to help!
Pop us a mail at info@tourismmarketing.co.za or WhatsApp 084 706 2020 or 084 690 6526