Why Facebook?
Facebook for Hotels As Hoteliers we need to shift our mindset from assuming that Facebook is a sales tool and consider Facebook as a communication device. It is a way for us to talk to our past, present and future customers and let them know more about our hotel.
Customers are going to your Facebook page to:
Find your address
Find your phone number
To ask questions via chat / messenger
Scroll your newsfeed to find out more about you
Understand the local area
Interact with you
Be inspired Be amused Be supported and looked after
Not be sold to every five minutes
People join Facebook to follow their friends and family, therefore it is a privilege should they choose to follow your hotel or motel. Reward this choice by creating good content your customers want to see.
When Posting to Facebook follow the 30/30/30/10 rule
30% of posts are designed to inspire and target customers at the dreaming phase. I want to go on holiday but where should I go?
30% of posts are designed to help your audience plan their holiday. I have decided I want to go there but what is there to do and have I made the right decision? Will my kids be entertained or bored?
30% of your posts are designed to increase engagement. Ultimately we need to play the Facebook algorithms so we need to get customers commenting, liking and sharing. Ask a question?
10% are soft sell. Promote your product and service and maybe add in a special offer.
Updating your Facebook page
Cover photo - this is the first thing customers will see so make it count. You can use Canva to create a collage of 3 photos or add a video but make it count. This is prime real estate.
Profile pic - logo or hotel shot, make sure it is in focus and works with your cover photo
Check all your hotel details such as phone number and address, opening times etc
Ensure that all links work - click them and make sure
Check the link from your website to Facebook works Your hotel name - make sure it matches with your website and Google so customers can find you.
Collaborate within your local community - tag other businesses Join local groups and provide a service, be a source of information
Tag your local tourism association, your state board and Tourism Australia as they are always looking for new content and may pick up on yours. You will need to give them a quick call to ask what their preferred hashtags are.
Share local information - consider who your target market is and give them the information they require to have a happy and successful holiday. Families - what can I do with my kids to ensure they aren't bored and off the dreaded screens
Corporate - where can I eat when I am tired and hungry and arriving late
Couples - ah romance, where is that perfect sunset spot, winery tour etc?
Create a calendar of posts - it is far easier to have a theme than to try and come up with a post per day. Set up a calendar of events and then work backwards.
For example, Christmas is in December and your town will be doing x events so start talking about these 4 weeks prior to your average booking lead time
Review your insights - which posts had the most reach (number of unique people who saw the post in their feed)
Review your impressions (the number of times the post was displayed in a newsfeed). You want to know what sort of posts your customers like.
ADMINS: Ensure you have a minimum of 2 admins on your social media page. One of my lovely clients was recently hacked and has found it near impossible to deal with Facebook to get ownership of her page back. She could have avoided this by ensuring she had 2 or 3 admins to continue managing the page when she could not access it. Protect yourself from hackers!!