Do You Know What Your Hotel Will Post on Social Media Next Wednesday?
Albert BarraJanuary 20, 2019 · 6 min read
Social media content planning should support your objectives. Know what you are going to post, and when, but above all, know why you are posting it.
How do you create a social media content plan?
1) Know exactly what it is about
We begin by asking ourselves some very basic questions that will shape our content marketing strategy and communication approach from now on. It is an excellent exercise and, for many, it may be the first time they have stopped to consider the role their hotel plays in the value chain and in the market from the guest’s perspective. Simply complete the following sentences by filling in the blanks:Our hotel is the place where ________________ (guests) obtain ______________ (benefits) because we offer them _______________ (satisfactions).
These sentences will help you identify:- Who your target guests are
- What benefits you provide them with
- How guests perceive those benefits, or how you meet their needs
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2) Know your guests and where they are on social media.
You want to plan future posts on the social media platforms where most of your guests and prospective guests spend their time. The rest do not matter, just as the rest of the people who are neither guests nor prospective guests do not matter. For example, if you do not know where they are on social media, you may be posting on Snapchat while they are on Facebook. You have just wasted time and effort, and nobody sees or cares about your posts. Based on a solid understanding of your guests, use basic demographic information to start finding out where they are on social media. Facebook: The place to be Instagram: The next step; currently, the place to be after Facebook- Twitter: Ideal for customer service and connecting with the media.
- Instagram: Recommended if your hotel regularly produces high-quality images. It works like a search engine, so when used well, it is an excellent complement to SEO.
- YouTube: Likewise, if you have good videos that are properly tagged with descriptions and links to your website, it is an excellent complement to your SEO strategy.
- LinkedIn: Join the conversation with professionals and make your brand highly visible among the profiles of the people most relevant to your hotel.
3) Develop content themes that relate to what your hotel is and are linked to your marketing objectives
By now, you have answered two of the key questions that should drive your social media strategy: who is your market and where are they on social media? The next step is to analyse carefully both the statements in point 1 and the general objectives you have set for your hotel. For example, you may decide that Swedish golfers are one of your hotel’s target segments, and that over the next two years you want to grow your market share within the Swedish golfer niche. This means that some of your social media posts should be created with Swedish golfers in mind, supporting your objective of attracting their attention and convincing them to visit. Returning to those basic questions... Where are Swedish golfers on social media? What type of content appeals to Swedish golfers? Can you see the clarity this brings to your planning process? You are not posting randomly or simply sharing nice words on social media; instead, you are focusing on specific content for a specific type of guest. To make planning easier, you could decide that every Wednesday will be Swedish Golfer Day on your social media channels. Alongside your niche-focused themes, you should also consider themes related to your broader marketing objectives. You should finish this section with a list of five to seven broad themes for which you will create content, and two or three specific themes. If you have more or fewer, that is fine; simply have a coherent list that supports your objectives.4) Create different types of content for different objectives
Now, this part is more technical from a marketing perspective and once again requires some thought. Every piece of content you create should have a purpose. You are creating social media posts because you want people to DO SOMETHING after seeing them, right? However, here is the thing: people are not always ready to press the BOOK button. They are at different stages of planning their trip. If all your content is focused on promoting some kind of offer, it will not really have an impact on people who are not yet interested in that. We already know that there are four different stages in the booking process, and therefore each prospective guest may be at one of them: awareness (of a need or desire), the search for options that meet that need or desire, the booking itself, and simply sharing the experience. Combine your content types to appeal to people at the different stages your target guest may be in. For example: Awareness: build relationships with prospective guests. Make sure people know you exist and like what they see when they find you. Try a short video that offers a preview and makes them want to experience what awaits them. Searching for Options: encourage some form of engagement that may lead to a booking, such as “Subscribe to our monthly email newsletter.” Booking: create sales opportunities with clear, concise calls to action. Book Now and receive 10% off the best available rate. Sharing the Experience: do not neglect current guests and people who already know your product. For example, when a guest posts a photo on Instagram, ask them to share it with their followers and send them a private message with a discount code for their next booking.5) Plan for a variety of social media content formats
Finally, vary your content formats. Try text posts, photos, videos, live videos, infographics, tip lists, audio files, webinars and so on, according to the purpose of the content (see Step 4 above). Make sure the content format fits your objective for that content and the stage of the booking process the guest is in. Again, if all this seems too complicated, choose just one new format to try. Social media platforms are powerful. As we often say, they are the most important communication tools since the printing press. They can do a great deal for your hotel, but only if you take them seriously and properly plan how you will use them.[ " "]
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