Hotel Social media posting is essential for hotels as it provides a cost-effective, or free, way to promote hotel services, hardware, location, promotions and special events. However, the responsibility for this communication activity, often delegated to unqualified or unmotivated individuals, is also too often managed without clear directives or feedback on its effectiveness and possible areas for improvement.

In this article, we will not focus on the strategic aspect embodied by the preparation of a quarterly or annual communication plan on social networks, but rather, we will address the tactical side of this activity, highlighting a few errors which seem important to us to avoid, as well as some important guidelines to follow when posting online about your hotel, motel, resort or guest house.

Don’ts

1. Avoid Posting Impersonal Photos of So-called Guests

While sharing images of people wandering around your property might be a popular trend, it loses its appeal when the individuals lack genuine chemistry or are placed in inconspicuous areas. Showcasing strangers sitting in a bathtub, strolling down a bedroom hallway or sharing laughter around a restaurant table, particularly when these elements are not highlighted in a meaningful way nor grasp the scene surroundings, doesn’t effectively reflect the unique offerings of your property.

2. Avoid an Overabundance of Posts about Nearby Attractions

While occasional mentions of nearby attractions can pique the interest of hotel social media followers, it’s essential to strike a balance. Travelers often seek travel guides for comprehensive tourist recommendations, not hotel’s pages, and overwhelming your audience with excessive posts about external places may convey the impression that your property has limited noteworthy features to showcase.

3. Avoid Generic Food and Drink Shots

Refrain from sharing close-up images of generic hotel dishes or drinks commonly found on hotel social media. Focusing solely on zoomed-in shots of your eggs Benedict, Caesar salad, or a glass of Singapore Sling won’t make a lasting impression on prospective guests, and could even raise the question, are they actually taken from the hotel site or were they bought from photo database ?

4. Refrain from Sharing Irrelevant Content

Steer clear of re-posting or sharing content with minimal relevance to the property. While updates on the local sport team or the latest news from the district or county hotel association can be interesting in specific contexts, exclusively sharing or re-sharing this type of content might convey a noticeable lack of commitment from the hotel’s communications team or suggest a dearth of noteworthy events at the hotel.

5. Avoid Excessive Promotions

While occasional promotion posts are valuable for engaging certain guests, they should not excessively compromise the hotel’s image. Typically, promotions utilize visually-oriented formats, where images or backgrounds are heavily overlaid with text conveying offer details, and if these posts become too frequent and closely spaced, your social media channel may resemble a textbook rather than a captivating travel destination accommodation. Additionally, this may convey a perception of the property being in commercial distress or lacking substantial offerings beyond discounted rates for guests.

Do’s

1. Highlight Your Property

Posting information or images frequently is good; highlighting your facilities, points of sale, public spaces and premises is better. Your posts shouldn’t be random fishing lines posted to catch a prospect or two passing by but a vibrant bookstore displaying your property. The first thing you need to promote and present is your hotel itself, so present it.

2. Capture Services and Facilities in Action

Go beyond the static images we talked about above and showcase guests who are actively interacting with your hotel’s services and facilities. Share real-life experiences of people eating, drinking, and interacting within the hotel while taking the opportunity to show the surroundings, a wider view of the hotel, to present the hardware along with the software.

3. Combine Purely Promotional Posts with Hotel Images

Interweave promotional materials with images of your hotel to create a connection between price and experience. Those who are only interested in the promotion will only read that; others may be attracted by visuals of your idyllic beach or your brand new bar. In addition, this mix of promo + photos of the hotel will allow potential guests to associate the commercial offer with a real experience.

4. Introduce Your Team

Highlight your hotel staff to bring your establishment to life. Whether it’s a new chef presenting his signature dishes, long-time receptionists, the housekeeping team in action, or a smiling bartender, these people liven up the hotel, contributing to the unique experience that you offer, and will reflect the atmosphere that reigns there.

5. Diversify the Types of Messages

Maintain a variety of post types to keep your social account engaging. Create a clear and defined brand identity so as not to wander into different graphic or editorial styles that could lose viewers or dilute your image, but once this course of action is decided, present different aspects of your property. Differentiate yourself from your competitors by presenting a diverse range of offerings rather than repeating the same type of post.

In conclusion, effective social media management for hotels goes beyond the mere act of posting—it is an art that requires thoughtful consideration and strategic execution.

By avoiding common pitfalls such as impersonal photos, excessive promotion and irrelevant content, hotels can cultivate a vibrant online presence that genuinely reflects the unique offerings of their property.

Embracing a proactive approach, hotels should highlight their facilities, capture real-life experiences, combine promotions with captivating visuals, introduce the team, and maintain diverse content to engage a broader audience.

With these strategic considerations, hotels can not only navigate the intricacies of hotel social media but also carve a distinctive and compelling identity in the digital realm, attracting and retaining guests through authentic and appealing online representation.