Top Social Media Tips To Keep Guests Coming Back to Your Hotel

The way hotel brands interact with guests is changing.

“New and older brands are making moves to do away with the beige, interact via apps, double as co-working and social spaces, and score shareable selfie love along the way,” according to The Washington Post.

So, how can your hotel stand out to get new guests and keep them coming back?

Don’t miss these top tricks from Main Street Hub for posting great content, interacting with your customers on the social media platforms that matter most to them, creating personalized experiences for guests, and developing strategies to get locals in the door.

Post great content

One important way to appeal to your guests and keep your hotel top-of-mind when they’re thinking about visiting your city or town is to post creative, compelling content that tells a story. Sure, it’s important to inform your guests of all of your upcoming events and specials — but what consumers want today is content from their favorite brands and businesses that adds value to their lives. They’re looking for authentic posts that show them what hotels are all about — so give them an insight into the experience of staying and dining with you!

Here are some content ideas you can use on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to turn guests into loyal fans and keep them booking future stays with your business:

Hot Tip: Feature People

When you’re showing off photos of your hotel, it can be easy to show photos of your great rooms, views, restaurant, or rooftop — but people want to know what it’s like to be at your hotel, and the best way to show that is to add a human element to your photos. Use faces, hands, posing guests, and candids.

Here are some examples: Instead of taking a photo of the cocktails you offer, take a photo of someone holding the drink or cheersing a friend. Instead of taking a photo of the beach your hotel is on, take a photo of the back of someone in a hat looking at the ocean. Instead of taking a photo of the menu at your next restaurant event, take a photo of the people in attendance enjoying the menu. Instead of posting a photo of your front desk, show off your concierge team smiling behind the desk.

Bringing in the human element will help guests picture themselves at your hotel, and keep them coming back for more visits.

Hot Tip: Feature Your Local Area

As a hotel owner, you have the inside scoop on the best local activities, outdoor adventures, and attractions that tourists might not know about , and sharing that information on social media will only help to build trust with your guests. Potential customers will appreciate the local perspective, and current customers will appreciate the insider tips — because you’re giving them information that adds value to their lives and takes away some of the burden of travel research.

Here are some examples:

You can research events that are happening in your area like festivals, concerts, farmer’s markets, or games, link to them on Facebook and Twitter and ask your fans and followers if they’re attending. That way, they might think of you when they make their plans to get there.

You can promote your amenities, like free bikes or beach chair rentals, by telling your guests about the activities they can participate in near your hotel.

“Coming to visit us soon? Don’t forget your sneakers, we have many off-the-beaten-path hiking trails and nature walks — grab a bike from our on-premise rental spot and go exploring!”

Don’t forget to post about your own restaurant. Keep your followers up to date on what’s new at your restaurant and use the same local tags you’d use for other recommendations as this could help pull in guests not staying at your hotel.

Interact With Your Fans

In addition to posting engaging content, it’s essential to interact with your guests on social media. If you’re not, consider this stat: 84% of consumers expect businesses to respond to their questions, complaints, and issues on social media within 24 hours.

Engaging with your fans is the fun part — liking their tags, mentions, and posts about your business, commenting on the great photos they took while staying with you, replying to their comments, and double tapping those user-generated Instagram posts of your hotel are essential to extending your customer service online. But as an owner, you also need to respond to all of the complaints, concerns, and questions you receive — especially in private messages on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram — to quickly resolve any issues, build relationships, and generate repeat visitors. If your guests know they’re being heard, they’ll be more likely to trust your business, interact with you more online, and return for more stays.

Download Main Street Hub’s free guide here for more tips: How to Extend Your Customer Service on Social Media.