adding social media to your hospitality marketing tool kit

Social Media to your hospitality marketing toolbox

Adding

Social Media for Hospitality 101

WHEREcan I find

inspiration?


WHO’s doing it right?

WHAT is all this Social Media

stuff?

WHATdo I Say? HOW do I

track it? WHY should I participate?

WHEN willI have time to

manage it?

WHO’s listening to me anyway?

WHEREcan I find

inspiration?

HOW can I make it work

for me?


WHO’s doing it right?

WHAT is all this Social Media

stuff?

WHATdo I Say? HOW do I

track it? WHY should I participate?

WHEN willI have time to

manage it?

WHO’s listening to me anyway?


Finding the right tools

Lingo

Brief overview on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Flickr, Location

Getting the message out through social media channels

Integrating these channels with your existing marketing plan

Analytics

Tracking your success

TOPICS

ToolsSocial Media for Hospitality 101

Tools

Twitter desktop clientHootsuite, Tweetdeck, Seesmic


Tools


Smart phoneiPhone, Android, Blackberry


Tools



Blog platform Wordpress, Posterous, Tumblr, Typepad, MoveableType, Blogger


Tools




CalendarOutlook, iCal, etc. Set reminders for time management


Tools


Your earsSocial Media is for listening more than talking. Set up, tune in, chime in.



CalendarOutlook, iCal, etc. Set reminders for time management


Lingo

@ sign – this character is placed immediately before (@lebistro) any Twitter name. It tells Twitter it is an actual Twitter account and automatically becomes a link to that account. Facebook @ names can be used to tag friends.

# hashtags – are community-driven and create additional context and metadata to your tweets. They’re like tags or categories, only added inline to your post. Hashtags signals trending topics.

RT retweet – Automatically populates in a tweet you’d like to forward to your followers. Gives credit to the original tweeter. Make your tweets re-tweetable by leaving room

D – (formerly DM) – direct message to one of your followers who ALSO is following you. DM’s are private and do not show up in your public timeline. Can only be sent through mutual followers. NOT to used to spam your followers, ever.

.@name – a period placed immediately before an @name will allow that reply tweet to be seen by all of both your and their followers. Normally just the @name reply will be seen only by those following the both of you simultaneously.

tag – tags are keywords that are added to videos, images, blog posts, etc. They help search engines and search fields find a specific topic-related file.



Twitter

Overview

Twitter is word-of-mouth at lightning speed.


Twitter Examples

OverviewWHO’s doing

it right?

Roger Smith Hotel

Location: NYCFollowers: 8,000+

Doing it right:

Heavy use of Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Flickr, extensive blog

@rogersmithlife

Bumbershoot

Locations: Seattle, WAFollowers: 6,200+

Doing it right:

Heavy use of Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Flickr, MySpace (bands) huge blog, press

@bumbershoot

AJ Bombers

Location: Milwaukee, WIFollowers: 11,000+

Doing it right:

Heavy use of Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Flickr, contests, press

@ajbombers


Facebook

Overview

A Facebook Fan Page is a great way to:

spread a brand message and tell your story

converse WITH your audience, customers and fans

share content from your blog, community, events

drum up interest in an event you are hosting or participating in

promote local attractions like festivals, concerts, athletics


Facebook Examples

OverviewWHO’s doing

it right?

Magic Hat BreweryMagic Hat Brewery

Location: S Burlington, VTFans: 29,000+

Doing it right:

FB landing page, engagement, event promotion, discussions, video, contests

/magichatbrewing

Disney World

Location: Orlando, FLFans: 4.8M+

Doing it right:

Various calls to action, video, email capture, activities on multiple tabs

/waltdisneyworld

Bluebird Tavern

Location: #BTVFans: 1,200+

Doing it right:

Calls to action back to website, promoting others, robust events calendar, blog feed

/bluebirdtavern


YouTube & Flickr

Overview

YouTube and Flickr tagged photos and videos indexed by search engines.


YouTube & Flickr Examples

Overview

Location: Norwich, VT

Doing it right:

BRanded YT Channel, 28 how-to videos + Favorites

/user/KingArthurFlour

Location: Burlington, VTFollowers: 550+

Doing it right:

Product, cooking classes, tweetups, neighborhood

flickr.com/photos/augustfirstvt

Location: NYC

Doing it right:

759 videos! Movies, events, food, press, workouts, fashion shows, art, tours EVERYTHING interesting

user/rogersmithnews

King Arthur Flour August First

Roger Smith Hotel

http://www.youtube.com/user/KingArthurFlour

http://www.youtube.com/user/KingArthurFlour

http://www.flickr.com/photos/augustfirstvt/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/augustfirstvt/

http://www.themermaidnyc.com/sub/video.php

http://www.themermaidnyc.com/sub/video.php


Foursquare, Gowalla, Facebook Places

Overview

Location-based applications like Foursquare (and GoWalla, BrightKite, MyTown) are golden opportunities for restaurants, bars, hotels and events to attract customers who use these apps on their smart phones. Facebook Places puts your biz in the feed of every friend your checkins have.

Check-ins can add Tips to venues

Mayors are those users that have checked in the most at your establishment. Indulge them with little freebies or discounts.

Promote with a Special Offer or special badge via Foursquare

Verify your accounts on Foursquare.com, FB and Google Places


Blogging

Overview

Adding a blog to your website is the most efficient way to keep your site fresh and on the Google radar. Companies that blog have far better marketing results.

The average business that blogs has:

55% more website visitors

97% more inbound links

434% more pages indexed by search engines

http://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/5014/Study-Shows-Small-Businesses-That-Blog-Get-55-More-Website-Visitors.aspx

{THAT’S HOT}

http://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/5014/Study-Shows-Small-Businesses-That-Blog-Get-55-More-Website-Visitors.aspx#ixzz1825zzKFO

http://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/5014/Study-Shows-Small-Businesses-That-Blog-Get-55-More-Website-Visitors.aspx#ixzz1825zzKFO


Summary of tools

Overview

TwitterBrand your page, follow relevant people & organizations, join the conversation, promote others as well as yourself. Share.

YouTube & FlickrRecord everything! Take loads of pics, upload and tag the best, cross-post them to Facebook, Twitter, blog, etc. Share.

Location Based AppsClaim your business, verify correct info, promote as a great place to check in, Treat your mayors well.

Facebook

Brand your Fan Page, fan up with other local fan pages, companies. Leave comments, respond to comments on your own fan page. Share.

BLOG Start a blog that is ties to you website (or free if you must, but BLOG!) Comment on other blogs, get listed on Technorati and weave your blog into your website and Facebook. Establish your (interesting)self and your biz as an authority in your industry.


What do I say?

Messaging

Your tweets, Facebook and blog posts should be more than “All About Me”. Ideally the ratio of self-promoting messages to others-promoting tweets should be 12:1. For every 12 tweets you make, 11 should be either RTs or links to articles about someone/something interesting or relevant to your community. Share your content on any/every channel you have at your disposal.

BE where your audience is.

Specials du jour Special eventsNeighborhoodNew tweepsFollow FridayProducersVendorsPurveyorsIndustry issues

Local interestsCharity eventsFestivalsLocal ToursFarmers Markets TravelsRecipesGuest postsInterviews

PhotosYour competitionVideosFacebook pollsSurveysStaffChefsClassesTastings

Topic and Channel Opportunities (the short list)


Tell a story

Messaging

Tweet this pic

Julian Assange hammered at an undisclosed downtown bar. Sadly (or gladly) not ours, doh! #wikileaks #btv

Post this pic

Add a killer headline to your post. Ask a question, ask for captions, feedback. Then follow up and keep the ‘story’ going

Import YouTube feed to your FB page, even if its just a 3rd party (like SNL) link

Upload or favorite a video

Then tweet about the video and YouTube Channel as a resource.

Upload this pic to a set on Flickr

Add to your Flickr collection of tagged pics

Add it your blog (website)

Post pics, vids and commentary. Your slice of being almost famous, humbly.


Parking Social Media in traditional media

Messaging

MENUS - add your social places to your menus, business cards, punch cards, catering brochures, to go menus. Again, use logos along with your @ or location name. Encourage check-ins with location based apps

ON THE FRONT DOOR - request and post your business on your front door, or elevators, restroom doors, windows, LCD streams. Branded stickers (which are instantly recognizable) are FREE from Foursquare and FB, etc. Just ask.

WEBSITE - seems obvious but include a link to EVERYWHERE your biz lives online: review sites, location places, Twitter, FB, video channels, online profiles, LinkedIn Groups, various blogs, etc.

TV & Radio - end your messages with your social places

PRINT ADVERTISING - add your social places to all of your print advertising. Use logos (their free to use) and your @ or location name: /mykickassbar


Integrating Social Media with your web site

Integrating

Let everyone know you’ve gone Social by adding Widgets, Badges, and Feeds to your website. Reversely, add share buttons to your site.


Analytics

Tracking

• Install Google Analytics on your website to track where visitors are coming from

• Set GA goals

• Focus on trends rather than numbers

• Reuse the same shortened URLs for individual page promos on Twitter and FB

• Create a Social Media landing page(s) on your web site

• Use Tweetmeme buttons on your blog posts

• Use Bit.ly shortened URLs


Who’s talking about you

Tracking

• Use a Twitter dashboard (Tweetdeck, Hootsuite, etc)

• Use and follow Hashtags # for your location, business

• Establish your Google Profile, Google Places, Facebook Places

• Sign up for Google Alerts: biz name, industry, market, niches

• Review sites: Yelp! UrbanSpoon, TripAdvisor, CitySearch, local entertainment paper

• Location Apps: Foursquare, GoWalla, MyTown

• Search.Twitter.com

• SocialMention.com, backtweets.com

Paid Listening / Data Services


Tracking


R.O.I.(Return on Investment)

Tracking



Tracking

I’m doing all this Social Media work but how do I know its WORKING?



Tracking

I’m doing all this Social Media work but how do I know its WORKING?Why not just run ads, buy web banners and press releases?



Tracking

I’m doing all this Social Media work but how do I know its WORKING?Why not just run ads, buy web banners and press releases?

= $0+ a little time

Reach an unlimited #

of people



Tracking


vs.

Why not just run ads, buy web banners and press releases?

= $0+ a little time


of people



Tracking


vs.


$Reach an estimated fixed # of

people

= $0+ a little time


of people



Tracking


vs.


$Reach an estimated fixed # of

people

= $0+ a little time


of people

REMEMBER Social Media doesn’t REPLACE your other marketing tools, but can augment your

efforts by being where your customers are NOW.*



Tracking



Tracking

= A.I.S.



Tracking

= A.I.S.✓ You have a strategy, plans, goals



Tracking

= A.I.S.

✓ You have identified your strengths and weaknesses

✓ You have a strategy, plans, goals



Tracking

= A.I.S.



✓ You have studied where your qualified markets are



Tracking

= A.I.S.




✓ You are properly branded and connected



Tracking

= A.I.S.

Huh?




✓ You are properly branded and connected


Tracking


Tracking

Asses In Seats(and beds, and venues)

that’s your R.O.I.


Tracking

Asses In Seats(and beds, and venues)

(Thanks @PracticalCafe)

that’s your R.O.I.

www.TwitterForRestos.com@twit4restos

Thanks

www.DeepDishCreative.com@deepdishcreates


http://www.TwitterForRestos.com

http://www.TwitterForRestos.com

http://www.deepdishcreative.com

http://www.deepdishcreative.com

adding social media to your hospitality marketing tool kit

Self Improvement