Social media has become the hottest method of marketing in today's world. Millions of people are using Facebook every day - that's a market that needs to be tapped. With the creation of the Facebook "news feed", getting information about you to other people has never been more simple.
As a hotel, you can certainly use Facebook as an effective method to bring in more guests. However, you need to be careful. Like any marketing method, if done incorrectly, it can become a tremendous waste of both time and money. Here are a few ways that you can market on Facebook without wasting your time or your money:
* Create a profile so people can contact you. This is the most basic step, and also a very important one. Everything that you do on Facebook will lead back to this profile. Create one based on a character or mascot, perhaps. It could even be the profile of the owner or manager. In any case, pay close attention to how you set up your profile, as this will be where people will find out the most about your hotel
* Post an event. Throw a party or get-together and post it on Facebook. Invite everyone to attend - maybe offer some sort of discount code to people who sign up through Facebook. Either way, generate some attention and use it to bring in more guests.
* Post some pictures or videos. If you have anybody that works in your hotel that may be camera-friendly, hire that person to film some funny or clever commercials. You won't have to buy any airtime; simply post them on Facebook and share them with everybody. Thousands of videos are posted online every day. The ones that are pushed through social media avenues are the ones that stick in people's minds. Take some funny pictures from an event and create a photo album for people to look through. They will, especially if they are from the event you posted. Tagging your Facebook friends in pictures is a great way to get people to look at them. Many Facebook users can't resist looking at pictures of their friends.
* Share news articles. Have you gotten any good press lately? Any news mentions that would make your hotel look good? Post them on Facebook and share them with the world. Make the most of any press you get.
* Create a Facebook group. By creating a group, you offer a central place for conversations to take place about your brand. If you offer enough value to your group, others can invite their friends with one simple click. This is how effective viral marketing campaigns start. In addition, your group name appears on each member's profile page. Your brand name can easily be seen by thousands, or even millions, if done correctly.
* Create a Facebook page. A Facebook page is a feature that Facebook introduced late last year. It is sort of a blend of a profile page and a group page, designed specifically for businesses and brands. Facebook pages are more customizable, but "fans" of your page can not invite their friends to join. This is where the News Feed will help you get the word out.
* Post a classified ad on Facebook Marketplace. Using Facebook Marketplace, you can communicate wanted ads and job openings to all of your networks for free. If you want to post to multiple networks, there is a small cost. If someone responds to your ad and you are not "friends" with them, you will be able to view their profile.
* Purchase Social Ads. Facebook Social Ads are sponsored links that companies buy to advertise. They can offer very direct, targeted advertising for a marketer. They also can be placed in the Facebook News Feed, which means it will generally be clicked on more often.
* Start a poll. Polls are easy ways for marketers to get real-time audience participation. Post a poll about your hotel after a big event, or about the big event itself. Polls can be targeted to specific demographics.
* Sponsor a Facebook Application. Facebook Applications are often fun little games that are shared among Facebook friends and posted in their profiles. Many Facebook users enjoy this feature of Facebook and profiles can contain many different applications. Sponsoring one would involve contacting an application developer and discussing it directly with them.
As you can see, there are tremendous marketing opportunities for hotels to take advantage of in Facebook. Facebook has emerged as a unique community, offering authentic audiences and viral marketing opportunities for those willing to put in the work. It needs to be done intelligently, but when you combine several methods of advertising together into one big campaign, its effectiveness can increase tenfold.
