The Socialnomics Social Media Video 2013

For regular readers of my blog, you will know that each year I tend to post the latest Social Media Video produced by Socialnomics.  In my opinion, this annually produced video is one of the most powerful ways to explain the influence, reach and usage of social channels with some incredible and hard-hitting facts.  Socialnomics was founded by Erik Qualman with the intent of providing short social stories, statistics, studies and surprises.  I refer to these videos regularly and often share them with people asking me questions about why their hotel should be taking social media seriously.

So, with my thanks as always to Socialnomics, here’s the 2013 video. Enjoy.

Holiday Inn gives away free nights on Twitter

I always like to highlight how hotel chains are using social media to drive business, and today I found that Holiday Inn are promoting a new giveaway though Twitter, so I wanted to share what they are doing with you.  Of course, with over 1,200 hotels worldwide, Holiday Inn is the most widely recognised lodging brands in the world so any promotion they run socially will instantly grab the attention of thousands of followers, but the guiding principle of interaction is an interesting one to follow and can be re-applied in different levels.

“Holiday Inn Resort Kicks Off Back to School Season with “Extra Credit” and Resort Stay Giveaway”

InterContinental Hotels Group today announced the Holiday Inn Resort “Extra Credit” offer which rewards guests with a $50 Resort Credit to use on property when they stay at least two nights Sept. 4 through Nov. 30, 2012, booked through their brand website.  The “extra credit” can be used toward breakfast, lunch, water ski rentals, bike rentals and more.  For each additional night stayed, guests will receive another $25.

Del Ross, Vice President Americas Sales & Marketing, IGG commented “Summer may be winding down but there are still great vacation travel deals.  Whether it’s a family of five or a couple of friends who want to visit Holiday Inn Resort beach locations or action-packed attraction areas, we’re making it possible to create memorable experiences affordably.”

Holiday Inn are using Twitter to provide more interactive value to their brand followers by launching their  “Resort Stay Giveaway”. Prizes range from a one night stay up to an eight night stay at any Holiday Inn Resort location in the U.S., Mexico and the Caribbean. Quite simply, Holiday Inn are encouraging interaction – the more tweets, the bigger the prizes get.

Here’s how the “Resort Stay Giveaway” works:

• Follow @HolidayInn on Twitter
• Tell us why you would love to stay at a resort for your next vacation with the #ResortLove hashtag
• Tweet daily for more chances to win

This is a very clever way to get your followers tweeting about your brand.  Of course, IHG are the largest hotel group around so this is an inexpensive promotion for them, however the ideal is the same even if you are a small independent hotel.  Encourage interaction through your social sites with different offers (these don;t even need to be giveaways, they can be simple communication). Everyone likes an offer and it motivates people to get involved and talk about your brand.

‘The Content Omniverse’ – check out this great Infographic

I found this great infographic this evening, recently published by CopyPress.  Take a look, it really does represent social content online very well.

Infographic courtesy of CopyPress.

The top Irish hotels getting social

Outside of Hotel Insight, my role in the hospitality industry allows me to get really involved in the Irish market, and for that reason, I was speaking with my friend Christina, the owner of CG Online Marketing based in Ireland, about her thoughts on hotels using social media in her primary market.  We had such a good conversation, that Christina offered to provide her insights into this area – so this post is courtesy of Christina!

Christina: “According to Failte Ireland’s visitor survey, everybody loves the Irish hospitality. In my mind, this means that the Irish charm and warm nature is perfect for social media – so here I’ve compiled a list of the top Irish hotel social media pages and campaigns and together we can you can judge if the Irish brand of hospitality translates as well online.

1)     First up is the Cliff House Hotel, Ardmore, Co Waterford

A stunning location on the south-east coast and close to Ardmore Bay, the Cliffhouse Hotel are lucky to have the ocean as a backdrop.

Twitter: @cliffhousehotel

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/TheCliffHouseHotel

These guys were born to tweet and never miss a chance to respond (great customer service).

Practically 4000 Twitter followers and high engagement levels. They have been known to tweet and serve simultaneously.

Their Facebook page is just as busy – plenty of pictures, updates and they even shared a few mentions on third party blogs – nice!

Not one question was left unanswered and the tone was consistently upbeat.

An encouraging start!

2)     Next we have, The Clanard Court Hotel, Athy, Co Kildare

Set on the outskirts of Dublin city, the Clanard Court is a popular local for those living in Athy.

Twitter: @ClanardCourt

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ClanardCourtHotel

Let’s look at their social media

This hotel set hearts aflutter with their ‘Love Match’ Facebook campaign to win a wedding

(the one of your dreams, of course).

The competition stages:

• Couples upload their images
• Four then progress to stage two
• Each couple is filmed discussing their prospective partners
• Fans had to guess the couples.
• Winners crowned (Love match)

Full coverage here

What I loved about this campaign was the innovation and personalisation of it. Interactive, multimedia-driven (upload images and video interviews), personality (some cool questions like ‘What celebrity does your partner look most like?’) and the amount of time and commitment a campaign of this magnitude must have taken. This is more of a free-fall into social media, as opposed to a side-step and it is a testament to what social media can do for a hotel.

3)     In at 3 is The Maryborough Hotel, Douglas, Co. Cork

The Maryborough hotel (a client of mine, incidentally) is well-known for a warm and friendly service. They are constantly adding to the hotel (Pet Farm, Team Building and Dome) and are dedicated to their guests.

Twitter: @TheMaryborough

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/maryborough.cork

Let’s look at their social media

The Facebook page has personality! Sales carries this function and it’s updated almost daily – sometimes with offers, something with links, and sometimes a just a feel-good shout out.

You may not note the strategy at play, in fact you might be forgiven for thinking there isn’t one at all…but, there is! The updates are all goal-driven – Talking about Santa’s visit, buying Christmas vouchers, Spa offers, etc. Mostly, there’s a sales message at play, but it’s packaged behind an energetic and happy voice, so fans respond.

‘#leaders11 Have to say the Energy is just Electric here in the Sherrard Suite Tonight!!!’

Plus – they use #tags for tweets and create a nice buzz for their offerings.

There are countless hotels in Ireland worth a mention, like The Cork Airport Hotel – winner of a number of marketing awards and promoters of an edgy, creative vibe (vibrating seats  – need we say more?) http://www.facebook.com/corkinternationalairporthotel, plus The Burlington Hotel in Dublin http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Burlington-Hotel-Dublin/102643726883 where every status update gets a picture (for those not in the know – this increases your chances of being seen by your fans).

Bio

Christina is owner of CG Online Marketing (www.cgonlinemarketing.com) and has ten years experience in online marketing communications from working with Premier Recruitment Group, LA Fitness, Monarch Airlines, Thomson Travel and a host of other companies. Christina is dedicated in providing unique online marketing solutions tailored to individual client needs, and ensuring that all online activities run smoothly and obtain the best ROI possible. Specialties:Online marketing Online media Social Media/Social Marketing SEO / PPC Google analytics (qualified in GA IQ) Web trends + insights, Data segmentation and targeting, Customer Behavior analysis, Digital design, Writing, Ethical marketing Green marketing / Sustainable tourism and Hotel + travel online marketing.

 

Using Twitter to add value to your guests experience

In such a competitive marketplace, hotels have to stand out from the crowd, not only to attract customers, but to retain them, whilst ensuring that they not only come back to stay with you, but pass a good story on to their friends.  Using social media channels is the perfect way to create a connection with a prospective guest or customer, but this has to be thought about clearly.  Too often I see hotels mis-using social channels and instead of conversing with customers, they frustrate them and drive them away from connecting.

Twitter is at the very heart of this.  Hotels that purely send out special offers and promotions quickly find people hitting the unfollow button.  Twitter should be about creating a personality for your hotel or brand and engaging with people, and making sure they know what you’re doing.  For me, there is one perfect example of how hotels have been inventive with Twitter and done exactly that, and it’s the Hyatt Concierge.

Hyatt have been very clever and even been the pioneer of the online concierge service.  Quite simply, they have created a Twitter account called @HyattConcierge as a way to interact with guests and provide all the services of the hotel concierge desk over Twitter.

And it’s working fantastically well.  With over 16,500 followers, you can see guests interacting with Hyatt on all kinds of levels.  From recommendations for restaurants nearby to their hotels, to post check-out comments on service and suggestions.  This has opened a whole new way for guests to communicate with Hyatt.

Remember, this is not new.  I’m not telling you about a brand new concept.  This account has been in existence for a number of years and is widely used.  It just goes to show that you can truly add value to your guests experience in such a simple way.  Think outside the box, think about what you customers want, then find a way to do it – before they disengage altogether.

My Twitter Winner…and an intro to Hospes Infinite Places

You may remember that I promised that my 400th follower on Twitter would win a free post to profile their business.  Well, the lucky winner was found a couple of weeks ago, so congratulations Hannah Summers!  Hannah is at ZFL PRCo, a PR company who specialises in providing integrated public relations to the luxury travel, hotel and property sectors.  So, as the winner of my Twitter offer, the following post is all about one of their clients, Hospes Infinite Places –  a Spanish hotel group.  I hope you find it interesting!

Hospes Infinite Places is a Spanish-born hotel group with a range of four and five star hotels located across various regions of Spain, plus one hotel in Paris. Their current collection includes properties in Alicante, Cordoba, Granada, Mallorca, Seville, Valencia, Puigcerdà, Madrid and Paris and they will soon be opening in Beirut and Damascus.

One of their most renowned hotels is located in Paris, the Hospes Lancaster, a member of The Leading Hotels of the World. It is a boutique hotel built in 1889 with 60 rooms and 11 suites located around a tranquil courtyard garden.  With a collection of art and antiques, the hotel is rich in history and ideally located steps away from the Champs Élysées and the Arc de Triomphe.  The beautiful Michelin Star restaurant, La Table du Lancaster is overseen by French chef Michel Troisgros and offers a menu of delicate European and French cuisine.

Hospes Lancaster is offering an exclusive Valentine’s package this year, combining a stay in the Marlene Dietrich Suite, with a host of luxuries including a private piano concert and a chauffeur driven tour of the city.

I’m also pleased to pass on the following special offer…

Valentine’s package:

• One night accommodation in the Marlene Dietrich Suite
• Private chauffeur transfer from the airport / station
• Private concert on Marlene Dietrich’s piano accompanied by Champagne, Foie Gras, lobster, truffles and caviar canapés in the room
• A romantic meal at Michelin starred restaurant “La Table du Lancaster”
• ‘Paris by night’ chauffeur driven tour of the iconic city sites
• Caviar and Champagne breakfast in the room
• Bathrobes embroidered with the guests’ initials and a uniquely designed Montblanc fountain pen featuring personal engravings to take away as a souvenir

Price starts from €5,200 (approx. £4,355). The package is available for one couple for the night of the 14th of February 2011. Booking details: Tel: +33 1 40 76 40 76, or visit www.hospes.com

Congratulations again to Hannah!