How can social media marketing help the hospitality and travel industry during this pandemic?

The time has come, albeit due to an unforeseen circumstance, for hotels to use social media marketing strategies now more than ever. With conversation now moving online, businesses operating in the hotel and travel industry need to provide essential information regarding the availability of hotel rooms, travel restrictions, necessary […]

How can social media marketing help the hospitality and travel industry during this pandemic?

The time has come, albeit due to an unforeseen circumstance, for hotels to use social media marketing strategies now more than ever. With conversation now moving online, businesses operating in the hotel and travel industry need to provide essential information regarding the availability of hotel rooms, travel restrictions, necessary precautions being taken, among other things which should be communicated explicitly on the website and other booking channels. Hence, making social media a pivotal channel to spread brand awareness; where you can market your business without losing the flow of communication is the need of the hour. In case you are wondering how to leverage your social media in order to market your business, we have a few recommendations that might help you. Some social media content ideas during this pandemic Nowadays, posting on a regular schedule is crucial; letting your social media go quiet in a time like such is not recommended. If you are running out of ideas, it would be beneficial for you to partner with a travel technology solutions provider. One such platform you can trust is BCV, by RateGain. It not only helps you come with content ideas but generate revenue with it by monitoring the social space 24*7 to help assess channel growth and engagement. BCV’s guest experience cloud platform is a one stop solution that provides social media analytics for the hospitality and travel industry and connects other aspects like revenue management, sales and marketing to break the individual silos that they are currently operating in. This includes social monitoring, reputation management, tracking visibility in the industry by analysing real – time interactions across 395,000 hotels and properties. By using an elaborate tool like the above, next step is to apply that information and formulate an innovative strategy to be employed on social media to build trust among customers, this can be approached by working on communication around: Community Happenings Here what you need to do is provide local updates about your community. Share necessary information such as hours of essential stores nearby, closures of local attractions, what you are doing to help the community, etc. It is time to establish yourself as an integral part of the local community, both for guests and the community itself. Hotel Policies Don’t forget to share your property’s information which includes, closures, cancellations, hours, policies, and contact information. And, don’t forget to link it back to your hotel website if and when you change your policies. Virtual Tour To give more assurance to your customer, create a virtual video tour. You should use this time to refresh your hotels’ assets for the purpose of your channel. You can opt for a simpler approach as well, and it can be as easy as using existing photography to create a custom slideshow with text underneath it. Or you can shoot film testimonials from your staff. Cleaning One of the top concerns that people have is health and safety. Make sure you provide your guests with the right information and how you have updated your cleaning practices on the property in light of COVID-19. Don’t hide anything from your customers; be as transparent as possible. FAQ You must be getting loads of questions from your customers, so this is the right time for you to create a post and answer the most important and frequently asked questions. It is now more important than ever to use social media platforms to generate awareness amongst the customers and provide reassurance that you are doing everything possible for their safety. If you are interested in knowing more about how to tackle this pandemic, you can visit RateGain’s portal aimed at shaping a better tomorrow for the hospitality industry where industry veterans exchange information through insightful webinars and reports that highlight the current trends. Want to make your startup journey smooth? YS Education brings a comprehensive Funding Course, where you also get a chance to pitch your business plan to top investors. Click here to know more.