Hotel & Motel Management - November 5, 2007 - (Page 90)

90 News H&MM November 5, 2007 | HotelMotel.com www.HotelMotel.com/digital_edition Social marketing makes way into hotel industry ing initiative. Lorraine Sileo, v.p. of research for PhoCusWright, said in initial discussions with lodging chains or individual properties exploring the social networking landscape, a key question she encounters is, “‘When do I invest and what do I invest in?’ I tell a lot of them that your ﬁrst stage ought to be how to integrate social networking communities onto their own sites.” Sileo said a key attitude should be openness to giving the site’s contributors, such as hotel guests, freedom to speak honestly about certain properties. Sileo subscribes to the view that reasonably unﬁltered content from hotel guests will carry more credibility with prospective guests than mounds of promotional, glowing copy. Apparently, hotels are buying into this notion of reader comments about their properties on social networks offering a type of credibility that even the most attractive marketing communications-authored hotel sites cannot. “One hotelier tells us that the content [they] produce isn’t that useful anymore. Traveler-produced content is more trusted,” Sileo added. “I would say don’t get caught up with the buzz and hype,” said Jack Feuer, president of online marketing consultancy at Digital Marketing Works. “Focus on your objective, and on an online marketing plan to test, measure and learn [what works]. “My advice would be to get the greatest bang for the buck. It’s not a matter of pure dollar investment,” he said. Feuer is a TripAdvisor fan. He likes the site’s ability to give hotels real-time customer feedback and the resulting opportunity to correct ﬂaws. For example, if your hotel’s restaurant menu is routinely criticized on TripAdvisor, that may be a topic that requires action. Feuer attends quarterly or even monthly meetings with hotel cliFeuer’s response? Deal with it. “This is a new world, and you have to adjust,” he said. “We can’t control our message. The new reality is that the consumer is shaping our brand through discussions on the Internet.” The upside to user-generated content on social networks and other sites is that many prospective guests may place even more credibility in reviews written by fellow consumers than they might in slick marketing copy written by hotel staffers or ad agency types. Scarlett Dooley, marketing communications manager of the Kahala Hotel and Resort in Honolulu, likens guest-submitted By Russell Shaw CONTRIBUTING EDITOR These are just a few examples of social marketing. This often is National Report–Odds are fa- referred to as Web 2.0 technolovorabl thatyou have heard ofTri- gy; Web 2.0 being a phase in Web e pAdvisor a travel , -related Web site development where users, and not that, among its various features, just professional content creators l hotelguests commenton their (such as your marketing comets recent stays. No in-room coffee munications department), write maker? Steak overcooked in the Web-based, Google-searchable hotelrestaurant? Al withbuck- content. ong ets ofcomments, yourguests’ reacWhen applied to the lodging tions are there for all—incl uding industry space, these efforts are potentialguests considering book- frequently referred to as travel 2.0/ ing yourl ocation—to read. social marketing. Then there are sites such as Hotels should not discount the Facebook and MySpace. Notonl buzz of travel 2.0/social markety do they allow users to post their ing. How hotels decide to address professional and personal proﬁl es it, and what technologies they will on the Web, but both are report invest time and money into, should ing an increase in businesses that be a thought-out plan—much like postsearchabl proﬁl as well. e es the approach to any good market- “This is a new world, and you have to adjust. We can’t control our message. –JACK FEUER, PRESIDENT OF ONLINE MARKETING CONSULTANCY DIGITAL MARKETING WORKS ents where TripAdvisor comments are regularly brought up. Tracking tools for public comments are available via TravelClick as well as through other service providers. That said, the prospect of negative comments on TripAdvisor and other sites (including hotel blogs and forums on a property’s Web site) might appear risky for properties that traditionally have tried to tightly manage their message. A guest that’s sure to stay. Meet GuestLINK™. These customized, built-in consoles are the most revolutionary in-room technology to occur in ﬁve decades. Installed in guestrooms, GuestLINK™ enables hotel guests to plug in a laptop, camcorder, digital camera, iPod, iPhone, Game Station console, DVD, personal movies or mp3 player and view images on super-sized LCD TV screens or listen to audio on surround-sound speakers. GuestLINK™ does more than boost a hotel’s bottom line with increased in-room time and room service; it also continues to expand the in-room technology revolution with the PowerWave. For a free quote call 800-679-9711 or visit GuestLINK-cii.com. CIRCLE NO. 114 online comments to the old standby—guest comment cards. “From an operation standpoint, it is similar to guest comment cards,” Dooley said. “It is one way for the operations department to see what is happening and improve your processes if guests don’t like something.” Dooley said she regards social networking from a search engine optimization standpoint— how internal and external social networking sites and blogs can help improve search engine results ranks—and sees improved business as a result. Dooley cited a blog-type of content featured on the Kahala’s Japanese-language site as a method to direct readers out to the main Kahala information and booking pages. More social media options that are gaining attention are video and photos of hotel guest experiences. Go on sites such as Flickr or YouTube, and you might be surprised to see photos and videos that your guests have taken during their stays. And as Feuer noted, the option to post property videos and photos on these sites is available to hotels as well. Doing so creates extra visibility for your brand beyond your own site. It’s also possible to link from individual Flickr or YouTube content to your site’s home page or even reservations page. hmm@questex.com http://HotelMotel.com http://www.HotelMotel.com/digital_edition http://www.GuestLINK-cii.com http://www.GuestLINK-cii.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Hotel & Motel Management - November 5, 2007

Hotel & Motel Management - November 5, 2007 Contents M&A Pace Slowing After Early Boom LodgeWorks Jumps Into Upscale Game Accor Reorganizes Leadership, Structure Perspective At Your Risk Travel Trends Sales Clinic On Finance Family Business Matters Cornell Insights Franchise Law Training Trends Satisfaction Trends Management Trends Events Guest Column Trends & Stats GM Survey Historic Property Conversions Offer Appeal for All Extended-Stay Brands Survey Green is the Word at IH/M&R Show Transactions Restaurant POS Handhelds Keep Managers Alerted Rising Costs Confront Midwest Builders Business Travelers: Breakfast Still an Important Perk IH/M&RS Product Preview Vacation Ownership Projects to Grow in U.S., Abroad Awards Training Programs Jump to Front Lines Refrigeration: Before You Break It, Fix It Lighting Enhances Property People Supplier News Best Western Aims High with Atria Vantage Makes Global Plans Sierra Moves Forward with New Name, High Expectations Maintenance Doctor Social Marketing Makes Way into Hotel Industry People Ad/Editorial Index Marketplace Classifieds Checking Out

Hotel & Motel Management - November 5, 2007

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