Facebook is hoteliers’ preferred social media tool
Around 65 per cent of respondents in a survey of global hoteliers said they use Facebook to increase bookings and revenue. In contrast, only 20 per cent said they used Twitter, 10 per cent cited using Groupon or other forms of online couponing, and 8 per cent use FourSquare promotions.
However, despite the comparatively high number of Facebook users, the poll results show that hotels are not capitalising on social media opportunities as much as they could be, says TravelClick, which conducted the poll as part of a hotel industry webinar it recently hosted.
Social media overlooked
Overall, one quarter of hoteliers do not use social media channels to drive sales, said the group.
"Instead of running cost-efficient promotions on social media channels like Twitter and Facebook, hotels are electing to increase their advertising spend through online advertisements (57 per cent) and paid search advertising (20 per cent)," said Jonathan Cherins, chief marketing officer of TravelClick, which offers reservation services to hotels.
"It's important that hotels don't rely solely on advertising to increase bookings. Hoteliers should be incorporating a mix of online marketing, GDS media as well as social media in order touch their key audiences."
Rates and amenities
The poll also found that hotels are using added room amenities to boost occupancy.
When asked what amenity their hotels are adding, two-thirds of hoteliers cited "free WiFi" as the number one amenity change, said TravelClick.
Hotels are also introducing better televisions (42 per cent) and iPod docking stations (20 per cent) to help stay ahead of competitors.
The poll also found that guests are still driven by rates. Some 66 per cent of hoteliers from around the world said that although they are seeing less price sensitivity from their guests, rate is still a key factor in bookings. Only four per cent believe rate is no longer the driving issue for hotel guests.
"The data from this poll shows that while rate is often a key factor in consumer booking rates, ultimately smart hoteliers need to have better data in order to optimise channel mix, set competitive prices and forecast revenue," said Cherins.
