Facebook enables hotels to connect with travelers at every stage of their journey by providing opportunities to target potential guests at the right time, via right devices and on a personal level. Implement these 7 strategies to increase your hotel’s direct bookings on Facebook.
Surprises are fun but when it comes to travel, the guests prefer to turn the web early on and e-inspect trips, mostly on mobile. As travel choices are heavily influenced by reviews and ratings, the most efficient way for hotels to create direct conversions is through creating direct connections. Facebook, connecting businesses with more than 1.5 billion people, creates amazing opportunities for hotels to execute personalized, real-time and scaled marketing strategies. Researches by Phocuswright show that ads or posts sponsored by travel companies in social networks influences travel decisions by more than 15%.
As Facebook has a remarkable impact on your hotel’s sales and marketing strategy, here is a checklist that what your property can do on Facebook to boost your direct bookings:
-Optimize Your Facebook Page: Your page should be visually compelling and help to convey your hotel’s story. Ensure that you have chosen the accurate industry-specific categories while setting-up your page, you have a vanity URL and that your URL, name, address and phone (UNAP) is consistent, your profile image and cover photo make you easy to identify, “about” section includes your property’s unique selling points with relevant keywords of focus and that you are using call-to-action buttons. Use photo galleries, videos, and interactive media to differentiate from your competition set.
Reach New Guests:
With your Facebook page, you can reach out potential guests who might be interested in your hotel facilities and services. Think about your business objectives – Do you like people to book your luxurious suites, call you for a SPA appointment, attend to your upcoming Wine & Dine event, redeem your “Stay 3, Pay 2” offer or download your new app? Use ad models to connect your business with your targeted audience.
Engage With Fans
Your Facebook page will be more and more successful as you share relevant and engaging content. Post regularly and tell unique aspects of your hotel and outlets, analyze your page metrics and look at the demographic of your fans, share Facebook exclusive events and offers. Facebook enables to use different media types including images, videos, 360 images – videos and GIFS. It is important to listen what your fans are telling – constantly monitör your page, respond comments and private messages, and consider reviews. Be specific, be unique and most importantly have fun.
Boost Posts
Reach more people with your posts by boosting them. Engage with a new audience based on location, age, gender and interests. You can even target newly-engaged people and tell them about your dream weddings or reach new-moms for your Baby Boot Camps at the Fitness Center. Try boosting your images and videos for a higher exposure.
Track Conversions
When you run a Facebook ad that directs users to your website, you can measure the conversions only by implementing a pixel to your property’s website code. Find the right pixel model that fits your business model – track searches, check-prices, room page views, add-ons, proceed to booking, payment info and purchases or use the Custom Audience Pixel to view the number of generated conversions and the cost of each conversion based on your chosen audience.
Connect with Guests You Already Know
It is always easier to reconnect with guests who have already experienced your facilities and services. Take advantage of Facebook’s “Custom Audience” feature to connect with people who already stayed at your property, visited your restaurants and spa, or left a phone number to hear your promotions. When you upload the guest’s contact information or the data from your website / app, Facebook will show your ads to these specific people if they have an account. Differentiate between users who display different behaviors on your website, and target them precisely with “Enhanced Website Custom Audience”. Create unique ads targeted for your custom audience to increase your relevancy, create deeper connections and optimize your budget with successful campaigns. Do cross-selling and up-selling. Also, consider using the “Lookalike Audience” feature to show your ads and target similar to the people in your Custom Audience.
Show Dynamic Ads to Guests You Already Know
Use Facebook’s Dynamic Ads for Travel to remarket your products catalogue with dynamic pricing and availability to people who have shown interest in taking a trip, either by browsing hotels or searching and purchasing flight tickets. Complete their journey by showing your ads to guests who have shared their destination, travel dates, length of stay and number of travelers. Get more bookings at lower costs to scale your revenue.
What’s More?
Contact OH! to define your Facebook strategy and increase your direct bookings via social.