Vacation Rental University
Using Social Media to Engage with Guests and Enhance the Guest Experience
Vacation Rental University
Using Social Media to Engage with Guests and Enhance the Guest Experience
January 2, 2019
Today, social media is one of the best methods for developing relationships with your guests by engaging with them. A big trend that can help you to gather social media account information is giving visitors to your website the option of using their social media accounts, typically Google or Facebook, to login on your website and create an account or profile.
By doing this, you automatically have an association with the user and access to their social profile which allows you to engage with them in various ways that can build a relationship. By providing fun opportunities, if you don’t actually know them socially, you can encourage them to share your posts and have them #hashtag your brand, increasing your visibility and social authority.
Let’s look at some fun opportunities you can use on social media to engage with potential guests and enhance the guest experience.
Instagrammable Moments…
Instagram is one of the most popular social sites for posting pictures. Creating an area of your property and marking it with a sign that says “This is a great Instagram opportunity” can be a fun option for your guests. It could be a balcony with an exceptional view, a garden area or a deck with mountains in the background, or even an “old fashioned” cut-out of two “surfers” where they can put their face in the holes and take a snapshot…you could even include your logo and a #hashtag on the cutout for a little extra social boost!
Giving your guest a little prompt is a great way to keep them engaged. If you’re not sure, or don’t know what or where an Instagrammable place might be, ask your team. Chances are, if they’re a social generation they’ll be very active on social media and can offer you some tips. Plus, as an added bonus, getting your team involved with your social media marketing can keep them engaged and give them a sense of ownership.
Always Use Social Media Best Practices
Once you begin to have people engage with and mention your brand on social media, don’t let that be the only step. Engage with them, mention them in your posts and re-share their comments on other social channels.
When they begin a conversation, make sure to reply promptly. Follow them, friend them, and then you can continue your conversation in the future. As you know, when a person mentions you on their social channels, that message is amplified and shared among all of their other friends on the channel, increasing the rings of engagement.
Through your engagement, you have the opportunity to reach thousands of others on your guests’ social networks. Be proactive, if you also use Facebook Messenger, you can send messages to your guests after their stay. Make sure you always follow through. Once you have your guests engaged, make sure to keep them engaged to grow your business.
Don’t Assume…
Just because a person may have signed onto your website using a social media account, doesn’t mean that they’re interested in ongoing engagement with you. Always have an “opt-out” available, and give them the option not to accept the connection. It’s not only useful for organic social, but it’s also proper social etiquette.
Once you know who your audience is, you can put them in custom audiences on Facebook and send them ads, or personalized offers in their feed. Once you connect with them and engage, you can then begin to push them messages that will keep your destination top-of-mind! When used properly, social media can enhance the guest experience and build lasting relationships.
January 2, 2019
Today, social media is one of the best methods for developing relationships with your guests by engaging with them. A big trend that can help you to gather social media account information is giving visitors to your website the option of using their social media accounts, typically Google or Facebook, to login on your website and create an account or profile.
By doing this, you automatically have an association with the user and access to their social profile which allows you to engage with them in various ways that can build a relationship. By providing fun opportunities, if you don’t actually know them socially, you can encourage them to share your posts and have them #hashtag your brand, increasing your visibility and social authority.
Let’s look at some fun opportunities you can use on social media to engage with potential guests and enhance the guest experience.
Instagrammable Moments…
Instagram is one of the most popular social sites for posting pictures. Creating an area of your property and marking it with a sign that says “This is a great Instagram opportunity” can be a fun option for your guests. It could be a balcony with an exceptional view, a garden area or a deck with mountains in the background, or even an “old fashioned” cut-out of two “surfers” where they can put their face in the holes and take a snapshot…you could even include your logo and a #hashtag on the cutout for a little extra social boost!
Giving your guest a little prompt is a great way to keep them engaged. If you’re not sure, or don’t know what or where an Instagrammable place might be, ask your team. Chances are, if they’re a social generation they’ll be very active on social media and can offer you some tips. Plus, as an added bonus, getting your team involved with your social media marketing can keep them engaged and give them a sense of ownership.
Always Use Social Media Best Practices
Once you begin to have people engage with and mention your brand on social media, don’t let that be the only step. Engage with them, mention them in your posts and re-share their comments on other social channels.
When they begin a conversation, make sure to reply promptly. Follow them, friend them, and then you can continue your conversation in the future. As you know, when a person mentions you on their social channels, that message is amplified and shared among all of their other friends on the channel, increasing the rings of engagement.
Through your engagement, you have the opportunity to reach thousands of others on your guests’ social networks. Be proactive, if you also use Facebook Messenger, you can send messages to your guests after their stay. Make sure you always follow through. Once you have your guests engaged, make sure to keep them engaged to grow your business.
Don’t Assume…
Just because a person may have signed onto your website using a social media account, doesn’t mean that they’re interested in ongoing engagement with you. Always have an “opt-out” available, and give them the option not to accept the connection. It’s not only useful for organic social, but it’s also proper social etiquette.
Once you know who your audience is, you can put them in custom audiences on Facebook and send them ads, or personalized offers in their feed. Once you connect with them and engage, you can then begin to push them messages that will keep your destination top-of-mind! When used properly, social media can enhance the guest experience and build lasting relationships.
