Hotel brands are improving their social media approach to stay ahead of the game now that their social media strategy has transitioned from organic to pay-to-play. Although content marketing continues to reign supreme in the hotel industry, hoteliers are never short of fresh marketing strategies to pursue.
The most obvious tendency is that material is tailored to the platform rather than being shared across several platforms.
Take a look at the social media strategies of ten hotel brands.
Hilton Hotels & Resorts
Hilton Hotels & Resorts is a luxury hotel chain that has taken the “ahh” feeling from their plush pillows and delivered it in near virtual reality via gifs, videos, and YouTube videos. It’s the same absolute relaxation feeling you get when you’re sitting in your workplace chair. The quality that distinguishes Hilton, however, is their ability to make dreams come true for both employees and guests.
They do so by researching the history of their properties and genuinely caring about the people they hire.By blogging about real people, the hotel chain demonstrates (rather than tells) its company value to tourists, who subsequently feel good about their decision to stay in luxurious and altruistic rooms.
Hilton, for example, has recognised that people’s perceptions of travel and human connection have altered. The uplifting story of one former refugee turned Hilton employee, whose journey is now being publicly celebrated by the brand, was featured in a recent Instagram post. The video, which was shared on their feed and Stories, generated at least 28 times as many comments as usual. It also received the most views of any of their other video content.
The Hilton social media profiles, on the whole, contain the following elements that make them truly unique and engaging:
Instagram: The Hilton Instagram profile is positioned as a newsroom, not just another property account. This innovative umbrella, which represents all Hilton locations across the world, hosts company milestone celebrations, glamour images of properties, and a unique type of human-centric storytelling, as we see in the example above.
Twitter: While there is some overlap with their other Instagram account, Hilton’s Twitter also publishes updates on new travel industry technologies, new brand partnerships, and business pieces that offer unique perspectives on the modern traveller.
Facebook: Hilton’s main Facebook page, which has over 120,000 likes, does an excellent job of delving into topics under similar themes as their other accounts, but in deeper depth on this platform. They give their entire social media package a coherent feel by uploading longer, unique Facebook videos on these related topics while still honouring the social media marketing methods that work best, platform to platform.
LinkedIn: Their profile has nearly 900,000 followers and features history, news, and content relevant to their B2B and business travel audiences.
Youtube: Hilton does a wonderful job of showing commercials that have shown elsewhere alongside new campaigns like the tempting “Vacation Time” and “The World is Right Here” series on YouTube, despite posting original video less regularly than others.
Marriott Hotels & Resorts
Marriott’s revamped reward programme, Bonvoy, debuts in 2019. They’re so committed to it that they’ve changed all of their official URLs, username handles, and even the name of their firm to Marriott Bonvoy. Better reward point conversions, unique members-only lodgings, one-of-a-kind experiences, opportunities for elite members to earn double points, an app, and a new social media marketing campaign to spread the word are all part of the new upgrade.
Currently, the company spends the majority of its time on social media advertising specific aspects of the loyalty programme that appeal to specific populations. For instance, their Double Take campaign promotes the possibility of double rewards points by using Facebook video.
Each branded piece of content includes peppy music, photos of their assets, and text overlays that highlight the program’s key selling aspects. These movies, which each last less than 20 seconds, are a great example of how other brands may effectively market their current customer experience initiatives.
Instagram: Marriott does an excellent job of communicating with their fans on Instagram. Marriott offers answers to cute questions they’ve asked their audience, such as what practises (i.e. things Marriott has done for them during their stay) have you carried home from your travels, in this Instagram post (which earned almost 8,000 likes and more than 40 comments).
Twitter: In addition to marketing their loyalty programme, Marriott makes a point of retweeting every post praising how fantastic their stay at their hotel was.
Facebook: We’ve already noted their fantastic movies, but there are also some unique postings (highlighting items like their new villas and home rental programme) that have 3.6 million followers.
LinkedIn: They’ve turned LinkedIn into a valuable resource for present and future employees by publishing articles on themes like how to build your own personal brand. They also have a series of very imaginative videos that include staff at all levels (this week’s video featured a Marriott doorman) giving their best advice and insights into how to execute their jobs properly. This original content appears to be limited to the LinkedIn side of their social media activities, as far as we can determine.
Youtube: Marriott is one hotel company that knows how to use YouTube effectively, with over 17,000 followers. The movies showcasing what’s new at Marriott and their unique reality show, “Hotel Countdown,” which takes viewers behind the scenes of hotel openings, are a big appeal, as are the well-organized and detailed playlists.
Ramada Hotels
The social media content of the Ramada Hotel is interesting. And it’s not just generically entertaining — it’s enjoyable, it makes you want more, and it’s useful for capturing your attention with content ranging from breaking travel news to micro-moment games. Ramada’s postings compel you to stop browsing through your feed and see what they’re up to right now. They are effectively utilising social media approach for hotels.
One post on the company’s Facebook page, in particular, gives their customers a first-hand look at Belfast. The 16-second video is so appealing that it has become one of their most popular articles! It’s one of several in their “Say Hello to Travel” campaign, which highlights amazing destinations and events around the world, which is excellent fuel for travel enthusiasts who are more likely to share the posts anyhow.
Instagram: Rather than having its own Instagram account, Ramada Worldwide uses #ramada to integrate their many properties and bring fan appreciation posts to one place.
Twitter: In keeping with their lighthearted approach, Ramada’s most popular tweets include “guess the skyline,” in which fans are asked to name a city where a Ramada hotel might be found based on a visual. They also offer useful travel advice on passports, how to minimise delays, and private travel trends.
Facebook: The Ramada Facebook page, which has the most followers of their two active social media channels, is a go-to for guests stricken by wanderlust to congregate for films (such as the Belfast example above) and gorgeous off-property images. It’s all about highlighting the finest aspect of travelling for Ramada: the destination.
Linkedin: Ramada focuses on specific locations on LinkedIn, similar to their Instagram strategy, but the brand as a whole does not have its own page. They do, however, have a group called Ramada Worldwide that you can join if you are authorised.
Youtube: The Ramada Worldwide YouTube page is shamefully neglected because they mostly focus on Facebook and Twitter (although you can still find some high-quality original videos and commercials). For hotels just getting their social media plan together or boutique properties with limited marketing resources, focusing their efforts on just two of the big platforms is a sensible strategy.
Loews Hotels
Authenticity is one of the top trends in digital marketing right now, according to marketers. Loews has you covered on that front. These ads not only take use of the realism provided by genuine guests, but they also make it enjoyable for everyone.
They make extensive use of the best social media marketing for hotels, but one of the most impressive aspects of their work has to be their creative use of Instagram Highlights.
The Travel Tuesdays saved stories, a recent innovation of the Loews Hotels marketing team, include a changing cast of renowned destinations shown like a virtual scrapbook. Viewers learn about prominent tourist spots as well as local trivia and exclusive brand deals. What’s not to like about it? It’s educational, whimsical, and well-designed.
Instagram: Their Instagram account has amassed over 25k followers thanks to a beautiful combination of lifestyle images and shots of models (who appear to be real Loews Hotel guests).
Twitter: Loews Hotels understands the need of being humorous while yet promoting the amenities that set them apart.
Facebook: This hotel chain isn’t hesitant to share some of their most popular material on both Twitter and Facebook. They do, however, feature distinct content such as blog entries and inspirational photographs with philosophical lines that make you think.
LinkedIn: Loews performs admirably across the board, but their LinkedIn page in particular has over 40k followers, outperforming some of the other top performers on this list. They concentrate their efforts on corporate news and job advertisements on their channel. However, they also use this space to highlight their basic corporate values, which include putting family first and encouraging personal development.
Youtube: Thousands of admirers follow Loews Hotels on YouTube, where they enjoy destination itineraries, press releases, and glossy videos promoting the brand’s feel. It’s worth noting that they update their account regularly enough (at least once every quarter) to keep people engaged, but they also prioritise evergreen content, giving their page greater longevity than most other hotel brands.
RIU Hotels & Resorts
RIU is smashing it on all social media channels as a brand. Despite their large following, they always take the time to respond to queries and comments. Their reactions are also not scripted — they’re thoughtful, personable, and appreciative (virtually no answer is without a genuine thank you message at the end).
This amount of social media engagement is most likely what has attracted the majority of their audience — everyone enjoys spending time on pleasant, personable accounts. “Kill them with kindness” appears to be RIU’s key social media marketing technique for hotels.
RIU not only has a strong brand image, but they also know how to promote their assets. Despite the fact that the Maldives is already a stunning site, RIU manages to exhibit this famous tourist destination in a unique way: smart collaborations. A popular video of an NFL cheerleading squad modelling and enjoying their vacation at the resort is featured in one of their most recent IGTV videos. It’s one-of-a-kind, entertaining, and convincing.
Instagram: In addition to photos of stunning volleyball players, the RIU’s Instagram page features images of their opulent houses and the occasional tournament (which nabs them thousands of comments and likes per post).
Twitter: The multilingual account tweets in both English and Spanish, which is a welcome change from other worldwide hotel brands that only use English.
Facebook: RIU Hotels offers exclusive discount vouchers for rooms and experiences on their Facebook page, so fans know to come back often the next time they plan a holiday. Even if there isn’t an active code, viewers may still enjoy breathtaking video tours and photographs of their destinations (all of which have at least two comments from past guests expressing how much they enjoyed their stay)!
LinkedIn: RIU’s LinkedIn page has a whopping 70k+ followers. What is it about them that makes their admirers adore them so much? For starts, a combination of ecologically friendly consumer tourism information postings and bilingual company updates.
YouTube: A humorous look at their special events packages (such Bachelor and Bachelorette vacations) and a scenic view of NYC from one of their homes are among their most popular videos. In the video description, they even added a prize drawing!
Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts
The Four Seasons’ social media marketing has a definite strategic direction: luxury and affluence. It’s something they’ve built a reputation for in the field, and it works just as well as a marketing base. They are, at their core, a luxury hotel chain with excellent customer service and a thorough understanding of how to incorporate cutting-edge software and technology into their everyday operations.
On almost every social media outlet, the company has the most followers (almost a million on certain platforms), making it difficult to choose which of their postings is the greatest because they all work together to create a unified viewing experience. The Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts social media package includes everything a potential guest might desire, from carefully framed imagery to shameless puppy and kitten models.
They’re also great at continuously producing a large volume of social media content, which is possibly why, despite posting duplicate content across all platforms, they’ve managed to maintain such high audience numbers. They, for example, update their Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook feeds at least once a day.
Instagram: The brand makes an effort to appeal to a wide range of people without being overly generic. Because wellness is crucial to their affluent clientele, the Four Seasons sponsored a campaign leading up to Global Wellness Day that highlighted their brand values with IG live videos and photographs detailing the various ways visitors may live happier, healthier lives simply by staying at their resorts.
Twitter: You will always receive a response if you tweet or mention their account on Twitter. Which may not seem like a big thing until you consider that they have 268k followers and yet manage to respond within 24 hours. It’s not just a clever social media marketing technique for hotels, but it’s also a live representation of their excellent customer service. How can clients trust the company to serve them online if they can’t trust them in person during their stay?
Facebook: There’s no denying that the Four Seasons has gotten the most out of their Facebook page since it launched in 2009. Pinterest and Instagram have been linked to the platform. They even use their Jobs section to actively recruit new, talented employees, and they have a separate section on their services menu dedicated to their biggest ticket item (wedding venues and related services) so guests can get ideas for their big day when looking for places to book ceremonies and/or receptions.
Linkedin: Because The Four Seasons believes on assisting visitors and fans in reaching their full potential, it’s no surprise that their LinkedIn profile includes interviewing pointers. They also do an excellent job of highlighting the knowledge of their own staff, with everyone from the Pastry Sous Chef to the Director of People and Culture sharing their experiences and advice. Despite the fact that LinkedIn shares many posts across all of its platforms, this series is only available on LinkedIn.
Youtube:Their YouTube channel is by far the best example of hotel social media marketing. They have far more playlists than any other company, including topics such as personal storytelling, mindfulness, and one-of-a-kind globetrotting experiences that are nearly solely available to Four Seasons guests.
Punta Tragara Hotel & Spa
The benefits of being in a well-traveled location are evident in this single-property luxury hotel in Italy. They also employ a social media approach that is on par with the quality of their seaside villas. Their slick, minimalist modern interiors attract legions of Instagram followers, but so do their competitors’ stunning penthouses.
So, how does Hotel Punta Tragara & Spa differ from the competition?
Hotel Punta Tragara & Spa is another clever luxury hotel business that knows how to concentrate its efforts on its most successful social media accounts. As a result, their Instagram and Facebook accounts will have far more posts and engagement than any other media.
In terms of social media content, Hotel Punta Tragara clearly understands how to offer their fans the feeling of being there through teaser movies and photographs that make you feel as if you could just walk right into them, ala Alice in Wonderland.
For example, this brief video (shot by a guest but published by the brand’s main account) displays a tub with running water and a beautiful cliffside ocean view. It proceeds to display the master room, with viewers getting the impression that they could easily have a video like this on their phones to make their friends envy when they visit and stay at Hotel Punta Tragara themselves.
Instagram: With the most followers of any of their social media profiles, Hotel Punta Tragara & Spa took a chance by placing all of their eggs in one basket–and it has paid off handsomely. All of the photographs are extremely shareable, thanks to bright, happy colours and clever presentations that give you the sensation of teleporting to the location. As indicated by the identical saved Stories covers, their account is extremely well-organized and professional.
Twitter: As previously said, this luxury hotel company sticks to tried and reliable social media outlets and does not have their own Twitter account. However, as the linked search results demonstrate, they don’t have to.
Fans are frequently sharing photographs and videos from their vacations, complimenting the hotel for a nice stay. They’ve also been featured on a number of travel accounts, so news got around rapidly without them having to create any content on the platform.
Facebook: Facebook is their second most popular social media platform, owing to their apparent usage of the site’s customer support features as well as the events section. On this account, they use one of the most important social media marketing for hotels strategies: adapting content to the platform. They do, in fact, disclose their most popular Instagram posts on this page. However, Facebook is the only place where you can find out about Hotel Punta Tragara’s amazing performances, read the 300+ reviews from actual visitors (which have a 4.7 out of 5 star rating), and speak directly with customer care about any booking questions.
LinkedIn: While they do have a following on LinkedIn, it’s evident that they created a profile for a specific reason. The description is in Italian, and they’ve taken care to name all 33 of their executive personnel, as well as their contact details. They haven’t written any original content, which reveals their objectives: appealing to both personal and business travellers while preserving the requirements of a LinkedIn page dedicated solely to communicating with their own network.
Youtube: The Hotel Tragara is so famous that it has amassed hundreds of search results from leading travel sites and businesses, showing off their own tours of the gorgeous hotel, similar to their Twitter account scenario. Why make original material when your fans can do it for you? While we don’t recommend this technique for everyone, it is a fantastic lesson in recognising where your brand name already has a stronghold and hyper-focusing your marketing efforts on the activities with the highest return on investment.
Amilla Fushi, Maldives
Amilla Fushi is another hotel chain that knows how to capitalise on its advantages. Their #IslandBliss advertisement appears to be a fantasy come true. Fans can easily visualise themselves sitting on their private beach chairs if they tag #YourIslandHome on any property or room photos, giving the experience a customised feel.
They also do a fantastic job at highlighting unique experiences (which is yet another hashtag under their main campaign). When you show your audience how your hotel fits into their overall vacation or travel plan, even the most expensive rooms become more affordable if you consider everything there is to do after you arrive.
For example, one of the post RichExperiences that can only be obtained if you stay at Amilla Fushi is a highly acclaimed Maldivian artist performing his unique music for visitors.
Instagram: They have 109k followers and post images of the resort as well as scenes from daily life at the hotel, giving guests a complete picture of what they may expect when they visit.
Twitter: Amilla Fushi is active on Twitter, tweeting at least once a day. They mix wanderlust photographs with calls to action and enjoyable activities like watersports and coastal bicycle trips in their material.
Facebook: Amilla Fushi’s videos section is the most interesting portion of her page. It has a variety of professionally made videos that are unique to this part of the internet and feature local festivals, special events, and property tours.
Linkedin: Amilla Fushi’s presence on LinkedIn is almost non-existent, to be honest. However, being a business-focused social media network largely utilised by people in the United States, China, and India, this could demonstrate how Amilla Fushi’s team understands the needs of their target demographic, who may or may not desire to engage with the brand via LinkedIn.
YouTube: Amilla Fushi’s YouTube presence is much more recent than their other social media platforms, but they’ve been doing an excellent job of continuously posting unique content at a rate of roughly two videos each month. Not only do they maintain a steady volume of posts, but they also keep their material to 5 minutes or less and stick to hotel-specific activities and excursions.
This level of consistency across the board is a near-certain method to expand your YouTube audience over time. Viewers will know what to expect and when to expect it, which is an excellent technique to perform social media marketing for hotels, regardless of your objectives.
Le Sirenuse
Le Sirenuse, an award-winning, family-run luxury hotel, is a true Positano treasure, as evidenced by its social media presence. The 18th-century villa itself is stunning, and every corner and crevice of it is depicted in their many internet pages. But it’s the profundity of their content that really sets them apart.
Their posts have the feel of small diaries rather than marketing (although they certainly do a great job of drawing in digital crowds). One of their most recent tweets, for example, informs their followers that while Positano will soon be overrun with tourists, the vistas in the offseason are just as – if not more – stunning.
Instagram: The majority of the photography on this account is composed of cohesive colour schemes, imaginative compositions, and humorous subjects. Overall, it’s an excellent collection of photos. The idea is to take photographs that are beautiful on their own but also function well together to tell a greater story.
Next to airy skyline vistas, you’ll often see details of palm fronds or textured structural domes. Regardless of where you’re located or how much photography skill your team has, playing with contrast and clever photo placement is a wonderful social media marketing technique for hotels.
Twitter: One of their strongest marketing assets is written content, and their Twitter page contains some amazing instances of postings that, like the one above, set them apart from competition. Each new piece contributes to the overall brand image by being thoughtful, familiar, and instructive.
Facebook: 35k likes on Facebook It’s impossible to be wrong – When it comes to hotel social media marketing, Le Sirenuse is obviously doing something right. Fans will be treated to films of breakfast with a view of Positano as well as beautiful slice-of-life photographs with descriptions to die for.
LinkedIn: While some employees have profiles on the platform, the company does not have a presence there.
Youtube: Another example of a property that is so fantastic that people can’t stop gushing about it online is YouTube. A short YouTube search for the hotel returns pages of entries, with each video receiving between 3.3 and 161 thousand views! While much of the footage in the videos comes directly from bloggers, there is also professional drone footage and other highly produced content that any marketer would be happy to have. It’s unclear whether the brand is working with these influencers and professional content developers. If they are, however, it is unquestionably paying off.
Millstone Cave Suites
Millstone Cave Suites is known for its breathtaking views of the Red Valley’s hot air balloon festivities. But how can they keep people coming in the off-season? That’s how: by utilising excellent hotel social media marketing. Millstone Cave Suites not only promotes their hotel, but they also promote their onsite restaurant with films of exquisite meals being produced with skill.
What we like about this example is that you get a sense of everything that makes Millstone Cave Suites a must-stay for your trip accommodations in less than 30 seconds. Their own little farm, complete with roosters crowing at dawn, adds to the experience’s quaint, rustic vibe. The dreamy rock music that plays over the ad is hipster, playful, and a little ethereal, all of which are words that can be used to define the brand.
Furthermore, the main feature (a stunning outdoor buffet of breakfast delicacies produced fresh by experienced chefs) is a total knockout and can easily be used as a blueprint for marketers wishing to develop their own winning social media content.
Instagram: Millstone Cave Suites’ beautiful mountain vistas, hot air balloons, and excellent cuisine are appropriate for this platform, which is perhaps why the company now has 63k followers and a high engagement rate (232k views on a video posted to their feed is not uncommon). Instagram is performing so well for them that they’ve decided to stop tweeting altogether. Millstone Cave Suites, on the other hand, is fortunate in that accounts like Billionaires and Experience the World are already reaching their target demographics.
Twitter: Instagram is performing so well for them that they’ve decided to stop tweeting altogether. Millstone Cave Suites, on the other hand, is fortunate in that accounts like Billionaires and Experience the World are already reaching their target demographics.
Facebook: This page’s main features include fantastic video content and suggestions. They also use this forum to highlight their accomplishments (such as the TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence) and public relations (they recently won a right up as a top 5 destination by GQ).
LinkedIn: As has become the norm for our single-location international hotels, they have no LinkedIn profile. They don’t appear to be losing out, though, with 4.9 out of 5 star evaluations on Facebook and a loyal following everywhere else.
Youtube: Despite being one of the greatest video creators on the list, they don’t appear to put much effort into their YouTube channel. There’s no shame in cross-promoting your content on this huge platform, even if there’s some overlap, for firms who are killing it with video. However, because their guests adore the hotel, they are pleased to leave their own video tours.
The Next Steps in Hotel Social Media Marketing
What is the value of a hotel’s social media strategy? These four hotel companies have spent time and effort determining when and why their fans use specific platforms.
They give the audience what they want at the right time and in the right location, and engagements automatically follow. Take a look at these and see how you might revitalise your own plan.
Next, learn about effective hotel marketing strategies and event venue software that makes it simple to promote your venue on social media and throughout your digital online presence.
In the hospitality industry, a social media plan for hotels is a strong tool.