Social Media Marketing Communications February 2012 Boston University

 Leora Lanz  HVS  ITT Sheraton Hotels of New York  The Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau  Four Seasons Hotel Boston  Boston University  Cornell University 2

Social Media is not about technology; it’s about relationships. Social media is not about, or ; it’s about the experience. 3

Social Media  Businesses to reach consumers, clients, employees  Important to the hospitality industry  Applicable to all businesses  Integrated into overall marketing communications and sales plans 4

Hospitality Marketing Department  Social Media/Community Manager Position  Integrated  Consistent  Property Level vs. Corporate Level 5

Communication Model  Formerly only push strategy, now push & pull  Engagement Marketing vs. Interruption Marketing  Engage the audience in a dialogue  Receive feedback  Connections are more important than impressions 6

Trends  Shift in trust in last few years from institutions to communities  Reliance on WOM and e-WOM, UGC  Data-monitoring and Blog-Monitoring -Listen -Respond accordingly on behalf of the company -Respond quickly -Stop a problem before it starts 7

The Brand of “You”  Personal Brand  Professionalism  Personal vs. Professional  Balance  Personal reflects professional  Difficult to separate the two, so convergence is necessary Still have fun!  Certain social media sites are more appropriate for different relationships For example… 8

Communications Guidelines  Be relevant  Alter/reposition content to fit needs of different audiences  Not necessary to create completely new content all of the time. Tailor it for: -Fragmented audience -Different platforms  Be specific  Be respectful  Don’t oversell/promote 9

Communications Guidelines (cont’d)  Honesty/Authenticity  Full disclosure  Be Careful/Double Check  Quick Response Time  ASAP  Less than 24 hours 10

Hospitality and Communication Best Practices  Be familiar with hotel and operations  Answer questions -(amenities, rates, packages, attractions, etc.)  Truly enjoy and understand the brand personality, and truly enjoy connecting with guests  Be familiar with the brand and brand personality  Vision, Mission, Goals 11

Hospitality and Communication Best Practices(cont’d)  Apply marketing savvy  Apply advertising and public relations experience and skills  Media-Savvy  Be familiar with various forms of social media available (e.g., LinkedIn, Xing, Facebook, Twitter, FlickR, YouTube, Hulu, third-party media such as Yelp and TripAdvisor, the hotel brand’s home site) 12

Hospitality and Communication Best Practices(cont’d)  Techno-Savvy  Understand how to utilize the tools available  Understand applications  Possess good communication skills  Internal and External  Writing ability  Professionalism  Creativity is important  Find connections 13

Hospitality and Communication Best Practices(cont’d)  Social Media Policies  Be Respectful and Professional  Protect confidential information  Don’t forget that YOU are your own brand  Be aware of policies specific to your company 14

Conclusions  The landscape is always changing  Many opportunities lie in social media  Growth  Social Media itself  Brand  Engage guests  R&D  Improve brand/property image 15

Other S.M. tips:  Align your S.M. within an overall marketing campaign;  Understand who you are speaking with; understand who are your influencers and key decision makers;  Use Google Analytics to see what key search words are, and use them when speaking to your influencers; 16

“Your Most Unhappy Customers are Your Greatest Source of Learning”….. Bill Gates 17 However……

Leora Lanz ext. 278 ?