Social media is a crucial platform for hotels to showcase their properties and special offers. Influencer marketing, live videos, and reels can increase engagement and capture the attention of new audiences.
Collaborations with local partners elevate guest experiences, creating a unique brand identity and fostering loyalty. However, partnerships must be strategically managed to ensure a positive impact on hotel business objectives.
Creating Win-Win Partnerships
In the competitive hospitality industry, hotels are constantly seeking ways to stand out. One strategy that has gained prominence is forging partnerships with local businesses and attractions. These partnerships provide access to unique resources and authentic experiences that hotels can’t match. In addition, they help boost the local economy, which is a win for both parties.
Developing successful local partnerships requires thoughtful planning and execution. When evaluating potential partners, consider their reputation and whether they are aligned with your hotel’s goals. Then, follow them on social media and interact with their posts, re-sharing and commenting to show your interest. This is a great way to establish a connection and encourage them to reach out for more information about working together.
If a potential partner isn’t the right fit for your hotel, don’t be afraid to move on. There are plenty of other options for engaging with the community. For example, you could host a virtual event using tools like Facebook Live or YouTube to showcase your property or highlight new initiatives. You might also host a webinar to educate the public about your services or a specific topic related to tourism, hospitality or the community.
In addition to leveraging online platforms, hotels can also cross-promote their partnership with local businesses through on-site events or online marketing campaigns. For example, you might partner with a local coffee shop to offer a complimentary breakfast for your guests or create round-up blog posts about nearby restaurants and attractions that you can share on your website.
Another effective method is leveraging influencers to promote your hotel or destination. This is a great way to expand your reach and generate buzz among both guests and planners. When selecting influencers, look for those who have a strong audience presence in your target market. In addition, it’s important to select influencers who are authentic and trustworthy.
It’s also crucial to regularly measure the success of your local partnership marketing efforts. This will help you identify areas for improvement and ensure that your hotel is on track to meet its objectives. Using metrics such as revenue generated by the partnership, guest satisfaction ratings or referral rates will give you a clear picture of your efforts.
Building Strong Relationships
Local partnerships offer a wide range of benefits and best practices, including enhanced guest experiences, revenue opportunities, cost-effective operations, access to local knowledge and expertise, and community engagement. They can also help hotels to better understand the needs of their target markets and foster greater trust with customers.
Effective relationship-building requires consistent communication and collaboration with partners. This may include networking and participation in local hospitality events to meet potential collaborators and establish rapport. It also includes setting clear expectations and objectives, and soliciting feedback from both partners and guests.
One of the biggest challenges for hotel marketers is understanding the needs and preferences of their audiences. They need to figure out what type of content their audience wants, how they want to interact with it, and where they are most likely to see it.
In a time when consumers have come to expect a two-way dialogue with brands, local social media offers an unparalleled opportunity for hotels to build authentic connections with their audiences. This can be achieved by creating engaging, entertaining, and informative content in ways that feel authentic and unique to each platform.
These strategies can be used to drive brand awareness, increase engagement, and generate more bookings. For example, by partnering with a local restaurant that complements their offerings, hotels can promote dining vouchers to their guests that offer exclusive discounts and incentives. This creates a win-win situation for both parties, while establishing a strong and enduring partnership.
By sourcing products and services from local suppliers, hotels can support the economic development of their communities. For example, when hotels collaborate with local artisans to source decor and furnishings for their properties, they are promoting the talent of these skilled individuals, and providing an income that can sustain them and their families. This is a significant contribution to the well-being of local residents and can help preserve age-old traditions that would otherwise be lost in a world of mass-produced goods.
These initiatives can also help hotels to cultivate and nurture stronger relationships within the local business community, which in turn will lead to more lucrative opportunities for both parties. For example, by building long-term relationships and bulk purchasing agreements with local suppliers, hotels can secure competitive pricing, discounts, and preferential treatment that they wouldn’t be able to achieve on their own.
Incorporating Local Attractions
Partnering with local attractions is a powerful way to enhance your entertainment business. Whether through guest packages that feature local excursions, or creating an experience in your venue that features unique cultural attractions, partnerships can make your hospitality business more visible to the local community while also offering guests a richer, more engaging experience.
In addition to promoting the attractions on your social media platforms, you may also want to include them in marketing materials such as brochures or direct mailers. The more visible the partnership is, the more likely it is to generate interest and sales.
While major formal partnerships might be announced with a press release and featured in local media, smaller, more informal collaborations can be promoted through social media. Sharing customer testimonials, featuring local artists in your establishment, or collaborating with local influencers can help boost the visibility of a partnership and add authenticity to its message.
Whether they’re offering an exclusive discount to your guests or simply promoting your business in their establishment, it’s essential to regularly measure and evaluate the impact of local partnership initiatives. Look for key performance indicators such as increased sales or website traffic, and keep track of the number of referrals received as a result of the partnership.
In addition to boosting your own revenue, local partnerships can also help lower operating expenses by reducing the need for advertising or other marketing expenses. Collaborating with a nearby restaurant, for example, can be a cost-effective way to reach new customers. Or, consider working with a tour guide, airport shuttle company, or other service providers to offer package deals that will benefit both of your businesses. In turn, these companies will likely refer more customers your way, increasing both of your customer base. You might even consider a cost-sharing arrangement, such as sharing advertising expenses or displaying each other’s promotional materials in your establishments. This type of partnership can be particularly beneficial for small businesses with limited budgets.
Leveraging User-Generated Content
For hotels, social media can be a powerful tool for engaging with current guests and attracting new ones. The right strategy can help your hotel build strong relationships and leverage local partnerships to boost visibility, enhance brand recognition, and drive direct bookings.
Achieving success with your social media and local marketing efforts will require a thoughtful approach that considers the factors unique to your business. For example, your location, size, services offered, target market, and price will play a role in how you communicate with local audiences on social media.
Incorporating influencers into your social media campaigns can be an effective way to amplify your reach and build trust with your audience. But it’s important to choose the right influencers and ensure that their audience aligns with yours. Additionally, it’s crucial to set up a system for monitoring and moderating user-generated content so that you can keep your audience engaged with high-quality, on-brand messages.
Featuring guest testimonials and experiences on your hotel’s social media accounts is an excellent way to add credibility and appeal to your marketing campaigns. This can be done by reposting photos or videos from your guests on your official accounts, or by showcasing guest stories and experience highlights in videos on TikTok or other platforms. This type of content shows your guests that other people have had positive experiences at the property and entices new visitors to book a stay.
Hotels can also bolster their visibility by collaborating with other local businesses to offer unique local experiences for their guests. This can include partnering with tour agencies, restaurants, or other service providers that complement the hotel’s offerings. This is an excellent opportunity to promote a joint promotion or special offer, as well as a broader social media presence for both partners.
Finally, leveraging local social causes and issues is an effective way to improve your hotel’s reputation in the community and build strong connections with the surrounding area. This can be accomplished by posting about your support for local initiatives, or by running social media campaigns such as a charity challenge or giveaway that supports an important cause.