By Arindam Basu
Priya intends to travel to Dubai for a family vacation. When making a hotel reservation, she examines the reviews on TripAdvisor and Google, as well as checks out the social media pages of the relevant hotels, to assess the available amenities and offers. Subsequently, she consumes a range of Instagram reels and YouTube shorts in order to select the popular sights and points of attraction. As the social media platforms log her preferences, their algorithm subsequently pushes more content and advertisements that are relevant to her searches. She observes an advertisement for an Abu Dhabi day trip that captures her interest, she also notices that a restaurant in Dubai mall is holding a Shawarma festival, she makes a mental note to visit. She begins to follow a variety of travel content creators and influencers in order to get relevant content and tips to create her travel itinerary. In addition, she utilises chatgpt to refine the itinerary. She extensively goes through numerous YouTube vlogs to gather insights on the cultural norms and dos and don’ts in the Middle East region. Upon reaching Dubai, she ‘checks-in’ at various popular hangouts and ‘tags’ them in all her posts and videos on social media. Mohit, an individual unfamiliar to Priya, views Priya’s reel on Burj Khalifa and selects the location for his next holiday.
Priya’s Dubai trip finishes on a happy note and she leaves a good comment on her hotel’s ‘X’ handle complimenting them for the good service. She gets even more happy when the hotel replies with a ‘thank you’ and a 10% off on her next trip. Priya recommends the hotel to her colleague who is supposed visit Dubai soon. The above is a small glimpse of the connected digital world of social media where knowingly or unknowingly one can influence a lot of decisions and the best marketers in hospitality know how to use this medium positively for their brand.
Social media platforms have revolutionised marketing across all industries. Be it ecommerce, fashion, retail, or any other sector, platforms like Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, X today are the best mediums for businesses to connect and engage with potential and existing customers. This is particularly evident in the hospitality industry, which has witnessed a paradigm shift in its marketing activities, paving the way for innovative strategies to attract customers.
Before the advent of social media, marketing in the hospitality industry was limited to individual websites, print ads, travel agents, and word of mouth referrals. There was no way for customers to get a glimpse of the authentic experience that these properties offered. However, all that changed with the emergence of platforms like Facebook and Instagram which not only revolutionized the way people travel, but also enabled businesses to showcase the experiences they provided and connect with their customers(and vice versa) on a personal level.
Social media platforms have democratized marketing in such a way that both big and small players in the hospitality industry can reach their audience via different strategies. These platforms also offer several low-cost options for businesses of all size to reach a global audience, successfully levelling the playing field in the hospitality industry. Whether you’re a big hotel chain or a small boutique hotel, social media allows you to specifically target your potential customers based on behaviours, interests, location, allowing you to cater to all kinds of travellers.
Amidst everything social media has impacted around us, one of the most notable changes was the rise of the creator economy. As of 2023, the global influencer marketing industry size was at $16.4 billion, which is projected to reach $24 billion by the end of 2024. By garnering a substantial following on social media, influencers, as the name suggests, hold a considerable “influence” over their audiences, which can be beneficial for hospitality brands if identified correctly.
Over the years, influencer marketing has broadened, with influencers driving not just bookings for properties but tourism for entire countries. The tourism booms in Vietnam (2023) and Azerbaijan (2024) exemplify this, benefiting their hotel and hospitality sectors. The industry adeptly recognized the creator economy’s potential, partnering with influencers aligned with brand images. Through authentic, relatable influencer content, hotels saw a surge in bookings, which is particularly beneficial in driving revenue during off-seasons.
Building a captivating narrative through great storytelling sits at the heart of hospitality marketing. By showcasing compelling narratives, brands can foster an emotional connection with consumers and share stories of their legacy, values, and the experiences that the offer. Here, visual content plays a crucial role, making platforms like Instagram and Facebook an indispensable part of hospitality marketing. High quality images or videos shared by the property or by influencers can highlight the experience of the destination, which can lead to an increase in visits.
A crucial aspect of hospitality marketing is also relationship management and customer engagement, which has become more transparent with social media. These platforms allow hospitality brands to directly connect with their customer for addressing any grievances or requests, allowing them to provide tailored responses to any queries. Not only does this help the brand keep its reputation in check, but also helps in building customer loyalty by forging emotional connections with their customers.
As for the future of hospitality marketing, it will be driven by emerging social media trends and technologies like augmented/virtual reality enabling immersive experiences such as virtual hotel tours. Additionally, AI integration will allow for enhanced personalization and targeting through data analysis to predict consumer behaviour and preferences for tailored campaigns.
Ultimately, social media has revolutionized the hospitality industry, enabling global reach, direct customer engagement, and compelling brand storytelling. Influencers and creators have further boosted this through authentic content driving bookings. As technology continues to evolve, the future of hospitality marketing will undoubtedly be shaped by innovative social media trends, offering exciting possibilities for brands and consumers alike.
The author is marketing head, Delta Corp (Views expressed are the author’s own and not necessarily those of financialexpress.com)
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