We asked some of our favorite clients, partners, and hoteliers to share their social media secrets to success. We had two questions: what is the biggest mistake you see hotels make on social media and what is your best media advice? Here's what they had to say.

1. HOTEL SOCIAL MEDIA
ADVICE FROM 8 PROS

2. WE SPEND A LOT OF TIME GIVING ADVICE TO HOTELS
ABOUT HOW TO BEST ACCOMPLISH THEIR GOALS ON
SOCIAL MEDIA. BUT, AS SOCIAL EXPERTS, WE KNOW
HOW REWARDING LISTENING TO OTHERS CAN BE, TOO.
We asked some of our favorite clients, partners, and
hoteliers to share their social media secrets to success.
We had two questions: what is the biggest mistake you
see hotels make on social media and what is your best
social media advice? Here's what they had to say.

3. BIGGEST MISTAKE
Not responding or taking too long to
respond to a social posting. Responses
should be as immediate as possible in
order to pay digital respect to the person
posting/liking/sharing—these are guests
or potential guests.
BEST SOCIAL MEDIA ADVICE
Don't rely just on organic reach. Promote
posts and make use of advertising
features within the respective platforms.
SAL DICKINSON
CEO, DICKINSON & ASSOCIATES AND
FLORIDAVACATIONAUCTION.COM
@SALDICKINSON

4. BIGGEST MISTAKE
Using a small selection of professional photos rather
than really showcasing the property with a wide
selection of imagery. I always recommend that my
clients conduct a social media photo shoot which is, in
essence, a more low-budget and casual photo shoot
that really pulls through the brand identity of the
property. Solicit the help of a budding local
photographer and throw in a complimentary stay on
top of a small budget for the photo shoot. Additionally,
engage with your social media audience and use their
photos of your hotel to extend your image base.
BEST SOCIAL MEDIA ADVICE
Treat social media like other vital advertising platforms
and set a budget. Facebook, as an example, has so many
great targeting tools for hotels: Facebook Retargeting,
Custom Audiences, Facebook Offers and general Promot-
ed Posts. You will spend a lot less money communicating
with your best customers on a daily basis using these
tools. Reach new customers and grow your audience with
social media contests. Work with a social media agency
to do this professionally to get the most impact.
JESSICA MCDONALD
OWNER
J MCDONALD LTD.

5. BIGGEST MISTAKE
Revealing too much guest information. I have seen
this in the form of a public tweet that should have
been a direct message or reposting a guest's post
that includes some personal information such as
their room number. While it's harder in the digital
age, protecting guest privacy should always be of
paramount importance to all hoteliers.
BEST SOCIAL MEDIA ADVICE
Stay authentic and current. While it might be great
that you want to promote a niche new package, people
best engage with brands that are relevant to them.
Creating interesting topical content and responding to
guest comments and posts are both great ways to
create conversation.
TORI CARTON
MARKETING MANAGER
HOTEL VERMONT
@HOTELVERMONT

6. BIGGEST MISTAKE
When it's apparent that hotels are spending a lot of
time on content, but no time on distribution.
Gorgeous visuals and snappy copy are wonderful, but
their reach will be limited without a thoughtful
posting strategy. Hotels should consider timing,
platform, targeting and promotional budget to make
sure their messages cut through the noise.
BEST SOCIAL MEDIA ADVICE
Stay agile. What works to drive bookings and spur
engagement today may not work tomorrow. Test
new ideas and be willing to take risks. And, above
all else, think about the social media experience
from the guest's POV. What would make you take
the action (click, share, or book) that you want your
guests to take?
HEATHER ROBERTSON
DIGITAL STRATEGIST
BEUTLER INK
@BEUTLERINK

7. BIGGEST MISTAKE
Biting off more social media than they can chew.
Sometimes hotels feel obliged to engage in every
social media platform and often neglect the
maintenance and upkeep of a site or two. Having
time-lapses in posting or too many instances of
social media-silence can compromise your overall
efforts in this medium.
BEST SOCIAL MEDIA ADVICE
Better to excel on few sites than over-extended and
weak on many. If you do not have the resources,
which is not uncommon in our industry, be great on
the one or two social platforms that fit best with
your hotel. These are usually the spaces your guests
are already. For example, if you cater to a younger
crowd and your hotel offers many areas that are
photo-conducive, consider Instagram as a primary
platform. Snapchat may seem like it is a good fit too,
but if you don’t have the resources to maintain daily
snaps, better to hold off until do you do.
STEPHEN GORDON
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, ECOMMERCE
NORTHWOOD HOSPITALITY LLC

8. BIGGEST MISTAKE
Lack of character. Just because you are part of a large
chain, doesn't mean you can't have a unique voice and
personality. I really appreciate chain hotels that do
something to highlight their local culture. For example,
offering local cuisine or supporting/showcasing local
small businesses (i.e. offering local coffee beans). You
can do this on your social media by sharing events in
the area, featuring stories on the history of the hotel or
the city, or by joining in on local events (i.e. fun runs,
pet adoption fairs).
BEST SOCIAL MEDIA ADVICE
Don't underestimate the power of "Surprise and
Delighting." With companies like Airbnb offering up
custom, unique experiences, hotels need to step up their
personal offerings to guests. Double Tree is still known for
the warm chocolate chip cookies they offer at check-in,
making people feel at home when they are away. If a hotel
can make a guest feel at home and do something to
surprise and delight them, they are going to resonate more
with a consumer than treating a guest like one of many.
JENNIFER WINBERG
MARKETING CONSULTANT
@JENNIFERWINBERG

9. BIGGEST MISTAKE
Hotels that always try to sell to their
social media followers. Social media is an
engagement tool, not a sales platform, so
it should be primarily used to build and
nurture relationships. Hotels that do not
understand this lose the loyalty and
commitment of their followers.
BEST SOCIAL MEDIA ADVICE
Stay true to the concept of social media: use
it to build relationships with customers by
actively engaging in social conversations with
them. Ensure that the communication is
relevant to them not just to you, the hotel.
MIKE SCHUGT
PRINCIPAL
LEADING NORTH

10. BIGGEST MISTAKE
Not addressing criticism. It’s easy to dismiss
complaints, but hiding or ignoring negative
comments is a missed opportunity. Thoughtfully
responding to a customer’s experience shows that
you care about hospitality by admitting to and
fixing mistakes. Oftentimes these issues are merely
misunderstandings and having a public back-
and-forth that ends amiably highlights good
customer service to potential guests.
BEST SOCIAL MEDIA ADVICE
Move quickly! Social media is an ever-changing
landscape with innovation coming from companies
that aren’t afraid to take risks. Try out new platforms,
experiment with paid advertising, just make sure to
keep track of your data. Detailed analytics make it
easier to improve what works and ditch what
doesn’t—plus they make stakeholders happy.
DREW TYSON
SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATOR
BEUTLER INK
@BEUTLERINK

11. LOOKING FOR MORE SOCIAL MEDIA HELP?
EMAIL US YOUR QUESTIONS AT
HELLO@BEUTLERINK.COM!