Today, we’re talking about deciding when to adopt a new social media platform for your hotel.

A new social media platform arrives.
And everyone’s telling you that early adopters will gain the most exposure.

But…
You’re a savvy marketer and you’re wary of adding more to your marketing plate. As you should be.

10 years ago, life was different.
Nobody (hotels or hardly anyone else) could’ve predicted how central social media would become to the digital marketing playbook. And, because nothing like it had come before, marketers had no model to follow. They had to feel their way blindly through the dark.

Now, there’s plenty of them.
Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, Snapchat. They all started as friendly platforms for interpersonal connection, communication, and sharing. Then, once the user base became strong (and committed) enough, they started to sort and sell user behavior to advertisers.

This is when hotels should pay attention.
When the platform finally lets you, the hotelier, cut through the clutter and target the consumers who align with your core business objectives, that’s really the best time to embrace a new social media platform.

But, it’s not the platform you should focus on.
It’s the audience. Think about how this new platform collects and sorts data into buckets. Do any of those buckets help you identify potential buyers? Do any of those audiences align with any of your core business objectives?

For instance…
Do any of those audiences help you identify travelers looking to book a hotel stay? Do they allow you to target engaged couples or meeting planners? Can they help you target locals for your restaurant or spa outlet?

Remember, not all audience targeting is created equal.
For hoteliers, the out-of-the-box targeting options for most social platforms leaves a lot to be desired. For instance, if you want to target people interested in traveling to your specific destination, Facebook and Instagram don’t magically have that exact data set built in their platform.

What do they offer?
The ability to IMPORT data into their platform.

That’s a big distinction.
The true value of social media platforms is not always their built in or native audiences—it’s their ability to import your hotel’s first-party data (like your past guest database or your list of meeting planners) or third-party data (like those shopping flights or newly engaged brides) into the platform, allowing you to access those very same audiences in new and exciting ways.

So, how do you know when a social media platform is right for you?
When their ad targeting lets you get your message to the right people at the right time. From here, you can explore organic (i.e. unpaid) content, but only when it’s supporting a strong paid media strategy.

About Tambourine
Tambourine uses technology and creativity to increase revenue for hotels and destinations worldwide. The firm, now in its 36th year, is located in Fort Lauderdale, Carlsbad and Bogota.

Visit Tambourine to learn more about our new line of segment based hospitality solutions.