We read an article in BusinessWeek that really caught our attention called "Debunking Six Social Media Myths."

This article discusses the fact that although there are many free and low-cost tools available to integrate Web 2.0 onto your site, that doesn't mean that implementing a successful Social Media strategy is easy.

"Integrating these tools into a corporate marketing program requires skill, time, and money…[b]uilding a site that incorporates interactivity, allows user-generated content, and perhaps also includes e-commerce doesn't come cheap from anyone who knows what they are doing.

Even taking free software…[and] making it function as an effective interactive site, incorporating e-commerce, creating style sheets that integrate with the company's branding, takes more than time. That takes skill, experience, and money."

A word of advice – if you start thinking about incorporating Web 2.0 / Social Media initiatives into your Internet marketing strategy, first carefully consider what kind of effort you are willing to put into it.

Do you have time to monitor that Facebook page and add specials/events/photos to it every week? Are you going to keep your blog current?

We recommend that you make sure you have the basics in place, especially monitoring and responding to your hotel reviews on the most important review websites (i.e. TripAdvisor). If you create that Facebook Page, blog, etc., and don't keep it current, then incorporating Web 2.0 onto your site will only work against you. 

www.hospitalityebusiness.com