To what extent have you embraced social media to help market your hotel or restaurant? Are you already a fan of Facebook or do you still think it's just as fad, or do you fear it.
I have to confess that I've been in the last category; I'm fine with LinkedIn and Twitter but up till now just couldn't get my head round Facebook. Maybe I was a bit sceptical about the value of Facebook as a way to market a hotel or hospitality business.
After attending a webinar earlier this week with Barry Chandler, The Bar Blogger, looking at Facebook specifically for hospitality businesses I've been convinced!
Here are just 10 of the tips I picked up on how to use Facebook to help market your hotel or restaurant
1. You need a Facebook page (opposed to a profile or group) as you can:
- Ask people to like your page
- Customise your page
- Add contact forms
- Not be limited to the number of fans (with a Facebook profile your limit is 5000)
2. Choose your name carefully once set up you can't ever rename your page
3. Customise your URL to match your business name to make it easier for people to find you
4. On the welcome tab encourage people to click your like button by giving them some incentive in the same way you would be getting people to sign up for your newsletter
5. Use the page to capture contact details
6. Add menu tabs to give more details on specific themes of interest such as your menu
7. Offer exclusive deals or behind-the-scenes content for your Facebook fans to encourage them to interact
8. Encourage people to take pictures and add your tag, so all their friends find their way back to your Facebook page
9. Interact with your fans to get feedback and build the relationship e.g. asking them to vote their preferences
10. Remember to track how people find you so you know whether or not your Facebook (or any other marketing) activity is working for you
Caroline Cooper is a business coach with over 25 years experience in business and management development, and founder of Zeal Coaching, specializing in working with hospitality businesses, and is author of the 'Hotel Success Handbook'
www.zealcoaching.com 
