500 million and growing people use Facebook, do you really need more reasons to jump on the Facebook marketing bandwagon?

February 21, 2011

Facebook Marketing is no longer a ‘should I or shouldn’t I’ question. Facebook is one of the most popular social networking websites on the internet. It has a 500+ million and growing user base. In fact, a study conducted by onlineschools.org indicates that 1 in every 13 people worldwide use Facebook to socialize online. Out of these, almost half of them are logged in on any given day. So, if you are not using Facebook to market your hotel, packages, offers etc. then you are missing as massive opportunity to reach out and capture a substantial portion of the world’s population using a single and cost effective medium.

For most people, the above mentioned facts are sufficient reasons to add Facebook to their marketing mix but if you are still unsure and unconvinced, here are few more advantages of marketing on Facebook:

Expand your Hotel’s market reach cost effectively
Having a wide market reach is extremely important for a successful hotel.

Now, you can expand your market reach to include 500+ millions users by taking a few simple steps. Step one, setup a Facebook account. Step two, create a hotel page that displays your hotels best features. Step three, add an online reservation link to close reservations instantly. These 3 easy to execute steps will give your hotel massive exposure to new audiences.

Brands, Benefits and Facebook
Even a tiny bed and breakfast located in the middle of nowhere can become a globally known brand with the right strategy and Facebook.

Brand names have power as they reflect standing, quality of service and more. By building a strong online brand identity, you build trust and can increase your conversion rate. With a Facebook page, you can connect directly with a significant percentage of the world’s population. You can build your hotel identity online for a fraction of the cost of running a print or a TV campaign.

Plus, a Facebook campaign can be self propelling as users share and recommend your hotel. This type of recommendation is great for your brand as people place a higher value on what perceive as authentic recommendations.

Get accurate information Directly from the source
Every marketing guy and salesperson will tell you that the more you know about your customer the easier it is sell your product.

On Facebook, real people (potential guests) openly share details of their lives. They not only post information like where they live, where they work, which university they attend, what they like to do and what they are interested in doing but they also join groups that reflect their interest. All the information you can possibly want is readily available.

Generate higher conversion rates by keyword marketing
Marketing using keyword targeting produces higher results. No other media owns as much personal information on its users than Facebook. This means any hotelier using keyword targeting on Facebook is rewarded with an incredibly granular and refined experience.

For example, when a person post his love for red wine, if you are a hotel located near a vineyard, you can convince the potential guest to stay at your hotel due to your proximity to the vineyard.

Close Reservations instantly Direct through Facebook
Now sell not only direct through website but also direct through Facebook. Create a page, showcase your offerings and close reservations with a payment confirmation. Facebook is an incredibly direct sales channel through which you can promote specific holidays, late deals etc. and it has a clear trail that shows return on investment.

Engage, Interact and Improvise
Once you have built up your fan following on your Facebook page, you need to keep the conversation flowing to maintain their interest. Hold quizzes, post latest happenings at your hotel, encourage past guests to post photos and travel blogs, hold contests and occasionally even offer discounts. Be creative!

Based on the results you get from either advertising or the feedback from the active users on your page, you can see what demographics respond best to certain offers or content. You can then use this information to enhance your marketing strategy to produce better results.

To summarize, by setting up a Facebook account for your hotel and actively marketing via Facebook, you can establish a strong online presence, interact with potential guests, build trust inspiring relationships, increase you occupancy levels, boost your revenue, and more.

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