Hospitality Social Media Marketing News - October 21, 2019 Issue

They’re also offering a new integration for direct messaging, allowing businesses to respond to Messenger and Instagram direct messages all from their Facebook inbox. This new functionality comes alongside brand new options to set up saved replies and away messages through Messenger.

Any features that allow us to market more quickly and at a larger scale can benefit busy hotels and resorts. The Stories template will help create dynamic Stories faster, and since this is a major feature on both Instagram and Facebook, this will be something to use if you’re struggling to create content as it is.

The messaging features are also a great asset. If you’re going to be unavailable for a few hours, you can let guests know when they can reach you. Saved replies can be created for commonly-asked questions like “What’s your checkout time?” or “Are there gluten-free dishes on the in-resort menu?” Create canned responses that can be used to speed up your team’s response time, which is a win-win for everyone involved. 

According to Social Media Today, YouTube is testing a new feature that would allow advertisers to reserve ad spaces up to 120 days in advance. This is slightly different than scheduled campaigns, which don’t guarantee placement. 

This feature is still brand new and we don’t have a ton of information about it just yet. That being said, the option to reserve ad space months in advance will potentially make it much easier for any hotels or resorts that want to tie in to major events, or run campaigns during times of peak activity. If you know there would be a big event near you-- like the Super Bowl, or a major conference-- you can plan accordingly.

Instagram’s branded content tags aren’t available for all users just yet, but they’re getting another functionality while still on their limited-release. They’re now available for select users in IGTV, which will flag any paid partnerships directly on the content.

Establishing transparency and trust is important to win over the trust of your guests, and sponsored tags will help with that. If you’re working with any influencers, for example, to show off your hotel or resort, make sure they’re using those branded content tags if available to you.

Every platform has problems with trolls and cyberbullies, and Instagram is working to put a stop to it-- at least on their platform. They’re rolling out a “restrict” feature, which allows you to essentially automatically hide comments from certain individuals. After you “restrict” them, they’ll be the only person able to see the comments they’re leaving.

As a first line of defense, blocking users who are causing problems for your hotel or resort can work, but the restrict option has its benefits, too. Sometimes, certain users need to believe they’re reaching you and your audience, so blocking them might encourage them to take their negativity elsewhere; allowing them to think they’re commenting publicly can keep them content without impacting you or your guests.

LinkedIn has just announced a new Insights and Research tool, which is essentially an all-in-one hub that will help marketers use actionable LinkedIn data to improve their performance.