• Hospitality Social Media Marketing News - November 1, 2019 Issue   

The social media changes never really stop coming, and while it keeps us on our toes, many of the changes are focused on improving the platforms and tools we use to connect with our guests. Let’s take a look at all the changes that have happened in the past two weeks and how it could impact hotels, resorts, and other guest-facing businesses in the hospitality industry.

Facebook Announces Change to How Impressions Are Calculated 

Facebook has just recently announced that they’re changing the way that Page impressions are calculated on the platform. Simply put, they’re extending the windows of time frame that decides whether a second view from the same user counts as a second impression or only a first one.

This change has started rolling out, and is likely already impacting your Pages.

What This Means for Hotels & Resorts

If you’ve seen a drop in your impressions in the last two weeks, don’t panic; this is likely the result of the new calculations, which is only changing the  perception of how many people are seeing your content instead of impacting the actual impressions themselves. The new calculations are much more accurate, and as long as your engagement is holding steady, your impressions and reach are likely still right on target.

Facebook Discards Gray Verification Badges 

Gray verification badges are going to be removed from Facebook by the 30th of October. Previously, these badges were available to any Page who verified their official details with Facebook by going through an identity confirmation process. Facebook has cited user confusion for the change, saying they didn’t understand the difference between blue and grey check marks.

What This Means for Hotels & Resorts

Unfortunately, gray verification badges were a sign of authenticity that users could understand, even if they didn’t fully understand what they signalled. This helped with trust, so their removal can be a hit on our Pages, even if they’re small. Make sure that all your other information is up to date, and try to wrangle up a few extra new reviews to show that guests love your hotel and resort.

Instagram Rolls Out IGTV “Series” Option 

IGTV has always allowed creators to store past video content on their profiles, but it was difficult for users to find specific content if they were ever trying to find it. IGTV is offering a solution to this, rolling out their “Series” feature, which allows creators to categorize their videos into different dedicated collections. Users can even opt in to get notifications for specific Series, connecting your guests to the content they most want to see.

What This Means for Hotels & Resorts 

While guests like consuming content from brands they love just because they’re interested, there are also times when users on social media are looking for specific information that they may not find on your site. This can increase engagement and views significantly, especially since IGTV is still finding its footing.

For hotels and resorts, this may include extended videos of certain rooms, amenities, or other sites around your resort, or videos of events that you’ve hosted. Some of your guests may also love videos of practical travel tips, or your breakdowns of different things to do in the nearby area.

Instagram Allows Accounts to Remove Third-Party App Connections 

Security has been a big concern for hotels and resorts using Instagram, and the platform has taken one step further to help protect your account. All users will soon have access to a feature that allows them to review and remove any third-party apps currently connected to their account.

The feature has already started rolling out, but it may take up to 6 months for all users across the globe to have access to it.

What This Means for Hotels & Resorts

Sometimes we forget what apps and tools we’ve used to improve our marketing, and once we actually see who we’ve granted full access to our account, it can be a little jarring. Take advantage of this feature as soon as you have it to remove any apps from your account that you aren’t actively using or don’t trust. Remember that security isn’t doesn’t just protect you, but it protects your guests, too.

LinkedIn Releases Events Feature On Platform

LinkedIn is rolling out their new Events feature, which allows users to share event announcements. You can share key information like the event’s description, date, time, and venue, and use filters like location, company, and industry to quickly segment your connects to streamline the invitation process.

Image source:  LinkedIn

Once posted, you can track attendees, manage the event, and discuss the event if anyone has questions.

What This Means for Hotels & Resorts

Hotels and resorts often forget about LinkedIn, but it’s a potential goldmine to connect with B2B-oriented guests. If you’re hosting an event at your hotel or resort, this is a great place to promote it, especially if it has any sort of business focus. In addition to traditional events like conferences, you can also consider employment fairs, inviting potential job applicants to come attend.

Pinterest Is Releasing An Updated Pin Format

Over the last few weeks, Pinterest has been rolling out their new updated pin format, which is designed to be more functional. The visual elements of the pin are giving an increased focus, with larger images and other sections of information being segmented for easy skimming.

Image source:  Social Media Today

What This Means for Hotels & Resorts

From a practical standpoint, this won’t impact anything that you need to be doing when creating pins to promote your hotel or resort. Now that the pins are a little more functional and easy to scan, however, it could increase the effectiveness of your marketing on Pinterest and help ensure guests are reading the information you’re sharing on the platform.

 

Hospitality Social Media News is brought to you by Lodging Interactive, a full-service digital marketing and social media engagement and reputation management agency exclusively servicing the hospitality industry. Through its web design and search optimization division as well as its CoMMingle Social Media Division, Lodging Interactive provides effective Internet marketing services to hundreds of branded and independent properties as well as management companies, restaurants and spas. For more information: 

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