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Welcome to eMarketing Muse
March 18, 2008

Welcome to the inaugural eMarketing Muse blog. I am honored at the opportunity to post my thoughts every week through the Hotels magazine Web site. Interaction is pivotal to the success of this blog. Throughout my posts, I will be asking for comments and examples from you, the reader, making this an interactive forum designed by hotel operators for hotel operators.  

In this initial blog post, I will talk about the use of blogs and other “social media” applications by the hospitality industry. According to Wikipedia, Social Media uses the “wisdom of crowds” to connect information in a collaborative manner. Over the past 12-18 months, the industry has woken up to this wave of new media. Many forward-thinking writers and consultants have tackled everything from blogs to user reviews to interactive maps. Independent properties have dipped their toes into the Web 2.0 world, and many of the major brands have incorporated some form of social media into their eMarketing strategy, e.g., Starwood’s The Lobby and Le Meridien blogs. However, I feel there is something missing from the discussions among hoteliers, and from the execution of many Web 2.0 initiatives: the realization that a blog is not a strategy, it’s a tactic.

Simply placing a new blog on the homepage of your Web site will not generate interest, sell rooms or improve your reputation. Social media applications have ushered in a new way to think about customer relationship management, grass-roots marketing and the impact the Internet can have on the operations of a property. However, to be effective, social media must serve a higher strategic purpose. To accomplish this, the industry must return to a disciplined strategic approach, which should start with the identification of a need.  

In your pre-existing marketing plan process, strategic initiatives are outlined and defined. It may be that your property has decided to embrace green development; and you want your customers to understand and respect your commitment. Or you could be looking to penetrate a new feeder market for weekend transient business. In both cases, social media applications can be important tools to the overall success of the initiative. As the hospitality industry learns to incorporate these new tools, we must remain focused on the overall message we are presenting, forcing the dog to wag the tail. So once a strategic direction has been defined, how does an individual hotel begin to plan for their social media program?

To help guide the way, we have outlined four critical stages to leveraging social media:

1. Monitor. People are talking about your property, either on review sites like TripAdvisor, personal blogs or travel communities like IgoUgo. Listen to what they are saying. Get a feel for the services or amenities your property features that receive the most attention, both positive and negative. There are some great services that deliver a report weekly or monthly detailing everything Web users said about your property on third-party sites. Subscribe to one and begin to monitor the chatter about your property.

2. Interact and Respond. Once you have an understanding of what is being said about your hotel, devise a cohesive strategy to interact and respond. Develop standards for what reviews/comments you reply to, and assign those responsibilities to a specific person on property. Don’t just respond to the negatives; thank those who had a great experience for their feedback.  

3. Host Conversation. Once you have begun to work through third-party sites to interact with your guests, it is time to devise a strategy to bring some or all of that conversation to your property Web site. In this environment, you can control the rules, directing customer interaction to serve specific purposes. Hosting the conversation can be realized through blogs written by one of your best on-property personalities, interactive maps that allow your customers to direct each other to the best attractions in town or a simple review forum.

4. Co-Create. Coined as “customer made” by the excellent trend Web site www.trendwatching.com, the final step to a successful social media campaign is also the hardest. Co-Create your product, services and offerings with your guests. An example of successful co-creation and customer-made includes Nokia using input from customers to design new phones. These products and services transcend traditional loyalty and create a group of product activists working to support that which they helped to develop. Some very rudimentary ideas to get you thinking: “Design the perfect mini-bar.” “What local artist’s work should be featured in our hallways?”

I would love to hear some stories about how you have taken steps to incorporate social media into your 2008 planning, and in particular, the strategic purpose you intend it to serve.  

My contention is that a blog must serve a higher strategic purpose to be effective. In the end, I decided to use this space to lead a conversation about the future of our industry and the role the Web plays. It’s too much for one mind, or one company, to tackle. Using our collective intelligence (The Global Brain), we can outline new and exciting directions, leaving each of us inspired to impact change in our own lives.

Posted by Scott van Hartesvelt on March 18, 2008 | Comments (0)