Hotel Social Media Marketing Tips for the Holiday Season

Did the holiday season creep up on you? Do you need to beef up your holiday social media campaign? Here’s how you can increase your social media engagement while getting your fans and prospective guests in the holiday spirit with these hotel social media marketing tips and ideas.

1. Brand your hotel social media pages appropriately

Your hotel property doesn’t have to be the only thing that’s decorated during the holidays! Keep your brand current by adding some cheer to your social media graphics, such as your Facebook and Twitter cover photos and icons.

2. Hold a contest or giveaway

Because who doesn’t love to win prizes? It depends on what your hotel has to offer, but the holidays are when prospective guests are even more active on social media platforms. And, according to recent research by Think with Google, searches for last-minute destinations and deals hit a high on New Year’s Eve. You have an increased chance of winning bookings during this time.

3. Support a charitable cause

The holiday season is a time for giving, and many guests (especially Millennials) are attracted to brands that give back. Hold a campaign that supports your favorite organization. You can also encourage your followers to volunteer or donate to those in need. It’s one way to develop your relationship with followers on social media.

4. Run a paid ad campaign

If you haven’t yet jumped into using social media ads, now is a good time. Increase visibility for your holiday campaign by sponsoring an update targeted to your desired audience. (CLICK HERE to access our on-demand webinar on why targeted marketing is so important.)

5. Be on the lookout for trending holiday hashtags

Contributing to the chatter on Twitter is one way to engage with your guests. This will help you put your social content in front of more prospective guests and potential brand enthusiasts.

6. Encourage your guests to share their stories

Social media is meant to be social, and many people love to share heartwarming holiday stories. Encourage your guests to participate in the conversation by asking about their favorite holiday traditions. For example, people love “this vs. that” questions, which make it easy to participate. Try something like this, posted with a delicious photo: What do you prefer around the holidays? Apple pie or pumpkin pie?

7. Share holiday tips and tricks

Throw some creativity into your social marketing mix that will get your guests excited for the holidays. Have a chef at your restaurant share a winter recipe. Or, maybe one of your staff members is really into DIY projects, and has some cute holiday home decorating ideas. Guests that follow you on social media will be more likely to share your content if it’s helpful and relevant.

8. Give your guests a behind-the-scenes look

Post exclusive photos of your property’s holiday decorations, parties, events, and more! Instagram is a really easy way to do this, if you’re strapped for marketing dollars.

9. Measure your success

Don’t forget to track your efforts to gauge the success and ROI of your campaign! Track your social campaign’s impact on your website traffic, volume of leads, number of followers and amount of engagement so that you can see what worked, what didn’t and improve your strategy for next time.