By: Maiya Wall / Pipeline Social Media
Have you been sharing your hotel’s holiday cheer on social media? We know it’s a busy season and social media may not be front of mind! However, we don’t want you to miss out on delivering your message and growing your audience. If you are struggling to add a holiday touch to your content, here are simple things that you can do to shift your social media efforts during this season and keep up the engagement with fans that you’ve built throughout the year.
1. Shift Your Language
Instead of simply saying “Book now” in your social media captions, say “Book your holiday getaway” to add some holiday flair. “Stay with us!” could be “Give the gift of travel” or “treat yourself to a getaway this holiday season!”
What small shift can you make in your captions to remind people about the holiday season and and how your hotel can help them have a memorable getaway? Below are just a few ideas to consider as you shift your language on social media during the holidays.
- Does your hotel’s restaurant have certain dishes that can be talked about in a more festive way? You don’t have to reserve this language for seasonal dishes. Here are some ideas.
- Feature a photo of one of your regular menu items and include the caption “Our Roasted Pork Loin with mashed potatoes and gravy will give you that home for the holidays feeling and is only steps away from your hotel room.”
- Feature a photo of a coffee piled with whipped cream and include the caption “Our daily gift to you is warmth during these chilly days. As always, we serve fresh, hot coffee in our lobby.”
- In addition to your hotel’s holiday package, how can you still highlight other specials? People may not be prepared to book your holiday package, but they are still online spending money on gifts and planning 2020 getaways/family trips. Dress up your other offers to serve as great holiday gifts.
- Share some festive events and attractions near your hotel, such as ice skating, holiday plays at a local theater, or Christmas light displays.
- Do you offer a special service or amenity that will really enhance a holiday stay? Maybe it’s your on-site spa, visits from Santa, or simply decorations around your hotel. Present those amenities and services on social media as a reason to choose your hotel during the holidays.
2. Incorporate Employee Highlights
Your hotel should be sharing employee highlights year-round! People want to book with someone they can trust, so sharing a more personal side on social aids in that process. If you haven’t tried sharing employee highlights, the holidays are a great time to start. This season is, after all, all about the spirit of togetherness & good tidings.
We encourage you to add a human element to your social media by incorporating posts that share employee birthdays & other life milestones, info about each individual and what they bring to your hotel, behind-the-scenes looks, volunteer outings, training days, and whatever else your staff does to make your hotel an exceptional place to stay. For the holidays, your staff highlights might include the staff member’s favorite thing to do around your city during the holidays.
3. Share Your Holiday Spirit
In the same vein, remember to document ALL of the festive things going on at your hotel right now. Those simple to elaborate decorations you just put up in the lobby, decorative tree, the hot-chocolate & cookie service you provide in December, your holiday activities for kids . . . that’s content! Ask your fans on social media to share photos of their holiday decorations in return to spur engagement.
You need someone to document this season in the midst of the busyness and show off the festive side of your hotel before the season flies by!
4. Be Mindful of Different Lifestyles & Religions
Not everyone celebrates Christmas. While you are planning your social media posts and deciding which local events to highlight, remember to take into account what your audience is or is not celebrating. You might want to stick to nonreligious or city-wide events like a city tree lighting or Santa’s arrival. If your audience celebrates Hanukkah, Kwanza, or other holidays, mention these holidays on your social media pages. One good rule of thumb is to not lean any particular way and promote all types of events happening around your hotel during the holidays.
5. Run a SIMPLE Contest
As we’ve stated, it’s a busy time of year for your staff and your fanbase. You may not have the bandwidth to come up with a complex contest idea and your fans might not have time to commit to something overly involved. But! The season of giving is a great time to try out a contest or giveaway.
Forgo entry rules that require fans to submit pictures or lofty answers and offer a simple contest and/or giveaway. Ask fans to follow your Instagram your page, like the post, and tag a friend to win a 2-night stay, free dinner at your onsite restaurant, or some kind of upgrade on their next stay. Throw in a photo of your hotel’s holiday decor and you’ve got a contest. It can really be that simple.
Contest & Giveaways provide a quick jolt of engagement on your page, can vastly increase your reach & likes, and can serve as a thank you to your fans for engaging with you.
Keep the premise of the contest simple, but do not forget to engage in the comments! Here are some contest ideas:
- Have fans respond with an emoji to be entered to win.
- Ask fans to respond with their favorite holiday attraction or tradition in your city.
- Ask a polarizing question and have fans enter with their response. Ex – Turkey or Ham? Hot Chocolate or Hot Cider? You could even find a way to tie in something you’re offering at your hotel restaurant.
- Highlight one of your favorite local attractions and offer tickets to anyone who likes the post, your page, and comments with who they would bring with them.
Easy stuff! Remember—there are rules that you must abide by when running contests & giveaways on Facebook and Instagram. Check out the guidelines before launching.
Final Thoughts:
There are so many good things you could try during the holiday season on your hotel’s social media. We encourage you to not get overwhelmed, but rather pick 1 or 2 ways that you can incorporate the aforementioned tips in your social media strategy and begin there.
Add a holiday touch to your hotel’s social media by using what you already have – whether that be holiday decor, current booking specials, or staff photos – and transferring that into the content worth sharing. For more ideas, check out our latest Pipeline Live – Social Media Holiday Content & Strategy.
