Promote your Hotel Renovations for Free
Social media marketing for hotels is a free and simple way to improve your property's visibility online, attract more guests to your hotel, and increase direct bookings.
According to thewanderingrv.com, 87% of millennial bookings are inspired by Facebook. In fact, 2 out of 5 millennials look for social proof when booking and admit that images of hotels and places to travel influence their booking.
Because millennials are the largest group of travelers, hotels have an excellent opportunity to take advantage of social media and promote their hotels for free.
In this guide, we will discuss how hotels can take advantage of social media including what to post and when, the best hashtags, where you should be posting, and some ideas on how to promote your renovations.
Where, What & When to Post
Deciding where to focus your attention when it comes to choosing a social media platform for your hotel can be intimidating at first.
But the choice can be made simple if you already have one or more platforms that you use regularly for your hotel.
If you haven’t created a profile on any platform yet it’s not too late to get started!
Before you create one though let’s discuss which platform is best for you, what to use it for and when you should post.
The top platforms hotels should be utilizing are Facebook, Instagram and Twitter so here we will discuss how each platform should be used to get the most out of it and what times of the day to post.
Below is a quick guide on each of the platforms mentioned above.
Note: If you haven’t created a profile on any of these platforms, use this guide to help you choose which one/s you’ll be using. Look at the best ways to use each and pick whichever fits your hotel best.
At Amerail Systems, we suggest using at least Facebook and Instagram.
Facebook: A crucial platform for your social media plan. Facebook is the most visited platform and gives you the most range of promotion abilities.
Best ways for hotels to use Facebook:
Promoting Events (Holiday Brunches, Dinners, etc.)
Promoting Specials (Cocktail Hour)
Receiving & Responding to Reviews
Promoting Services (Amenities Special to your Hotel - Spa, Pool, Firepit, bar, Etc.)
Promoting your Website/Booking Site
Answering Guest Questions
Paid Ads (Not necessary but ads have the ability for you to include a “book now” button)
Remember to use CTAs (Calls to Action) whenever you want the result of your post to be a click to your website or booking site.
Here are some examples of CTAs:
“Book Now”
“Book Today”
“Sign Up Today”
“Register for Event”
When Hotels should post on Facebook:
Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday 9 am–1 pm
Instagram: As the second most visited platform, Instagram should also be in your hotel social marketing plan. In fact according to Mediaboom.com, 80% of Instagram users use the platform to make buying conclusions.
Luckily for hotels, posts to Facebook and Instagram can be posted to at the same time within the Instagram app. This makes posting quick and easy for hoteliers.
But for more unique posts (such as creating and sharing events) you will need to post on the platforms separately.
Best ways for hotels to use Instagram:
Make the most of Reels, stories, and live videos
Example: Do a walk-through tour of your property starting from when you enter under the Porte Cochere and into the lobby.
Participate in trends that fit within your brands guidelines. Trends will help your chances of going viral and reaching a much larger audience.
Inspire guests to stay with you and stand out by using high-quality and aesthetically pleasing images and videos.
Use and promote a hashtag just for your hotel - promote this everywhere, even inside the hotel itself - when guests use your hashtag on a post about your hotel they are creating content for you - this is called "curated content".
Use relative hashtags on each post for a higher chance of appearing on the discovery page or on your audiences following feed.
Come up with a theme, guidelines & posting schedule to make posting to social media easier for you.
The first thing someone notices on Instagram is an image and then the caption. Make sure your images will get your audience to stay long enough to see your caption & make sure your caption is captivating enough to get them to read further and/or take action.
Share local events, destinations, restaurants, etc. on your page and promote your hotels proximity to them.
Destination content/inspiration
Wedding and event content/inspiration
Hotel Instagram Caption Ideas:
When Hotels should post on Instagram:
Tuesday 11 am–2 pm, Monday through Friday 11 am
Twitter: While Facebook and Instagram are great for promoting your events, amenities, and specials, Twitter is the best platform for hotels to answer customer questions, and resolve complaints.
Best ways for hotels to use Twitter:
Use for customer service & communication with guests who have questions or concerns.
Find relative content and join the discussion to engage with your guests online to appear more friendly and relatable.
Follow mentions of your hotel to ensure you resolve or respond to any post that mentions you. Also use this to find any curated content.
Share deals, offers, and events utilizing hashtags related to your location, the events, and your hotel.
Near a beach? Follow hashtags related to beach travel and comment on relative posts to promote your local beach and your proximity to it.
When Hotels should post on Twitter:
Wednesday 9 am– 3 pm, Tuesday and Thursday 9–11 am
Pinterest: An underutilized platform for hotels, if you are near a destination/tourist spot or if your hotel hosts events this platform will help you boost traffic to your site and inspire people to book with you.
Best ways for hotels to use Pinterest:
Share high-quality images of destinations around your hotel that are included on your website to gain traffic.
Share images from events you’ve held such as weddings, birthday parties, etc.
Include content related keywords & buzzwords such as "wedding" "events" “inspo” “inspiration” and “aesthetic” to appear in searches made by your audience.
Platform Wrap Up
When creating your profile on your platform/s of choice make sure to create a username that is easily recognizable and specific to your hotel.
Example: HamptonInnSanteeSC this username clearly states which hotel you are representing and where it is located.
Also, keep in mind that it’s important to experiment with your posts. Try posting at different times and using different hashtags to see what works best for your account.
Remember to engage with your audience on every platform your choose to use.
Like and respond to comments on your posts.
Tag any parties included in the photos/videos you post.
Engage in conversations related to your hotel on Twitter/Facebook.
31 Hashtags for Hospitality
Hashtags are essential to landing in front of your audience but it is possible to overuse them.
Hotel Hashtag Rules
In general, you should stay between 3-11 hashtags per post.
How do you choose your hashtags? We’ve covered how many hashtags you should use on each platform, now let’s discuss what they should be.
Typically you want to include at least one or two “branded hashtags”.
These will allow you to promote your specific property and is a great way to get curated content from your audience. Make sure you promote the hashtag/s and then follow it so you can track and see how it’s being used.
For your remaining hashtags think about what the post is advertising.
For example, if your post is about how guests can enjoy your outdoor pool you would want to choose hashtags that relate to this experience along with your typical hashtags.
Put yourself into your potential guest's shoes, if they would be interested in your pool what other hashtags/topics would they be following, and what are their interests?
If you were targeting potential guests based on their interest in your pool amenity, they’d probably be interested in or following the hashtags or hashtags similar to:
#poolside #travelinspo #vacation #vacationinspo #summer #getaway #familyvacation #funinthesun #travelmore #staycation
It’s also important to include any local hashtags that would draw in people near you or tourists interested in the local scene.
For example, if your hotel is located in downtown Pittsburgh, you may want to include hashtags like:
#pgh #pittsburgh #gobucks #pittsburghpenguins #gopens #gosteelers #downtownpittsburgh #pittsburgheats
Promoting your Hotel Renovations on Social Media
Hotel renovations are a part of every hotelier's experience in the hospitality industry. At some point, a hotelier will receive a PIP (Property Improvement Plan) from their brand/flag and they will then need to find a contractor to fulfill the demands of the PIP.
This process is an exciting time for hotels. Although it can be stressful, this is an opportunity for hotels to promote their renovations and earn new guests. Promoting a hotels transformations via social media is a free and easy way to attract attention.
Below are some ideas on how to utilize social media to promote your hotel renovations.
Before the renovation
Announce your renovations
Show your audience which areas are being renovated using video & image content.
If possible, the before photos/videos along with renderings from your contractor of what your hotel will look like after it's been renovated.
Share what company you're working with to fulfill your PIP. Include why they're the best for the job (ex. If their crews are guest friendly and experienced in hotel renovations such as Amerail Systems).
Create and promote a hashtag for your renovations. Ex. #springhillsuitesreno22
Make sure you're following hashtags related to your hotel to stay on top of & solve any customer service issues that may come up during your renovations. Also watch for mentions of your hotel on the platforms you're using.
During the renovation
Post high-quality progress photos of the renovations. These could be from you or from your renovation company.
Use guest testimonials on why their excited about the renovations. Ask your guests if you can use their statements on social media.
Post before photos along with progress photos and a preview of what’s to come.
Utilize stories to give guests a live view into the renovation progress.
Create a highlight reel on your Instagram for the renovations to store the stories on.
Keep up with responding to any mentions of your hotel & engaging positively with your audience.
Watch for uses of your promoted renovation hashtag - resolve complaints & find user generated content to repost.
Create and promote an event on Facebook so guests can receive updates and read details regarding the event.
*If applicable* Towards the end of your renovation, start promoting any events or deals that you'll be offering to celebrate the completion of your hotels renovations.
*Make it easy for out-of-town guests to attend by offering and promoting a virtual option and/or go live on Instagram during the event.*
*Promoting the event on your other platforms will help create awareness for your Facebook page.*
After the renovation
Post high-quality photos & videos of your completed renovations with an intriguing caption.
Post before and after photos of each area that was renovated/transformed.
Utilize stories to take a video of the property and highlight the areas renovated.
Utilize stories, videos and live videos to give your followers a tour of the newly renovated property.
Promote any re-opening deals or events happening.
Post guest testimonials on the renovation results.
Keep up with responding to any mentions of your hotel & engaging positively with your audience.
Continue sharing your renovations.
Watch for uses of your promoted renovation hashtag - resolve complaints & find user generated content to repost.
Creating Hotel Social Media Content
Social media content for hotels can be anything from posting about events to sharing great booking deals or even highlighting a featured cocktail from your lounge.
Don’t be afraid to experiment with your content. Utilize stories and reels to give tours of your hotel or even participate in a trend (as long as it fits within your brand's guidelines).
Use the next page to make sure the content you post is tailored to the platform you’re using.
When developing a social media plan, remember to abide by the 80/20 rule which states that 80% of your content should be useful to or entertain you audience while 20% of your content should explicitly promote your business.
So for every 10 posts you do, 8 should be entertaining/informative and 2 should be explicitly promoting your hotel.
Tailoring your Posts
On Instagram, posts should include high-quality images so make sure you utilize this platform to show off all your beautiful spaces, great amenities, and any food and beverage options you offer.
On Facebook, posts should encourage visitors to book with you, read a post further, attend an event, etc. On this platform make sure you focus on having an attention-grabbing header with great CTAs and all the information they need.
On Twitter, posts should be short and to the point while also being relatable and friendly. Here you’ll want to engage with your audience, and make sure they know they can use the platform for customer service. Watch for mentions of your hotel and get involved in any discussions related to your hotel, its location, and/or anything related.
On Pinterest, posts should include high-quality images and a quick one-liner or punchy text that gets your message across in the shortest way possible. Focus on adding tags that revolve around travel, experiences, and destinations you offer or that can be found near you.
Resources for Creating Social Media Content
Free Stock Photos: https://www.pexels.com/
Free Content Designing Website: https://www.canva.com/
Hotel Fun Facts: https://djaunter.com/hotel-facts/
National Days: https://nationaltoday.com/
Grammar Checker: https://app.grammarly.com/
Motivational Quotes: https://www.shopify.com/blog/motivational-quotes
Examples of Great Hotel Social Media
DoubleTree Durango Instagram - Uses many images of beautiful scenery around them as well as relative hashtags and tags.
Check them out here: https://www.instagram.com/doubletreedurango/
Marriott Harbor Beach Instagram - Includes high-quality images of their amenities and of things to do while you stay there. Also uses relative and branded hashtags on their posts.
Check them out here: https://www.instagram.com/marriottharborbeach/
Hamilton Princess Bermuda Instagram - Has a set theme to their posts, utilizes the uniqueness of their hotel and location, uses curated content that fits their theme and gives appropriate credit to the original posters, and posts a variety of content that appeals to their audience.
Check them out here:
Subscribe to our newsletter for our 31 Hotel Social Media Content Ideas & Content Calendar for June.
At Amerail Systems we understand the hospitality industry and that coming up with new ideas to post on social media can be time consuming.
That’s why, in addition to this guide we’ve put together a content calendar and list of 31 free content ideas!