CHANGING HOW HOSPITALITY DOES SOCIAL
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As luxury hoteliers, we constantly strive to differentiate ourselves, connect with discerning guests, and amplify our brand voice. Social Media Holidays present a unique opportunity to achieve all three in the ever-evolving digital landscape. These quirky, trend-driven days offer a playful platform to engage your audience, build brand personality, and drive awareness – but navigating them strategically is key.

Embrace the Playful Potential: Integrating Social Media Holidays into Your Strategy

Remember, Social Media Holidays are a strategic tool, not a haphazard pastime. Align with brand standards: Ensure the holidays you celebrate resonate with your brand identity and target audience. Promoting a seaside escape in honor of National Ocean Day on June 8 makes sense. Or the First Day of Winter on December 21 for your Mountain destination. And who doesn’t have a beverage program that could, uh, tap into some more business from National Beer Day on April 7th!

  • Plan thoughtfully: Consider budget allocation, paid media amplification, and cross-channel communication (email blasts, on-property collateral) for larger campaigns.

  • Start small and scale strategically: Begin with one or two holidays per month and gradually build your repertoire.

Beyond Traditional Holidays: The Rise of Social Media Celebrations

Unlike their formal counterparts, Social Media Holidays celebrate anything from pizza to pets to wellness routines. Think of them as casual, inclusive invitations to join a global conversation. They’re all about fun, engagement, and fostering a sense of community, making them perfectly suited for luxury hotels seeking to connect with like-minded individuals.

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Download BCV’s Calender of Most Engaging Trending Holidays!

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Harnessing the Power of Playful Days: Benefits for Luxury Hotels

  • Boost Engagement: Trending hashtags and creative content around these holidays can spark conversations, increase likes and shares, and inject vibrancy into your social media landscape.

  • Catalyze Brand Personality: Show the world your hotel’s fun side! Quirky posts celebrating National Ice Cream Day or hosting a sunset yoga session on International Yoga Day demonstrate an authentic and engaging brand personality.

  • Amplify Brand Awareness: Leverage trending topics to get your hotel noticed. Imagine the reach of a beautifully curated National Margarita Day post showcasing your signature cocktails!

Playing Smart: Strategies for Authentic Participation

Remember, successful Social Media Holiday engagement hinges on strategic execution. Here’s how to avoid clumsiness and ensure your participation is sophisticated and effective:

  • Tailor your approach: Don’t force it. If your hotel doesn’t offer burgers, skip #NationalBurgerDay. Authenticity is paramount.

  • Elevate the experience: Go beyond a simple post. Host a bespoke wine tasting for International Wine Day, partner with a local animal shelter for National Dog Day, or offer a limited-edition cocktail inspired by the holiday. Create memorable experiences, not just content.

  • Maintain quality over quantity: Don’t flood your feed. One well-executed post per month is sufficient. Less is more when it comes to crafting impactful content.

Inspiration from the Best: Successful Social Media Holiday Campaigns

Several esteemed luxury hotels have mastered the art of leveraging Social Media Holidays. Take inspiration from:

Barbie Trend at Moxy NYC Downtown

  • Jumping on the trending social media Barbie content,they executed a creative social media campaign the weekend of the Barbie movie release, driving users to stop in and experience their Barbie pop-up at on-site restaurant

Ice Cream Day with Cambria

  • In honor of National Ice Cream Day, they leveraged video content by creating a reel that flips through various ice cream flavors, asking users to screenshot what flavor of ice cream they are, then drove users to their on-property ice cream shops

National Pizza Day with Emmy Squared

  • Supported by enticing creative graphics, they executed a giveaway in honor of National Pizza Day where users tagged three friends and followed the account to be entered for a chance to win a gift card and swag

International Poke Day with Four Seasons Bora Bora

  • With a locally sourced Poke dish on the menu, they organically participated in the social media holiday and showcased their offerings at the resort for guests to enjoy

By embracing the playful potential of Social Media Holidays, your luxury hotel can cultivate a vibrant online community, amplify brand awareness, and ultimately attract discerning guests. So, step into the hashtag jungle with intention, create experiences worth sharing, and let the celebration begin!

BUILDING A VIDEO STRATEGY FOR MULTIPLE PLATFORMS

When you have a video to share you have two options. First, you can post the same video on every channel. But that’s not very strategic. Instead, use the tools provided by each platform to customize your video and tailor it to what type(s) of video content performs best on those platforms.

Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Twitter all have intelligent targeting. Additionally, let’s not overlook YouTube – since it’s a Google platform product, you can use target words to catch people during searches.

Expert Tip: Consider your target demographics when you are on the platform. That way you can prioritize for Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, Boomers, etc., and the platform will do the segmentation. 

Once you have some initial target numbers for your audiences, you can refine them by adding target words. For example, are you a beach resort targeting families? A boutique hotel in the countryside? The unique qualities of your property are rich keyword targets and allow you to put together versions of your video that match your target audience and the platform’s style. Want to take advantage of even more features to customize your video? Add some trending audio from TikTok or IG. Here’s an article on how to do that.

Sounds like a little extra work, and it is. But it is worth it. And here are some stats to encourage you to put some time into your video strategy.

HIGHLY MEASURABLE MEDIA

Instagram videos that are around 26 seconds long receive the most comments.

Media experts have predicted increased video content consumption for over a decade. And they have been right, with actual viewership numbers beating even the most aggressive projections.

In the luxury hotel industry, our data team has also seen a dramatic uptick. With Meta prioritizing video, BCV clients see a 31% lift in engagement from video &  12% increase in click-thru rate when a video is used in ads. When you customize a video for placement on multiple video platforms you get more mileage from the video and learn about all of your audiences.

WHAT IF YOU ONLY WANT TO USE ONE PLATFORM?

Once again, there are two choices, and both involve choosing a target. If you’re like most properties, you have your core audience and your emerging audiences. Which of these audiences do you most want to be watching the video? If your priority for video is a Gen Z demographic, then you will focus on TikTok. Gen X watches videos on Instagram. And Boomers are mostly focused on Facebook. That said, if you want to straddle a couple of demographics, say, Boomers and Millennials,  Facebook and Instagram are both owned by Meta and will be your best bet to easily reach those audiences with slightly customized video content.

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Learn how Instagram Reels helped the Four Seasons Hotel showcase the brand’s identity and share its unique stories ➜

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VIDEO FORMATTING CONSIDERATIONS

It is no surprise that each social network has unique video formats. Tik-Tok and Instagram videos should be in a vertical size. The ideal length is 15-30 seconds. Because these are short, you must catch users’ attention within the first 3 seconds, or you’ve lost them. Facebook is more flexible in its format, and videos can be a combination of horizontal, square, and vertical. For Facebook, the recommended length is 15-60 seconds. Just be sure you have enough story to cover 60 seconds.

BEING ON-BRAND AND ON-CAMERA

As marketers, we put a lot of consideration into preserving and protecting our brands. But with video, those rules become more flexible. Big luxury brands like Waldorf Astoria and Four Seasons have shifted content to be more playful to attract Millennials. There are two reasons for that. First, Millennials spend more on travel than Boomers and GenX! Second, while these younger travelers love luxury, they don’t like things to feel stuffy. And Gen Z wants things even more relaxed in a luxury setting. Video is the perfect way to capture the mix of elegance and escape for these audiences. This slight shift in brand tone is especially important as these videos will appear on TikTok or IG, and they need to feel like they belong.

LIGHTS! CAMERA! ACTION IN THE BOOKINGS DEPARTMENT!

The power of video to connect with people has never been more accessible. Mastering a few simple tools provided by social media platforms makes customizing a video for different audiences totally doable. And if you need some tips on creating great video content, check out our instagram or give us a call!

It’s Awards Season–when the luminaries all line up to see if their work will win a Golden Globe, an Academy Award, or a coveted Adrian! OK, you might not have heard of that one and the telecast will be slightly limited. But at BCV, we take our work as seriously as those in the other creative and media industries. And that means we’re thrilled again to have our work featured as Adrian Award Winners. Out of over 600 entries submitted this year, our work was judged to be exceptional by experts in hospitality, travel, tourism and media.

HSMAI Adrian Awards Bronze Winner: Orchards Inn

Winning Bronze in the Digital: Social Media Campaign Category, Orchards Inn stood out in Sedona, AZ with striking landscapes and compelling messages. The business goal was to boost direct revenue through social media. The strategy to get there focused on building demand for Sedona as a destination. By creating a larger audience for the region, the creative visuals took a lead role. Viewers were drawn in by the majesty and serenity of the environment, and encouraged to learn more about staying at Orchards Inn Sedona.

HSMAI Adrian Awards Silver Winner: The Ritz-Carlton, Cleveland

The Silver for Digital: Social Media Campaign went to The Ritz-Carlton, Cleveland. For this luxury property, BCV developed a confident and clever tone to boost their wedding business. ‘Say Yes to RCC’ provided an energetic call to action that reinforced the imagery of love on the property. Unmistakably elegant, the surroundings and simplicity sold the idea of hosting weddings at RCC. The appeal generated consistent business as the next stages of the digital marketing funnel brought prospects from inquiries to offer to booking.

SEE THE FULL CASE STUDY HERE

The Adrian Awards Celebration is a must-attend industry event that annually attracts leading hospitality, travel, and tourism marketing executives and their agencies.

The Adrian Awards, now in their 66th year, are the largest and most prestigious competition in global travel marketing. For 2022, Adrian Awards are being presented in advertising, digital, PR/communications, and integrated campaign categories, as well as the following “focus categories”:

  • Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Marketing (inclusive marketing that considers diversity in all forms).

  • Recruitment Marketing (tactics used to attract and retain employees).

  • Audience Marketing on New Platforms (marketing programs on new consumer or technology channels, including TikTok, gaming, and NFTs).

Winning entries will be viewable in the winners’ gallery on the Adrian Awards website following the February 23 Celebration.

Coming soon: Look for the case studies on the Adrian-winning campaigns on our BCV website.

Latest Tips and Tricks for the Hotel Social Media Savvy

If you’re into optimizing your hotel’s social media strategy, you know there are always one or two things you wish the social media networks would do. We found a couple of handy new features you might not be aware of that help build engagement.

Check out the overview here, and if you want to dive into the pro section, follow this link to our insights section.

As always, if you want to discuss these features or other items on your luxury travel marketing wishlist, experts are just a click away.

What if I Could Get People to Add Their Content to Our Content?

Cool New Feature 1: INSTAGRAM ADD YOURS STICKER

Add Yours stickers are a new form of engagement for Instagram Stories. While previously interactive opportunities on Stories circled back to the original user, this addition starts a chain reaction in which anyone can participate and share their unique content. Rather than simply answering a poll or asking questions, users are prompted to whip out their own cameras or sort through their photos to find and post.

Add Yours are easily integrated, especially when tested on temporary Stories posts to understand how it fits best with your brand. Read more about Add Yours here.

What if I Could Get More Out of Content Creators?

Cool New Feature 2: POST COLLABS

Collab posts are a new feature that allows users to co-post both regular feed posts and Reels. The advantage to this – rather than having the Content Creator post it alone – is that the engagement will count towards the brand’s profile page as well. For example, if a brand with a small Instagram following co-posts with a Micro-Influencer with 100k followers, the brand will see unseen engagement on that particular post.

These posts will show up identically on both profiles and will share engagement, likes, and shares. This way of posting expands the users’ reach and visibility, as the two accounts “share” a following in this moment. In addition, Collab posts can add a level of validity to brands that partner with Content Creators, as it displays a higher level of investment by the Creator than if they had simply tagged the brand in a post. Learn how to post a Collab in our Insights section.

Travel brands have the opportunity to maximize these two features to build community on their social platforms and engage new audiences. So what are you waiting for? Learn more in Insights.

To Pin or Not to Pin

Pinned posts are incredibly valuable to marketers looking to prioritize a message on their Instagram channel. Specifically, you get to pin 3 in-feed posts so they live at the top of your Instagram grid. The only catch is that these pinned images can only be previously shared images or Reels. So how do you determine which posts are pin-worthy?

Pinning Down the Strategy

With the rise of the impulse travel trend, users want all of the information to make an informed travel decision readily available. These 3 posts will be the first your audience sees when visiting your page, which means these posts should also be: 1, eye-catching, 2, irresistible and 3, informative. That is a lot to get into one Instagram post.  Maybe that’s why they let you pin 3 of them up top.

Another great thing about pinned posts is that you’re not “pinned down” on one strategy. In fact, because you can switch them out at any time, you can always feature the posts that are the most reflective of your current content and messaging.

The Most Popular Options for Changing Up Your Pinned Posts

IF YOU’D LIKE TIPS ON THE BEST PINS FOR YOUR INSTAGRAM, ASK AWAY!

Timely Upcoming Events

Pinning posts about the amazing events you have planned once at the top is more effective than hammering a bunch of repetitive posts. This is a simple way to avoid overwhelming your followers’ feeds.

And since you can change pinned posts at any time, simply unpin the post after the event has passed and it will fall back into its original spot on your grid. Here are a couple of creative posts that worked nicely to promote via pin without any tacky feed overload:

Souped Up Seasonality

If your hotel is in a seasonal destination, utilize pinned posts to generate excitement around visiting during a specific time of year. This could include destination photos or on-property holiday imagery around seasonal activations. You get to feature any post from any time, so make sure to look at your past posts for the seasonal winners. Chances are those posts will work again, especially when put next to a couple of more recent posts or messages in your tryptic of pinned posts.

The Ritz-Carlton, Denver

Stealing the Scenery

For a hotel with beautiful landscape or 360 views, one photo just isn’t enough sometimes. Utilize the pinned post feature to expand your single-image amongst 3 tiles so that users get more of a full view.

L’Auberge de Sedona

Orchards Inn Sedona

A Proper Property Overview

Property overview videos provide a well-rounded view of a hotel or resort. Pin the video to the top so that users can gain a strong understanding of your property right off the bat without having to scroll. As you know, video performs well for the travel industry. Pinned video is an excellent use of two hotel social media super powers.

Carneros Resort and Spa

The Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain

Conclusion

We trust by now you get the point. Pinned posts are a quick and easy way to put together a 3-part story and share it from your most prominent position. The three can be a combination of any previous posts, which also has the advantage of not having to create new posts, get them approved and so on. Last but not least, there is zero technical proficiency required. Happy pinning!

BCV recently took questions from the hospitality world. Here are the responses from our category experts on Strategy, Paid Media and Creative.

Brooke Jarchow, Brand Strategist

How often would you recommend posting?

First of all, it is about frequency as well as consistency. Our strategy relies on consistent regular posting to create community reliance and dependence on our specific brand. Fans and followers need to understand that fresh content will appear at regular times, in the same pattern, and that it will ultimately help to build a connection with our brand.

Additionally, we emphasize that the right mix of promotional content needs to be maintained. You’re not a Spam account, so never act like it. Our goal is to ensure that content provides our fans and followers with maximum value and is positioned as a two-way communication stream.

Is it important to get certified on the big three platforms, and how do you accomplish that?

Obtaining official verification on the major social media platforms, such as Instagram, will enable businesses and brands to have an additional level of trust. This increased trust will help the communities associated with those platforms easily identify people, businesses, and friends with whom they discover and interact.

How much of a role should influencer marketing play in the overall strategy?

Influencer marketing should be leveraged to drive upper-funnel marketing and awareness. Brands can tap into new audiences and increase exposure through this marketing tactic to expose their brand to larger audiences. Influencer marketing is also one of the best ways to generate a more well-rounded asset library, as long as the creator’s aesthetic remains aligned with the brand’s aesthetic.

Has BCV been working in the DEI space?

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) encompasses the symbiotic relationship, philosophy and culture of acknowledging, embracing, supporting, and accepting those of all racial, sexual, gender, religious and socioeconomic backgrounds, among other differentiators. Since social audiences continue to seek inclusion and support for diverse communities from their chosen brands, it’s more important than ever that brands begin to step into the conversation surrounding cultural topics.

David Pico, Director of Paid Media

If you could only budget for a single platform, which one would you choose?

Instagram and Facebook are the backbone for any social platform mix because they will help maximize your reach and engagement. All supplemental platforms such as YouTube, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Snapchat, and TikTok should be incorporated into your strategy according to your specific marketing goals.

What should we know about paid media?

First, there is no magic formula for monthly budgets for social media ads. This decision depends on your objectives, the platforms to be evaluated, the historical activity in all digital channels, and the competitive landscape. We can recommend different thresholds based on the industry, but each case must be evaluated individually.

Second, most of us want to know if paid media works! With Meta and other digital pixels, we can now track the impact of our ad spend in bookings and revenue, allowing us to optimize through the tactical actions driving the best results.

Third, there is always a lot of interest in what creative works. The best performing ad types are single images, slideshows, and carousels; But don’t put everything on one piece of creative. Consider A/B testing imagery, copy, and CTA buttons for future learnings.

Are there big shifts in 2022 with the cookies going away and IOS updates?

Yes, since the audiences are less tracked across channels (due to privacy updates), campaigns should focus on platform reach, adding first-party and relevant interested layers. Platforms have lost the capability of profiling consumers for performance, so the correct use of data is a key factor for success.

What information should be included in a social media report?

Always include Business and Media results. Business metrics most important are Bookings, Revenue, and ROI. Those are the final impact of advertising. Media metrics like engagements, CPE, link licks, CPL, Reach, CPM, Impressions, and CTR are all media KPI indicators that should be reported.

What will be the future impact of corporate distrust on social media content?

A report recently issued by Morning Consult states that trust is the most important key for connecting with consumers and that emotional drivers rank very high in importance. That creates ample opportunity to optimize paid efforts to target previous property guests to drive awareness while potentially building brand advocacy.

James Parrinello, Creative Director

Which creative type performs best? Is video still the highest driver of engagement?

Instagram has confirmed its algorithm will continue to prioritize video content, making Reels more discoverable across new audiences and existing followers. They’re a great way to repurpose existing video content and humanize & add personality to your brand. BCV clients see a 31% lift in engagement from video on Facebook. When using video content in paid media, clients also see a 12% increase in click-through rate.

What’s the best way to balance content production for all the various features in social media?

One of the keys to maintaining a good mix is recognizing video’s significance. For instance, Instagram’s adjusted approach to Reels is a testament to the importance of video. BCV recommends creating more quality content to be posted alongside images on all platforms. Long-form videos can be repurposed to create smaller, bite-sized video clips for Instagram, and these video clips can also be repurposed as Reels on Instagram.

What content would work for TikTok (especially luxury resorts)?

TikTok users love to discover – places, products, trends, tips, etc. Although content is largely viral videos and remixes, users seek inspiration and education. Your hospitality account should utilize TikTok if the target audience is a proper fit.

TikTok can be key for discovery among a younger demographic. Use TikTok trends to understand what resonates with Gen Z and inform content across other platforms.

Best-performing content typically features a human element or shares a first-person point-of-view. Music and sound are important elements; utilize TikTok’s extensive song library and provider licensing integration to plus up content.

How did we ever get rooms booked before the internet?

Travel agents? That’s so 80’s throwback.

Calling a property to check pricing and availability? How quaint.

As you are well aware, the game today is all about the social media strategy and execution that drives online booking. As you also know, that means content creation, distribution, paid media, sentiment monitoring, and stats showing all programs’ ROI. So complex! How can an internal team ever hope to do all that? Better round up some digital agencies and hire one, right?

If you scanned my bio, you might think you know where this is going. But please, don’t jump to any conclusions.

Making a case for not hiring an agency.

Let’s start with the premise that you’ve got everything covered in-house. And I firmly believe that you might just have everything you need already in the hearts, minds, and skills of the people on your team. Please note that I didn’t say you have everything–just everything you need.

Do you REALLY need to do everything?

Social media eats up staff hours voraciously. It is a bottomless pit that needs constant feeding. So, the question becomes how you put that beast on a manageable diet. I’m suggesting that you prioritize the scope of your in-house program by limiting it to two or three possible benefits. What is more important and valuable to your business? Is it the time necessary to run a program? Is it the money required to run a successful program? Or is it the expertise needed to be on top of the ever-changing social media landscape? Let’s look at all three.

Time.

Content Creation takes time. Consistently.

Do you have the time from current staffers to create all of the content you need?

Is this going to be someone’s job? Or are you thinking that since we all have camera phones, they can be grabbed on-the-fly? We estimate that content will take an internal 10 – 15 hours per week, including content creation and the time it takes to distribute the content thru paid and organic channels.

Money.

Running social media programs that include organic and paid media is an ongoing investment. The staff hours required to run a program vs the outside costs of an agency can be ball-parked. Just look at your volume for the entire program. Then decide if there is enough for an in-house staffer–or if it is enough for an in-house staffer to manage an agency resource.

Expertise.

There are infinite possibilities in the social media world. New tools, formats, data, trends, and channels pop up almost daily. Most properties don’t need (or want) to be on top of the latest and greatest. Other properties want to understand their options and opportunities.

In-House vs Agency Evaluation

It’s really a matter of figuring out what is most important in each category of your social program.

  • Content

  • Posting

  • Analytics

  • Marcomm Tech

  • Paid Media

  • Reputation Management

Here’s a head-to-head comparison to help sort things out:

Conclusion

There are clearly a bunch of factors that come to play in deciding who should do the work on a social program. And it really depends on the blend of time, money, and expertise required by your property or properties. Performing an honest evaluation of what you want versus what you need will help you decide. And if you need some outside input on it, I’ll be happy to help you sort it out, starting with the opinion that you might not need an agency. Unless you do, of course!

Your hotel restaurants, bar and grill, and other food and beverage services directly impact profitability. However, they also have a profound effect on the guest experience. A four-star social media program ensures that you deliver on both counts.

Creating Your Content Cupboard

Several core elements make an excellent social strategy for a hotel restaurant. First of all, it is about the food, right? That means high-quality images of the food, the ambiance, and the friendly service experience. But it is also very much about when the food is available. Social media is perfect for reminding people of regular events like happy hours, seasonal menus, and holiday activations. Beyond just selling dinners, the specials and themed dinners are also a chance to showcase an engaged and enthusiastic staff. After all, these are the mini-masterpieces from your culinary team. We encourage you to create regular content about your kitchen professionals. Going behind the scenes with the Chef or sommelier makes great content, and really celebrates the joy of creating, cooking and serving delicious food. One more thought about the content that is often overlooked: Resharing content from the hotel itself. Social posts are a great chance for cross-promotion with the property. Grab their content and re-share it, adding your tags to connect the restaurant to other happenings on the property. It all feeds together to extend the reach. Just remember that you need strong content to support these efforts.

Serving Up Content

One important platform decision is whether or not the restaurant should have its own social media handle vs. being a topic under the hotel’s account. The property page should not be inundated with outlet content. Sometimes a hotel outlet can shine on its own, and you do not want to overload the property page with outlet content. The property has many different experiences and amenities that it needs to speak to. If the outlet is a major priority for the hotel, launching an independent outlet account is a solid strategic win. By creating an owned channel, there is no limitation on posting for the outlet. An outlet account is a place for the outlet content to really shine. However, just because you have separate profiles for the hotel and the restaurant doesn’t mean they have to be totally separated. Placing backlinks for both entities on social media and on-site helps search engine optimization. Ensuring the restaurant is included in Local Listings provides more search engine inputs for location, menu, contact information, and even reviews.

Putting Organic & Paid Media to Work

Generally speaking, the restaurant–more than the property–is a locally driven entity. Geo-targeting content that speaks to the local area is a good bet for organic. One strategy should be to feature the activities and venues near the property and call out that the restaurant is a convenient and delicious next stop. As far as paid media, local awareness ads are a huge success for outlet accounts. They can offer many different CTA options, including directions to the restaurant from the user’s location and even directing the user to their reservation link or menu. A final consideration involves the ability of a hotel restaurant to piggyback on the property. It is easier to put together special deals or events connected to the hotel than a local restaurant trying to package with another event. Think about limited-time offers as the most potent collaboration opportunity. Working with the hotel to create a special offer and advertise it on social media is a superb way to help both entities win.

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Learn how BCV helped Grand Hyatt Baha Mar pivot its social strategy and ad spend to motivate locals ➜

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For a F&B outlet to thrive, it must prepare to be relevant in all seasons. Since food photography is so important, what you have in your photo cupboard is vital. First, ensure that you focus on evergreen menu items that will likely never change. That way you have content to use year-round. In addition, it is a good idea to identify upcoming menu items that may not be on the menu yet but will be soon. For seasonal menus, the property will want to hold their own photoshoots for the new menu or ask a photo-savvy employee to capture a few menu items to augment the evergreen menu shots. Another great option is to plan ahead and budget for a professional photographer and videographer to shoot multiple set-ups in one package.

F&B helps round out a property’s offerings and fulfill the guest experience. One guest might want the convenience of a quick breakfast or snack. Others are looking for an elegant culinary experience, a place to watch the game, or the escape of a poolside drink. All of these outlets are opportunities to build emotional connections on social media. So do it well and attract guests wanting to hang out and spend more time on the property. And that means a chance to capture more share of trip dollars.

The Social Content Takeover

Today, Americans spend nearly as much time streaming user-generated videos on YouTube, TikTok, and other online platforms as they do watching traditional TV. A new study from the Consumer Technology Association analyzes U.S. content creator trends. The trade group’s research report, “Exploring the Creator Economy,” found that user-created content accounts for 39% of weekly media hours consumed by Americans vs. 61% for traditional media.

Today, UGC accounts for an increasing share of the marketing budget. And for good reason:

  1. Consumers find UGC 9.8x more impactful than influencer content. (Stackla, 2020)

  2. 79% of people say UGC highly impacts their purchasing decisions. (Stackla, 2020)

  3. UGC drives 6.9x more engagement than brand photography

This is especially true in the hospitality world. According to Consumer Reports, over half of Millennials have decided to eat at a restaurant or book travel because of consumer-created content they saw on social media. And this translates to revenue as UGC is highly relevant within a hotel’s social media strategy.

  • UGC provides an authentic look into the guest experience.

  • UGC can be valuable to capture seasonal amenities and offerings

  • UGC validates a purchase decision in powerfully authentic ways

  • UGC offers original and fresh content delivered regularly

  • UGC can be incorporated into paid advertising efforts by using reviews, photos, and press releases in advertising creative.

Let’s Look At How BCV Strategizes UGC

1. Discover

  • Source high-quality UGC that’s aligned with the brand and property priorities

  • Create an environment that encourages guests to take pictures of the property

  • Think about the most picturesque, or just unusual places, where people already take the most pictures

  • Prompt guests to snap and share their own pics with signage and social posts on your property’s social media.

2. Implement

  • Always request permission from social media users

  • Leverage UGC content strategically in editorial calendars

  • Always credit the creator when re-sharing their content

  • Have a consistent hashtag strategy in place with the property name

  • Make sure to use the hashtag featured in brand posts and also share it on property

  • Advertise your social handles and hashtags in the property elevator or lobby

3. Measure

  • Review performance to pinpoint what resonates with the audience

  • Track engagement and infuse learnings into future content capture

  • Identify a diverse mix of content that can speak to various audience segments

How These UGC Strategies Worked for The Peninsula Chicago

One great example of a BCV client that has benefited from UGC is The Peninsula Chicago. They have consistently leveraged diverse and authentic UGC from their guests to highlight their amenities, engagements happening on the property, and weddings:

  • 35% of their monthly content on Instagram and Facebook is UGC

  • They deploy a hashtag strategy that is consistent, easily searchable and encourages guests to share their own experience: #PenMoments and #PenPets

  • Check out this great example of the hotel leveraging UGC to highlight the unique amenities that set them apart from other luxury hotels in the market and reinforce their hashtag strategy

  • Finally, they use UGC to share authentic experiences that appeal to more than just leisure travelers

Conclusion

The numbers are real. People, especially younger travelers, convert based on authentic content, often created by their peers. But remember, the User Generated Content strategy isn’t just getting your guests to do the work of marketing. It’s a new job for marketing to inspire guests to want to create amazing shots of your property. Inspire your guests, and they will create moments that amaze.

Want to talk more? We’d love to share insights from hundreds of social successful luxury hotel social media programs.