It takes time and focus to make your hotel truly stand out in the social media realm - however, there are several strategies you can implement immediately to help boost your hotel's social media presence. In this article we will share several proven Facebook tips and Twitter strategies that can propel your property ahead of the competition. We will also review the successful social media program our team developed for Sofitel Luxury Hotels - which effectively built hotel brand awareness, increased their hotel Facebook fans and took their Twitter followers from only 1,000 to over 28,000 high quality followers. READ MORE

Measuring campaigns is one of the most important elements in evaluating a successful PR strategy. Your hotel should have a full social media presence at this point, and hopefully it has, so measuring PR and marketing campaigns now rely on a very different scale than before. While previously we determined the success of media relations campaign by measuring column inches, photo inclusion, number of quotes, times the hotel was mentioned, and where the article was positioned in terms of layout, all of this has changed in the social media era. The heart of ROI for PR lies in the ROR - otherwise known as return on relationships. Read my article on this exciting concept that could make sense for your hotel's outreach in the social media era. READ MORE

This article looks at recent changes that Facebook has instituted to page formatting and functionality and the opportunities that these changes offer to the hospitality and travel industry. It also examines techniques on the Facebook platform that have proven effective in building the fan base for individual hotels and for hotel brands, and which have led to increased bookings and increased incremental revenue per room. Quick tips for sweepstakes, coupons and contests are reviewed. READ MORE

With Social Media rapidly becoming popular as a source of travel information, hotels need to figure out how to successfully establish themselves within the complex and convoluted Social Media space. Using a Social Media Management Continuum ranging from a base level of Monitoring through Presence and Activity to Engagement, this article highlights the key success factors in successfully leveraging Social Media as a customer communications, marketing and distribution tool. Key findings from the recent Hotel Social Media Benchmark Study are also presented to underscore current industry practices. READ MORE

As 2011 kicks off, we find that internet marketing is an even more important part of the overall marketing portfolio of our hotels. One major shift in 2010 was the significant gain in popularity of social media channels, and we find that social media has firmly positioned itself in the tool chest for ecommerce managers and internet marketers. The smart hotelier needs to keep laser sharp focus on the fundamental shift in ways customers are seeking information and channels that drive maximum Return on Investment (ROI). Here are Milestone's top ten eCommerce promotion ideas, channels, and strategies that we recommend to hoteliers in 2011. These tips and insights are based on carefully analyzing trends in the search engines and channels that are driving maximum returns for Milestone's clients and partners. READ MORE

Whether you are responsible for a small independent hotel or a large international chain, social media presents an enormous opportunity for your organization. For many, taking advantage of this opportunity requires a change of thinking and has implications in both management approach and processes. It is essential to engage with a technology partner who offers the analytics and functionality discussed above. If you execute well, in a relatively short period of time and without significant expense, you can increase both guest satisfaction and revenue. READ MORE

Social media as a communication platform has emerged rapidly and established itself as an integral part of marketing strategy. To keep pace with the growing influence of social media, hotels must hire the right talent to manage their presence online. With the Internet as the touch point for nearly every travel deal or reservation, hotels must have a social presence online. With this online presence, it is essential for hotels to communicate consistent brand messaging; a hotel's online voice must mirror its public relations, sales, and operational messages. READ MORE

Are YOU on YouTube? If not, stop what you are doing and sign up immediately. Take advantage of this phenomena and get more bang for your advertising buck because YouTube is free, easy to use and billions of videos are viewed every day on the site. I'll tell you how to make your videos stand out from the rest and reach a wide audience. There is no reason why all hoteliers in 2011 shouldn't use YouTube - it's a great way to put your hotel on the Internet map and bring in more business. READ MORE

The social web changes the way people discover information and communicate. How can you take advantage of this new environment to raise the visibility of a brand or an idea? In this article, we're looking at where people go for knowledge - and how you can involve employees and guests as brand ambassadors to communicate the messages you need to share through stories. This is next-generation public relations: getting personalized, interesting material in front of the right people in a timely fashion. READ MORE

Social media technologies have fundamentally and permanently changed the way the world communicates. Have you prepared your organization for this shift? Do you understand the impact of social media across all functions of your business? Will your social media policy actually protect your people and your brand? How are you training your people? How are you measuring success? READ MORE

Recently, New York City was co-host to the global conference Social Media Week. The unanimous answer this year: Return on Investment (ROI)! A thorough understanding of the top and bottom-line implications of social media is the most objective method of assessing its true value and is the key to a hotel's ability to leverage it for a competitive advantage. Thus, in this article we take a look at how to evaluate social media ROI and assign an actual dollar-value to some of the social media networks that hotels have established. READ MORE

Whether you try to manage social media in-house or it is outsourced, effective social marketing will require time, resources and professional skills. My following statements and recommendations are a result of years of working with all categories of hotels and resorts. This includes my personal analysis of industry surveys, daily activities and keeping up with never ending changes in the social websites and networks. The goal is to develop effective social touch marketing plans and initiatives with measured results. READ MORE

People are talking about your hotel on Twitter. Last year, tweet volume reached 25 billion. Twitter widgets are popping up on hotel websites everywhere and this social media powerhouse isn't slowing down. So what advantages can this micro-blogging tool offer you? This article shows hotel executives the benefits of adopting a real time mind-set, and how Twitter connects you with customer needs quickly so you can deliver value faster. Read and discover the style of a hotel twitter superstar, see 10 examples of community building tweets, and find out 5 tweet habits to break right now. READ MORE

When it is reported that Queen Elizabeth is "tweeting", and a CEO of a five-star hotel company sent a "tweet", it is obvious that social media, when used unauthentically, comes off as nothing more than an ruse, without positively influencing business or creating a positive image. So how can hoteliers determine the best course of action to take, given the choices of social media platforms and the increasing popularity of them, including the corporate strength behind them? This article will address how to implement some good ol' fashioned marketing strategies to ensure that you can identify and implement the best social media platforms. READ MORE

Does your hotel have an effective, well-managed social media presence? Do you even need one? Do you feel like you're making the most of Facebook, but lost on YouTube? These are questions that hoteliers should have asked themselves, or been asked by their Internet marketing partners, at some point in the last two years. After all, during that time span, the use of social media by both leisure and business travelers has increased at a rate that cannot be ignored. In a recent survey from The Center for Hospitality Research at Cornell University's School of Hotel Administration, roughly 25% of business travelers and over 30% of leisure travelers said they use social media and review sites for hotel information. READ MORE

As marketing is often driven by trends, it's easy to get caught up in the latest means of delivering your property message to an audience; but for some, newer is not always better. This particularly applies to those decision makers who book travel for businesses and groups. A pared-down approach to marketing to them, therefore, can win a big lift in bookings and revenue for a smart hotel that implements a few basic principles. This article examines 'best practices' in marketing to business and group travel bookers and provides tips on how to increase exposure to this valuable audience. READ MORE

Companies who are profiting from social media have one thing in common - they have a plan. They have a social media strategy in place that acts as a roadmap to get them where they want to be. Companies who reported that they are not making any money from social media seem to be focused on the tools - setting up a Facebook page, creating a blog - but they aren't focused on the big picture. We have discovered a few simple steps to get your social media strategy moving - and the first step involves identifying your social media voice. READ MORE