As the popularity of social media has grown, however, so have the number of networks to update and tools that can help. Below are a few effective and easy-to-use tools that I recommend to save you time and a lot of frustration in the long run.
Social media is the hottest trend in marketing today, and [...]

[ Read more → ]

A recent survey conducted by Market Metrix and TripAdvisor found that 85% of hotels have no guidelines for monitoring, responding to or acting on guest reviews. Perhaps this lack of direction explains why, according to TripAdvisor, only 4% of negative reviews are responded to!
Although the hospitality industry is still in the beginning stages of [...]

[ Read more → ]

Things fall apart; the center cannot hold. Facebook, the online social grid, could not command loyalty forever. If you ask around, as I did, you’ll find quitters.
One person shut down her account because she disliked how nosy it made her. Another thought the scene had turned desperate. A third feared stalkers. A fourth believed his [...]

[ Read more → ]

Though Twitter is currently a media darling, only 8% of advertisers and consumers think it is a “very effective” promotion tool, according to June 2009 data from LinkedIn Research Network and Harris Interactive.
The research, which included surveys of US advertisers and Internet users, found that while 83% of advertisers were familiar with Twitter, only 31% [...]

[ Read more → ]

Hotels are utilizing the social media channel of Twitter to reinforce their brand image and to communicate directly with their guests. While each hotel chain interacts differently with their following, here are the TOP TEN I think are doing the best job in providing customer service, building brand loyalty and engaging their followers with suite [...]

[ Read more → ]

What are the pros and cons of creating a link on the hotel website to the customer reviews page of the hotel on TripAdvisor and displaying TripAdvisor reviews directly on the hotel website via the TripAdvisor Review Widget.
We have always recommended against both of these options. Here is why:
1. Creating a [...]

[ Read more → ]

Sure, it makes sense for most businesses to follow their customers into the world of social media. But before doing so, they must have a firm grasp on how to measure the ROI of those ventures.
For organizations, social media can serve as a private media channel that allows corporate control of the messaging. Social networks [...]

[ Read more → ]

The rise of websites that empower consumers to write reviews of our businesses is causing many business owners anxiety, or even outright rage. Of course we love it when people say great things about our business, but what about when they say bad things? Do we really have a reason to fear?
Just how significant are [...]

[ Read more → ]

You may have noticed recently that we’re in the midst of what seems to be a social media mania. You can’t pick up a newspaper or turn on the TV news without reading or hearing something about Twitter, Facebook or similar social media. Manias make me nervous.
First, this isn’t your grandma’s Internet anymore. Social media [...]

[ Read more → ]