Generally speaking, the power of social networks rises from the collective power of individual users. When combined with the power of technology, the potential of social media marketing is unlimited.

Just as customers, markets and technology change, however, social media also changes. As time passes, new tools and tactics can render obsolete once-effective strategies. Therefore, to make sure your brand keeps its edge, you should pay attention to the trends that can either make or break your business.

To be sure, bad things can happen on social media that can hurt your brand. For example, your guests might leave unfavorable reviews or spread news of a bad experience at your property. Still, as a player in the hospitality industry, you need to make social media marketing work for you.

To get started, learn about the following five social media marketing trends and how they can help you maintain a relevant and profitable social media presence.

Live Videos

Real time video has taken social media by storm. If you miss out on this trend, you leave money on the table and yield your ground to competitors. Regardless of whether the platform used is Snapchat, Twitter’s Periscope, or Facebook Live, your live videos can give your audience a chance to form an intimate bond with your brand.

One of the best things about live video content is its ease and affordability. After all, practically everyone has access to a video camera on his or her phone. Furthermore, you can easily produce content by interviewing employees, taking your audience for a tour of your property or by delivering a simple heartfelt message.

Of course, only your imagination and creativity can limit what you can do with a live video. Regardless of whether you choose to feature your city, hotel, or restaurant in live video, do it now to get the attention and social buzz that your brand deserves.

Mobile Traffic

You might already have heard that mobile Internet users now outnumber their desktop counterparts. In fact, the trend is intensifying as even more social media users today use smartphones and tablets.

Ignoring mobile social media users can cause you to lose money, especially as your competitors begin focusing on mobile-friendly content. After all, travelers and tourists spend a lot of time away from home and depend on their smartphones at a higher rate than the rest of the online population.

Discover where your mobile users like to hang out and meet them there with content that showcases your property from the perspective of a guest. While you can also use your social media profiles to announce specials and promotions, make sure you focus on showing your audience the value behind your brand.

Always remember the social component of social media and engage your community by posting and sharing customer photos and other content that might interest travelers. Additionally, you can extend your reach on social networks by encouraging the community to use your branded hashtags while discussing your hotel.

Chat Bots

Automated bots converse as though they were human and can expand the capacity of your customer service department. In fact, chat bots can answer a variety of customer inquiries and simultaneously collect audience intelligence that can help you refine your marketing strategy.

Social media users want to quickly receive answers, so if you fail to embrace this growing trend, you might needlessly send business to your competitors who have more time and human resources to respond. By using chat bots, you can engage customers for longer periods than you could if they had to wait for an available customer service agent.
Although equipping your brand with chat bots might at first seem like a formidable task, new platforms have recently become available that make this technology as affordable as it is essential to your business.

Social Media Automation

Social media automation has become a trend because of the ability to make marketing teams more productive than you might have thought possible. These software tools often accompany CRM software and already play a vital role in developing prospects and delivering content to hospitality customers.

CRM solutions can simplify and organize the storage of leads and contacts for your firm as well as other information such as customer and issue history and tracking. In this context, social media automation can improve accuracy, save time and support decision-making. In practice, CRM tools can be used to control and track much of the customer lifecycle.

Expect social media automation to bring additional capabilities to your organization as technology evolves. Soon, you will need these tools to ensure that you publish the right materials at the right time to convert prospects into customers, inspire customer loyalty and build brand awareness. As a result, you and your team will spend less time performing repetitive tasks and have more time to manage and promote your brand.

Personalization

When hospitality brands provide a personalized experience, they meet a fundamental need of their customers. After all, customers are away from the safety and comfort of home and need to feel valued and appreciated. When your business provides a one-of-a kind experience for customers, you form lasting and profitable human relationships.

In a world where computers, devices, apps and artificial intelligence rule, you should make up your mind to add a touch of humanity to every transaction. As already mentioned, social media automation tools can help reduce the time needed to give every prospect and customer personal attention.

Additionally, your team can provide a high level of personalization simply by using the names of guests during routine conversations. In the end, your team and technology can combine to provide customers with a consistently personalized experience that will result in high levels of satisfaction and loyalty.

In conclusion, failing to embrace the above trends in social media marketing can put you at a competitive disadvantage to your competitors who stay abreast of customer expectations and available technology. Keep up with these growing trends by producing live videos for your audience, enlisting the help of chat bots and other automated tools to save time and money as you convert prospects into customers and provide them with a high-quality personalized experience.

Author bio: Ashley Wilson is a freelance writer interested in business, marketing, and tech topics. She has been known to reference Harry Potter quotes in casual conversation and enjoys baking homemade treats for her husband and their two felines, Lady and Gaga. Connect with Ashley via Twitter