5 Ways to Use Facebook to Increase Reservations
Facebook offers plenty of marketing opportunities for those in the hospitality industry. For small properties, it is also a great platform to use for increasing reservations. Read here for five ways in which you can use Facebook to increase your bookings.
Facebook business pages
The core piece of your Facebook marketing is your Facebook business page. It sounds basic but if you don’t have your page properly set up the rest of your efforts will fall by the wayside.
With a Facebook business page, you gain access to Facebook Ads manager, retargeting, dynamic travel ads, and in-app messaging. All of which are important tools for using Facebook to increase your reservations.
Ensure your Facebook page encompasses what your property is all about. Make sure images accurately reflect your property, contact information is correct, descriptions are accurate, and all amenities are listed.
Your page should also be one step away from direct communication with your property or at the very least a direct contact form. Utilize Facebook Messenger or offer direct access to a contact page on your website.
Display reviews and recommendations
While some properties might be tempted to hide reviews and recommendations, we recommend displaying the review widget and showing potential guests what others are saying about your property. This way it isn’t just you who is saying how great your property is, but rather other guests showcasing positive feedback, thus reinforcing why someone should book with you.
Plus, when a past guest recommends your property through Facebook this is seen across their social network, thus automatically expanding your reach to potential new guests.
Optimize your property’s Facebook page for SEO
Think of your Facebook page as another way to build traffic and links back to your website. Make sure you are offering multiple opportunities to send users your way. Also, be sure to use keywords in your content so that you are found when others are searching for terms related to your business. Finally make sure you put forth high-quality content that will draw in the most engagement such as likes, comments, and shares.
Use a call to action button
Think of what final action you want your visitors to take; for most, it is to land on your website and make a reservation. So, for most properties adding a “book now” call-to-action button to your page is the best way to go. Alternatively, if you are primarily trying to capture emails a direct link and call to action for people to sign up for emails is optimal. Whatever your call to action is, just make sure it is clear and the action can easily be taken from your Facebook page.
Implement video
Adding video to your Facebook’s content strategy is key. With more and more content being consumed via videos, this medium is an important tool to capture your audience’s attention. Create video galleries to share with your followers and organize your content.
Implement paid advertising
There are several options when it comes to Facebook paid advertising. Choose from a simple boosted post, Facebook ad, or a Facebook Dynamic Travel ad.
Boosted posts are simple, quick, and easy to get up and running. Simply select an organic post, preferably one that has performed well, and choose your audience and budget and let it run. It’s a great way to gain some quick attention for last minute deals and updates.
Facebook ads offer a bit more than a boosted post in terms of segmentation, goal setting, and layout. The huge benefit here is your ability to upload custom audiences. Continue to test your ads to find out what works best for your property as Facebook ads are a powerful tool in driving more reservations. For more on implementing your Facebook ads, watch our video on Facebook Advertising.
With Facebook Dynamic Travel ads, a property can upload an inventory file to the Facebook ad platform and automatically generate ads based on what actions were taken from these visitors. Although a bit complex to set up, the best part about these ads is their automation.
In the end, keep in mind the 80/20 rule; don’t oversell your property by keeping only 20% of your content about your brand. While Facebook can be a powerful tool in driving more bookings, it is also a platform where many guests come to learn more about you and interact with you.
For more tips and insights about how Facebook and social media can help play a role in gaining more reservations, reach out to the marketing team here at rezStream at marketing@rezStream.com