Neil Salerno – Hotel Marketing Coach
I think many hoteliers understand how strongly I feel about the ability of travel social media like TripAdvisor to boost business for hotels. Travel social media sites consist of user-generated comments from the travelling community, which act as a guide to other travellers to use in the hotel selection process.
Travellers want that "feel good" factor which comes from knowing how your past guests feel about your hotel. Experience has shown that they seek this information either before or after making a reservation. In turn, other travellers enjoy having an outlet to express their experiences after their hotel stay.
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For some hoteliers, this poses the risk of receiving more negative comments than positive ones and, therefore, they are fearful of the power these sites have to shape travel. Demonising or ignoring these sites will not make them go away; their traffic is growing exponentially.
It is important to note that there are several ways to shape the comments your hotel receives. One of the most effective methods is to engage guests before they leave your hotel and encourage them to post their comments after they leave or during their stay.
It is no secret that guests, who experience a problem, do not hesitate to share their experiences on these sites; in contrast, satisfied guests need to be encouraged to post their comments. The numbers prove that it is wise to encourage guests, with good visits, to post on TripAdvisor. In every hotel, there are more satisfied guests then those who were unsatisfied. TripAdvisor notes that positive comments about hotels far exceed negative ones by about 9 to 1.
Smart hoteliers are using their own websites to promote guest comments about their hotel. Progressive webmasters know exactly how to use the TripAdvisor widget to keep visitors on your site while taking advantage of the benefits of social media's third-party endorsement of your hotel.
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