Hootsuite's research showed that 71 per cent of consumers are making purchasing decisions based upon what they see on social media. However, less than half of hospitality companies in Australia are actively using social media, and 44 per cent of those with social media accounts are not actively engaging with their audience.
According to the research, brands that frequently use the social media platform, Instagram in particular, to engage its consumers have the potential to grow their audience tenfold. Hootsuite reported that an Australian hospitality venue is tagged on Instagram every 28 seconds, and that hotels, bars and restaurants who are active on social are perceived 20 per cent more positively than those who are not active.
Ben Mulligan, Regional Marketing Leader, Australia & New Zealand, Hootsuite explained, “Social media has transformed the way Australians discover, consume and share experiences at hotels, bars, and restaurants.
“With more access to real-time information than ever before, the customer journey has evolved, and organisations need to think ‘digital first’ to meet and capitalise upon the expectations of the connected consumer”.
So, how can your business utilise social media to its advantage?
Hospitality companies are encouraged to engage with their social media users by creating interesting content, returning 'likes', replying to comments and following other users. This will help create meaningful relationships with consumers.
In addition, companies can utilise social media influencers to drive post volume and increase brand awareness. Hootsuite recommends engaging with ‘micro influencers’, users with between 1000 to 10,000 followers, as their audience tends to be more localised. According to Hootsuite, these influencers can drive an average of 87 per cent post volume for hospitality brands. In comparison, ‘major influencers’ can boost the volume of users talking about a brand by 61 per cent on average.
Hootsuite also encourages organisations to turn to their employees to raise brand awareness, and stated that in some cases employees may collectively hold more power and reach on their own social media channels.
For further information, Hootsuite’s full report can be found here.
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