How to Market Your Hotel, Destination or Attraction on...

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Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI)

How to Market Your Hotel, Destination or Attraction on

Facebook

www.hsmaiuniversity.org

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Overview of Format and TopicOverview of Format and Topic

Webinar ModeratorFran BrasseuxExecutive Vice President, HSMAI


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HSMAI University Alliance PartnersHSMAI University Alliance Partners


POLL QUESTION #1POLL QUESTION #1How many people are participating in

this webinar at your location today?

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TodayToday’’s Presenter s Presenter

� e-Commerce SEO/SEM consulting since 1999

� 20+ Years of direct hotel sales experience

� Approved vendor with Marriott, Hilton and Wyndham Hotels

� Social Media Marketing Expert

� Pay-Per-Click Management

� Online Media Planning

� Strategic Linking Services

� Search Engine Marketing Services

• Need more information?

• Call:407-909-9036

� Gordon LiametzRevenue Performancewww.RevenuePerformance.com


Why Facebook?

Source: Tech Crunch

www.hsmaiuniversity.org6


Fan Pages vs. Groups

Fan Pages� Publishes updates to fans

� Extremely customizable

� Able to use Facebook Insights (metrics)

� Ability to obtain custom URL which increases SEO

� Create Facebook events linked to fan page

� Better integration with rich media (links, photos, videos)

� Visible to unregistered people

� Better for long-term relationships with your fans

Groups� Group members can bulk invite

others attracting attention faster

� Consolidated into one simple

page

� Better for hosting an active

discussion and attracting quick

attention

� Good for organizing on a

personal level and for smaller

scale interaction around a cause

� Focal point for people with a

common interest


Facebook Sales Funnel

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Revenue Opportunity

Revenue Opportunity


Use the “About” text box to place keyword

� An important SEO strategy that should be implemented on your

Facebook Page is placing keywords as close to the top as possible

� The “About” box represents the highest place of the Page to add

custom text

� In order to add text to your Page’s “About” box, click the “Write

something about [YourPage]” in the box underneath your Page’s

profile picture

� There is a 250 character limit


Use the “Info” tab to Include Important Keywords

� Facebook creates an “Info” tab that has

fields containing important descriptive

metadata about the Page

� It’s important to fill out these fields,

because they provide the opportunity to

include keywords and links

� This will increase the content score of

your Facebook Page for many types of

Google searches


Use the “Info” Tab to Include More Important Keywords

� Address, City, State, and Zip code are important fields for local

searches

� Hotel overview and services are important fields for searches

� Websites is a valuable opportunity to add direct links to your own

websites or other relevant sites in your space

� The specific fields will vary according to the category you choose for

your Page when you create it, so choose the category that best fits

your needs


Add Photos with Captions, Events with Descriptions, and a Discussion Forum

� It’s important to always be sharing interesting content on your

Facebook Page, and always be using all available descriptive fields

on each type of content shared

� When posting photos, use verbose and keyword-dense descriptions

� When posting events, take the extra minute to include text and

keywords in the event description field that you want to rank for

� Facebook makes all of the content shared on Pages index-able by

search engines, so use the tools Facebook provides to your full

advantage


Join the Conversation

� This means that every time someone comments on your new status,

a photo, a video, or a discussion thread, you need to comment on it

� It is not a one-way conversation in which the brands talk down to

their customers

� Participation is not optional


Publish Interesting and Relevant Content

� Look at CVB or State Tourism content

� Look at Google News or travel articles

� Look at local attractions or event venues

� Give relevant content by doing a search

on Google Blogsearch, and leveraging an

RSS reader like Google Reader


Update Often

� While it’s extremely important to

monitor the conversation that users are

having about your hotel or destination

on Facebook Pages

� Post questions to users, create new

topics within discussion forums, and

perform other activities that create

engagement

� You need to keep engaging your fans on

a regular basis and continue to post

interesting content


Just How Often Should I Post?

� Conversational (1 - 3 per week)

� Informational (1 - 3 per week)

� Questions (1 per week)

� Promotional (1 per week)


Leverage the Power of Facebook Events

� Events provide an opportunity for

hotels and CVB’s to reach out to

their Fan base

� Facebook Event tips:

� Number of Events

� Select a compelling title

� Upload an attractive relevant photo

� Add content to your Event Page

� Invite all your friends

� Add a personal message to the

invitations


Leverage the Other Social Networks

� Building a large following requires other

social networking sites and links that

can drive visitors to your Fan Page

� Many organizations lack this level of

dedication, and expect Fans to find

them automatically

� Connecting to other social networking

sites and links from your website can

help build your Fan base


1. Facebook Notes - Pulls in the RSS feed from your blog or other content source and it will automatically bring everything into Facebook, as well as show all of your friends that you’ve

posted a new note http://www.facebook.com/apps/application.php?id=2347471856

2. Twitter App – Automatically pull your tweets into your Facebook status. It will put a Twitter-themed box on your profile http://www.facebook.com/apps/application.php?id=2231777543

3. Static FBML – Add FBML and HTML applications to include more stylized elements to a Page like clickable images, anchor text and interactive content

http://www.facebook.com/apps/application.php?sid=59c8a2bba844922b5153efc9b9eba237&id

=4949752878&ref=s

4. Extended Info - Use HTML to customize any kind of content and create numerous fields beyond the standard Information categories; you can also name the box anything you want so it

matches your page http://www.facebook.com/apps/application.php?id=2374336051&b

5. Posted Items Pro - You can embed multiple YouTube, Yahoo, and Google Videos, files, and more onto your profile

http://www.facebook.com/apps/application.php?id=2761091815&ref=pr

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Free Apps


Facebook Insights - Tracking

� Count of total interactions this

week, broken down by type

� Post quality rating, from 1 to 5

stars

� Graphs for interactions,

interactions per post, post

quality, stream CTR, posts, page

views, media consumption,

reviews


New Facebook Promotional Guidelines

� Promoting a contest does not require Facebook approval

� Administering a contest does require approval from Facebook

� The new rules only apply to contest and sweepstake type promotions

� You must use an approved Facebook application to run your promotion

� Certain types of business are now prohibited from running promotions

� http://www.facebook.com/promotions_guidelines.php


Badges

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� Provides link directly to Facebook Fan page

� Looks better than a text link

� Shows commitment to own Facebook page



• Shows amount of Fans

• Shows random Fan pictures (can be hidden)

• Shows latest updates on Page (can be hidden)

• Enables website visitors to become Fans immediately

• Great way to increase Fan base

Fan Box

Promoting Your Facebook Page

� E-mail campaigns

� Publish photos, videos, etc.

� Post compelling content

� Host giveaways/promotions

� Use polls and voting applications

� Include the URL in marketing

materials

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� Make use of badges

� Add custom html, fbml, flash

boxes

� Create events linked to your

Fan Page

� Encourage participation and

interaction

� Use your e-mail signature


Get More Facebook Fans!


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Wheat Thins Get A Great Start To The New Year. Become a fan and we’ll give you a coupon for a dollar off your next box of Wheat Thins

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614) Magazine Become our Facebook fan for a chance to win FREE lunch for you +9 Cantina Laredo next week! Yum!

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No problem! We’ll put it together for you and post it on our blog soon. I’ll let you know when its up.


hsmai.org43

Universal Orlando just announced the musical lineup for its Mardi Gras event this spring! Headliners include Akon, Aretha Franklin, Sheryl Crow, Beach Boys, 3 Doors Down and Chicago…

hsmai.org44

SeaWorld Orlando and Busch Gardens Tampa Bay Announce Lineup for “Bands, Brew & BBQ” SeaWorld and Busch Gardens have announced the country and classic rock stars performing at the parks during…

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Keystone Guided Cat Tours Begin Saturday 1/9! Book now and get 30% off. Sale ends 1/24. Call 800-354-4386 to plan your adventure.


hsmai.org46

Do you know of anyone looking for a new career? We have several positions available both full-time and part-time. See our employment webpage for more information!


Coming out to SF this weekend? Here is something that may be right up your alley. A day-long, closed-streets block party -- delicious street food, renowned chefs, a beer and spirits garden, roving street…



What are your travel resolutions for 2010?


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TripAdvisor Review Dec 27, 2009 “Live here, but first dinner here”- Trip type: Couples Very satisfied. I had the best salad with maple flavoring…

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Facebook contest is here! The first 50 Facebook fans to find Mr. Anthony Calandra and give him their filled out form (see attached link) will receive a $50.00 gift certificate good for any Calandra Restaurant.

Facebook Advertising

1 Location Targeting

2 Keyword Targeting

3 Connection Targeting

� Fans of any of your Pages

� Users of any of your Applications

� Members of any of your Groups

� Attendees of any of your Events

4 Relationship Targeting

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5. Age Targeting

6. Birthday Targeting

7. Education Targeting

8. Sex Targeting

9. Workplace Targeting

10. Language Targeting


Should You Outsource Your Online Presence?Can you save time and money by leaving social media marketing to the pros?

1 First, determine if outsourcing is

right for you…

2 Conduct a cost/benefit analysis

3 Should you hire an in-house “Social Media

Specialist”?

4 Many hotels and destinations will simply

add those social media duties to an

existing employee's responsibilities

5 Keeping a personal profile on Facebook is

very different than understanding how it

can be used for branding

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6 Unless you already have an employee

who is well-versed in social media for

marketing and increasing online

visibility, the only advantage would be

that they already know your hotel and

destination

7 The hotel or destination can save hours

trying to add Facebook apps, “how to’s

or Facebook issues” and searching for

relevant links and content

8 Whether going it alone or hiring a

specialist, you should consider going to

a social networking consultant to make

sure you are on the right path


Summary

� Update Frequently

� Be Personal

� Ask Questions

� Encourage Interaction

� Check Insights Monthly

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� Share Information

� Promote Special Offers

� Remember to Keep it Simple

� Engage Your Customers Through Polls

and Contests that Get Them

Generating the Content

� Consider Outsourcing Your Social

Networking Efforts



Bonus Conference Call....if you registered for the entire 3-part series, you can join us on a one hour conference on Friday, January 29, 2010 at 2 pm EST.

Submit up to five SEO/SEM questions that we will answer on the conference

call. Email [email protected]

Questions can include:

• Search Engine Optimization

• Local Search Marketing

• Pay-Per-Click Marketing

• Social Media Optimization

• Finding Sales Leads Online

• Budgeting for 2010

• Questions about your e-commerce vendor or vendor reports

This is a great opportunity for you to get expert answers to questions you may

have on a variety of e-commerce strategies.

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Questions ?Questions ?

� Gordon LiametzRevenue Performancewww.RevenuePerformance.com


January 21 – How to market your hotel, destination or attraction on Twitter

January 28 – How to market and find prospects on LinkedIn

Don’t miss Sessions 2 & 3 of this series:


Register for these and watch www.hsmaiuniversity.comfor upcoming webinars

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TodayToday ’’s webinar is copyright 2010 by the Hospitality Sale s & Marketings webinar is copyright 2010 by the Hospitality Sale s & MarketingAssociation International with All Rights Reserved.Association International with All Rights Reserved.


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