My article on www.hotelexecutive.com on managing crises in the era of social media was published this month, and raises the question not so much about the accuracy of information posted on a property’s official Facebook or Twitter account, but rather on the timeliness of each update. When handling a crisis, fans and followers expect consistent and timely updates to an issue and what immediate steps are underway to resolve the problem. Case in point: the Marriott hotels in Jakarta just last month utilized Twitter in a very effective way.
Yet, some hotels - mostly independent hotels at this point - remain skeptical in using social media as proactive communications tool. At the same time, those hotels that have started up Facebook/Twitter/LinkedIn accounts and have left them idle is like ignoring their existing, and potential guests.
Tags: boutique hotels social media, crisis management and social media, crisis pr, Twitter and hotels
I agree - if a hotel starts tweeting and then stops, it is like just a fad. Instead, they shoul d be more proactive in how they use it
I agree with your position. Social networks are such an immediate, effective communication tool, when correctly used.
In quiet times, they can make the difference between a tourist’s choice between one place and another.
During crisis times like this, they are a powerful critical mean to gain trust in their target audience. In order to do so, it’s essential to constantly update them, otherwise they’s lose credibility.
Independent hotels should carefully consider what a difference it makes to use new communication tools in a strategic way. Maybe it would be useful to provide some fruitful examples to them, such as the Jakarta hotel.
Of course, social networks would not work when used alone: they should support an integrated communication strategy.
There are 160 million people on facebook. If you ignore or ineffectively use the application, your missing out on a prime opportunity to connect directly with audiences. Same goes for Twitter, Linkedin, Youtube, etc.
Indeed, Social Media is part of our lives now. Whether we like it or not.