Facebook ads can be tricky, especially when you’re trying to target specifically towards people who might want to stay in your hotel. Why is Facebook such a challenge?
You know social media can boost bookings. You also know the process isn’t as simple as hastily putting a page together, magically scooping followers and fans out of the digital ether, and blasting out ads to wild acclaim.
Fundamentally, you know that to drive more bookings with Facebook, your ads have to convert better.
How can you make those conversions happen? We’ve put together 7 ways to make your Facebook page work harder.
Let’s go.
6,000 highly engaged, active fans beat 10,000 low quality fans. You don’t want fans who liked your page by accident, or because it had a post about something they liked but was unrelated to your hotel.
Quantity matters, but not as much as quality. A large group of unengaged fans won’t bring you business. That’s why when building your core group of fans and followers, or targeting new ones, you need to focus on quality to convert potential guests.
According to branding consultant Amy Porterfield, “when you work hard to build a fanbase first, you reap the rewards by getting better conversions…without breaking the bank!”
There’s a slim chance of bookings coming straight from your hotel Facebook page. Your page is about engaging potential guests, building a loyal community, and most importantly: building your email list. (psst – here’s our guide to writing brilliant, clickable emails)
Usually, fans aren’t going to sign up just because you asked them too. They’ll be more likely to subscribe and interact if you offer them something valuable in return. Research from Syncapse shows that 42% of fans like a page to get a coupon, and 35% like so they can participate in contests.
One Chicago dealership gained a 24x return on their ads by combining Facebook offers with custom audiences
If you want to get more out of Facebook advertising, create an enticing offer that links to a landing page. You could:
A popular marketing adage is: “The best customer you can get is the one you already have.”
Similarly, the best fan to target is the one who is already unlocking his room in your hotel and walking in to unpack.
Think about it: A guest who’s previously stayed with you is likely to stay again. And, while at your hotel, guests are going to be more attentive and involved because they’re actively engaging with you as a business.
Okay, sounds great – how do you apply that to your Facebook ad strategy?
Take advantage of that! To grow your fanbase, offer rewards in the hotel for becoming a Facebook fan.
For example, at your bar or front desk you can offer free drinks or discounts in exchange for liking your Facebook page. This increases future conversions because you have stronger leads for targeting.
Custom audiences is a feature of Facebook ads that lets you upload a list of customers from your phone book or email list, which means you can reach a bigger, qualified audience, even if they weren’t fans before.
One game developer, Kingnet, experienced a 40% decrease in cost-per-installs with custom audiences on Facebook ads.
Custome audiences can be used for your website too!
By placing a piece of code on your site called a pixel, Facebook tracks visitors and compiles their Facebook IDs for your list. People can even be targeted based on the pages they visit on your hotel site, so you can improve conversions with segmented ads for people who clicked off at your homepage, started the booking process, or visited your contact page. You can also show ads about your great wedding offers to people who looked at your wedding gallery, or show off your restaurant to people who’ve previously looked at the menu.
This is a strong, digitally savvy way to target your ads – Facebook is giving you the chance to be as highly targeted as your website is. Don’t pass on it!
If your page is rife with posts that promote your hotel and ask people to book, chances are good that you’ll bore your audience.
Remember, it’s social media. That’s part of the big challenge for businesses on social channels – how to you maintain interest while still making sales? To maintain the attention of your fans, mix up your posts. When you are offering something, make sure it’s worth it.
Here are a few options to get started:
The “fill in the caption” style post is another way to engage fans.
Here’s a great example from Pepsi’s Facebook page:
Be sure to use images when making Facebook ads, boosted posts, and even regular posts. According to Kissmetrics, posts with images get 104% more comments, 84% more clicks and 53% more likes.
Also, make an effort to reply to comments. It shows that you care for your fans—and by extension, your guests—and makes your hotel look more personable. Managing your hotel’s interactions with individual guests on social media is a serious challenge in and of itself: for our complete guide, click here.
Looking for more post ideas? Here are 22.
Your fans aren’t expecting in-depth articles, and the internet has a pretty short attention span these days. Keep your posts short and snappy to maintain their interest. Research shows that posts with 80 characters or less get 66% more engagement.
According to Social Media Examiner, 97% of marketers are using social media to support overall marketing efforts, and 84% of respondents indicated that Facebook was the top medium used for paid social advertising.
Facebook advertising works, but it has to be done properly. Make sure your ads are targeted, optimised visually, have snappy copy, and are offering something people want.
Are you looking to boost bookings with social media? Have a chat with our digital marketing team.
