Social Media Plan - Essay Example

Social Media Plan Supervisor Introduction There is no doubt to the fact that technology has made our world a global village thanks to social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and many more. Time has come for the hospitality industry to take advantage of this resource so as to reach their target markets much faster and cheaply. If put into good use social media marketing can ensure high returns due to proper publicity. It is also worth noting that if also there are no strategies on how to take advantage of the social media then the whole idea may backfire and the hotels, or restaurants may end up losing customers. It is for this reason that this paper was written, to come up with a comprehensive social media marketing plan for Sun Peaks Resort in Kamloops. It is also worth noting that Sun Peaks Resort is an economical year-round and family-friendly resort that surrounded by three mountains. It offers a delicate balance between convenient amenities and a natural setting. Thanks to its strategic positioning one can have access to downhill skiing, snowboarding in winter, mountain biking, golfing, hiking and even cross country skiing. It goes further to cater to foodies with wine festivals and annual foods that are offered by a great selection of restaurants. . Its accommodation services are breathe taking, and is catering is highly professional. Such is the information that should be shared with the social media so as to market the resort because there is a lot more offered by the resort and most of the appropriate market is unaware. Situation Analysis This will form the basis of the entire social media marketing plan. It will include a thorough assessment of both the external and internal factors. It will provide a better understanding by creating an overview of Sun Peaks Resort. On average 76 percent of Sun Peak’s Resort is generated between December 16th and April 2nd. Boarding and skiing remain the main attraction for 90 percent of winter visitors. Winter room rates are above the summer room rates since summer accommodation is normally sold at marginal pricing. Winter visitors spend approximately three times more per day than the summer ones. Various market factors have shaped the summer occupancy numbers. Initially, what drove the summer business was the international bus tours, this formed bout 62 percent of the summer offseason business. The increasing value of the Canadian dollar, forest fires in 2003, global recession and changes in the bus tour operator policy of 2007, seriously eroded the international market of the resort. Since the summer of 2008, the tour bus business dropped sharply. Consequently, the summer room rates shot down to the same levels as they were in the 1990’s (Davis, 2010). To counter the loss of the long distance, the resort put more focus on the regional market, which is aimed at boosting the summer returns. As much as it is not necessary to compare Sun Peaks to other mountain resorts since their economies are more diverse, it is worth noting that Sun Peaks are competing for the same regional consumer market. With such competition, new efficient ways have to be designed to come up with a marketing strategy that will deliver, and, for this reason, the social media offers that platform. Sun Peaks faces stiff competition from other regional resort municipalities such as Whistler not only for the regional consumer market but also for the international consumer market. The target market is both regional and international in nature, thus when it comes to the consideration of demographics, and then it is the entire world that is considered especially those who fancy Canada as tourist destination resort. All these markets can be reached with the help of social media. Most people in the hospitality industry do not put more effort and time in social media networking; probably it’s because it is a new concept or maybe it’s because they are yet to see the benefits that come about with its use. Faster realization of this marketing platform by Peak Resorts will put them at the forefront thus making them gain much more by using cheap social media means. The situation analysis of both the internal and external environment shows that Sun Peaks Resort has gaps that it needs to feel for example those created when the tour bus trips were interrupted thus lowering the number of the summer consumers. As much as their primary focus is in the regional market hope is not lost in trying to reach for the long distance visitors especially during the winter seasons where there are lots of activities at the resort. A better way to capture that market is through the use of an online platform offered by the social media Evaluation of Options When it comes to social media, there is an array of platforms to choose from including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, personal blogs and many more but without the right strategy then they won’t be of much help. The strategies below if well implemented will ensure maximum benefits accrued from social media as a marketing strategy. First, identify and target social media personas. Many hotels and resorts try to be everything to everyone, but it is more effective if they identify and put more focus on the key target market. It is recommended that resorts target social persona. Identify who they are and why they would like to make a visit to the resort or hotel. They should go ahead to provide even eye-catching and appealing names to them such “adventurous honeymooners” and even go further to put down on paper everything about them: lifestyle, needs, income, hometown, and much more. Finally go ahead to pinpoint the services you can offer them that will ensure an incredible and unforgettable time. Secondly, making reviews the priority. As opposed to social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook, review sites must be given the priority since people visit them often to shop. Plus, reviews are a great resource when it comes to guest feedbacks. This is not to insinuate that social networking sites are not as important since they have emerged as guest service and marketing channels. A good example of this is provided by panellist Adele Gutman, the president of marketing and sells at Library Hotel Collection, who shared the success story of how the four New York boutique hotels maneuvered up the ladder on TripAdvisor’s Popularity Index. The hotels rank high on the popularity index thus making them easily known by their target market. The reward comes about when the hotel or resort has thousands of people who visit their page on sites like TripAdvisor. Thirdly, integrating content is also paramount when it comes to social media marketing. The vice president of Red Carnation Hotels, Suzie Wotton, recommended the integration of three types of content when hotels campaign to amplify their reach and visibility. 1) Paid content which includes OTA listings, display ads and cost-per-click whereas 2) Owned content includes blog, media, Twitter feed, Facebook page, and website. It is recommended that the hotel controls the messaging for both type of media, but its influence is limited to some extent. 3) Earned content, on the other hand, is the people’s feedback regarding the resort, which in most cases involves aspirational messages. It is only social media that provides the platform for putting together all the three types of content. The main aim is to understand how all the three types of content work. A good example was a post to Red Carnations Hotels FB page concerning gift cards. The post falls under the category of owned content that is usually controlled by the brand. It ended up getting 500 likes and several shares that are earned content. The company, on the other hand, goes ahead to advertise it as a sponsored post, which falls under the category of paid content. To get more out of such opportunities, it is recommended that unique, bite-sized pieces of content are made as they encourage engagement and can readily be shared over multiple channels. Fourthly, making the hotel’s website a social hub. The Hotel’s website is the primary platform that promotes online business. The hotel should go further and make an effort to make it breathing and living entity by making use of social content. This platform also offers a much easier way to control all three types of content. Lastly, the resort should go further to manage guest expectations. To minimise negative comments, the resort should ensure that the descriptions provided on the website and OTAs are as honest and authentic as possible. For example, if the hotel has no view then it is better to tell the clients upfront even in social media because in the long run this drives brand loyalty. It also helps in the sale of bigger rooms. The hoteliers should make the social media experience with their clients as visual and personal as possible. Since social networks are searchable, then it is very creative to tag imagery with location, description, brand name and even the use of consistent hashtags across platforms. The process will be resourced in an in-house manner since it only requires the use of computers or laptops to do whatever is entailed above. The degree of effort that will be used will encompass the use of an Information Technology team that will ensure that. The social media platform of the hotel is breathing and alive, especially when there are clients that the clients would like to talk to on a one on one basis over the social media platform. Great effort is to be put if this marketing strategy is to succeed fully. The plan will also include the entire hotel crew right from the top management to the subordinate staff to ensure that they sell the brand of the Sun Peaks hotel in the social media through their Facebook page, Twitter feeds, and even uploading photos of the resort in Instagram of the beautiful sections and environment of the hotel. Recommendations Sun Peaks Resort should put more attention to the social media marketing platform. A lot can be benefited if it is put to good use plus no costs are incurred when using it. The hotel should first ensure that their website comes to life by engaging as many people as possible. The amount of traffic obtained by the website should increase; this should act as one of their objectives and one of their indicators of progress. Finally, the hotel should measure its performance against its goals to gauge its success. Some of the performance indicators, in this case, include the traffic on the hotels websites, the number of shares and likes in Facebook. The types of comments provided on their website, and also the resort’s Facebook page should also be taken into account. This should translate to a large market for Sun Peaks Resort. References Davis, L. M. (2010). Social Media Marketing: An Hour a Day. TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION, 57(1), 110. Read More