It’s hard to stand out online. You’re up against algorithms, influencers, and your own schedule. It can be challenging to find content to share and to plan your posting in advance. In short, social media is an overwhelming world! But, when it’s done right, it can keep you booked up and top of mind with your ideal guest. So, it’s really important that you’re making strategic choices about what, when, and where you’re sharing.
As a hospitality brand, you offer a unique experience that is best shared through imagery and storytelling. Some social media platforms, like Instagram and Pinterest, are designed to show off your brand. But other channels, specifically Twitter, are not designed with hospitality brands in mind. That’s why Twitter is the least effective social media choice for your brand and the one you can either drop or never start using at all (but still be successful and grow your biz).
Why You Don’t Need Twitter
As with everything else, there’s a time and a place. According to HootSuite, only about 22% of Americans are on Twitter and 70% of those people use Twitter as a news source. This is one of the biggest reasons why Twitter is likely not a fit for your brand to communicate.
Among Americans, Twitter is most popular with younger (18 – 24-year old’s) audiences who tend to have higher levels of education and identify as Democrats. Most of this information is probably not a fit for your brand. You typically aren’t hosting 18-year-old’s as guests at your inn, and while you may personally prefer Dems to Republications, money, and bookings don’t care, right? So again, this isn’t the best use of your time.
Although there are more reasons why Twitter isn’t the most strategic choice for your communication, one of the biggest reasons is why people use it. Twitter is popular for news and breaking information. This is because Twitter doesn’t have an algorithm that hides content from users the way other platforms do. When you’re on Twitter, you’re seeing information in a chronological, fast, and live manner. For you, this means that your tweets have a very short shelf-life to be seen by users. Therefore, the return on investment of your time spent tweeting is simply not worth it.
What You Need Instead
Hospitality brands like hotels, inns, restaurants, wineries, and other experience-based businesses rely on visual storytelling online. Although video watching on Twitter is rising, its highest on Instagram. And the reality is that many hospitality managers don’t have the time to constantly create video content, but they do have endless photos to share, so it’s better to use a platform (like Facebook and/or Instagram) that allows you to do both and where you know users are watching photos and videos.
Focus on visual channels like Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. Each one of these has a larger user base among Americans and allows you to target and connect better with your ideal guest. Not to mention, each of these platforms allows you to easily create paid content that directly targets your ideal guests in terms of age, location, and other characteristics.
Social Media Success Tips with Twitter
If you’re short on time or budget, then stick to using one channel and doing it really well. My suggestion for this would be Facebook because it’s the most diverse in terms of capabilities. You can share your own original content there, share the content of others, and work with paid media all while also being able to quickly connect and respond to messages and maintain existing relationships.
If you’re able to use multiple channels, then make sure you have a content strategy and plan your content in advance. I have a few resources to make this easier for you like my 6-month social media calendar with fun holidays included, and my favorite scheduling app so you can get more time back in your day-to-day operations.