Special RepoRt : Social Media
VisuaL apprOach ( cOntinued )
sLOser : Our more experiential resorts find their photos shared heavily . sistare : Photos of our properties ’ guestrooms and lobbies , as well as on-property services and experiences . hariharan : Real-time images of events at the hotel . radde : Hotel interiors and photos taken by guests .
hOteLs : Are videos part of your strategy ? sistare : Videos are an important part of our strategy . In the last two years , we have made almost 160 videos .
What ’ s ahead
hOteLs : What is the hottest new social media network ? Yukich : Pinterest remains our fastest-growing social media platform . We have created a Pinterest concierge , Pin . Pack . Go , offered across all 81 Four Seasons property pages . Guests are invited to co-curate a custom itinerary via a Pinterest board with the Four Seasons property of their choice , and local concierges provide customized recommendations via pins to their boards . In Asia , WeChat is by far the fastest-growing social media network . This mobile platform combines the benefits of platforms like WhatsApp and Facebook and is widely adopted , particularly in China . sLOser : Hilton Worldwide is seeing tremendous growth in Instagram and Pinterest , and we are paying attention to networks such as Jelly to see how individuals and brands are leveraging that platform . hariharan : Google + is fast becoming mainstream owing to its increasing benefits on search engines , thereby directly impacting online traffic and contributions .
hOteLs : How do you evaluate whether to join newer social networks , like Snapchat ? Yukich : When a new social media platform gains popularity , like
“ in asia , Wechat is bY Far the Fastest-grOWing sOciaL media netWOrk . this mObiLe pLatFOrm cOmbines the beneFits OF pLatFOrms Like Whatsapp and FacebOOk and is WideLY adOpted , particuLarLY in china .”
– Felicia Yukich , Four SeaSonS hotelS and reSortS hariharan : Videos are an integral part of our content strategy — we emphasize our food and beverage offerings with our Chef ’ s Table video series . Yukich : We use Instagram ’ s video functionality to post how-to recipe videos and special moments from our properties , such as a baby elephant at a watering hole at the Four Seasons Safari Lodge Serengeti . FantOn : We use YouTube for some of our brands , and we have started producing six-second videos with Vine targeting mobile users . sLOser : We emphasize how our guests experience the core attributes of our brands , including our Hamptonality Moments and DTour by DoubleTree campaigns .
Snapchat , we observe the adoption rate by travelers and luxury consumers . We are sure to look through a luxury lens when evaluating new opportunities .
hOteLs : Will online reviews ever go away , or are they here to stay ? FantOn : The data the hospitality industry is gleaning from reviews is growing , as is the data on who is reviewing as it is linked to social profiles . The future of the reviews will be more connected to social media networks and mobile device interaction before and during stays . Hotels need to do more to generate and integrate reviews from their customer base . sLOser : Online reviews are here to stay and have become a cornerstone of the hotel discovery process . People now expect that transparency and ease of information access . sistare : Consumers are interested in other peoples ’ experiences before buying any type of product now more than ever , and especially so with services and hotels .
hOteLs : For reaching international guests , are the big U . S . social networks or smaller local players more important ? Yukich : The U . S . social giants like Twitter , Facebook and Instagram are now household names in many international markets . Four Seasons has standalone brand in-language Facebook pages and content strategies , with a similar setup for Twitter . A Sina Weibo presence is essential for any luxury brand looking to grow Chinese market share . sLOser : We localize the languages and networks in the markets where we have a strong presence . hariharan : Both . The larger social networks are important for international travelers , while the smaller networks provide opportunities to reach target audiences more effectively . For example , we use Zomato for food and beverage enthusiasts in India and Sina Weibo and DaoDao for Chinese travelers .
26 HOTELS March 2014 www . hotelsmag . com