SALES & MARKETING
With social media ,
THERE ’ S ONLY ONE MOVE TO MAKE – VIDEO
VIDEO HAS ECLIPSED THE STATIC IMAGE ON SOCIAL MEDIA , BUT CAN IT ALSO DRIVE SALES ?
Contributed by JULIANA SHALLCROSS
This preference for user-generated content highlights another subtle shift in brands ’ social media strategy .
A
well-framed picture may say a thousand words but these days on social media , a simple video can garner thousands of views and likes , the internet ’ s barometer of popularity . Indeed , if you ask any social media marketer what ’ s hot right now , they will undoubtedly say , “ video .”
Not surprisingly , many hospitality brands have leaned heavily into video content on social media , experimenting with new ways to bring their properties to life via the handheld screen .
“ A few years ago , we were creating content to square images , utilizing carousels to have people swipe left and right , and just repurposing broadcast video on social platforms ,” says Katie Johnson , vice president and brand leader for Hyatt Hotels Corp .’ s Independents Collections and Residences . “ Now social has become video-first , specifically vertical video .”
Whitney Reynolds , senior director of content and partnerships for Kimpton Hotels and Resorts , says video has been a great way to tie in all the elements of a hotel stay from checking in to opening the door and admiring the room view .
“ A short-form video allows us to tell the
SOCIAL HAS BECOME VIDEO- FIRST , SPECIFICALLY VERTICAL VIDEO .
– KATIE JOHNSON
whole story and really showcase all of those little moments that lead to the magic of your hotel stay ,” she explains . “ A static image can ’ t do that . If you ’ re looking at one image of a guest room or an image of a view , it ’ s only capturing that one part of the guest journey .”
With the emergence of TikTok and Instagram Reels , along with advanced video production tools often found within social media apps , user-generated videos can do just as good of a job telling a story as slick professional shoots .
“ User-generated content ( UGC ) is like social currency and when we can have other people tell our story , it feels more authentic and genuine ,” Johnson says , mentioning a case study her team did that showed that UGC content outperformed produced content . “ Consumers still trust people they know when it comes to being influenced .”
THE INFLUENCE PIECE This preference for user-generated content highlights another subtle shift in brands ’ social media strategy — seeking out niche influencers who have both content creation skills and high engagement rates as a means of boosting a hotel ’ s return on investment .
“ The influence piece is only part of the value in partnering with them ,” Reynolds says . “ They ’ re really some of the best creators of original content . So , if you look at them as creators , which we have done at Kimpton , that kind of opens up a whole new
86 hotelsmag . com Nov / Dec 2022