Hotel ratings and recommendations can make or break your reputation in the hospitality space. Staying at a 5-star hotel can be quite the experience. However, in the digital age, are hundreds of well-written reviews enough to bring in new business?
Live streaming is one proven way to virtually engage with your target audience. If hotels were to utilize live streaming to its greatest potential, they would succeed in closing the gap between the hotel and the customer. By implementing live video in your marketing plan, your hotel ratings will consequently improve as people will have a clearer perspective on your service offerings.
Customer Relationship Management
Managing the relationship you have with your customer is not an easy task. Customers have strong demands and can be unreasonable, especially when their needs are not met.
By live streaming, you can manage your customer’s expectations before they walk in the door. For example, your hotel manager or concierge can answer questions directly on the hotel’s live stream.
They can clear up any misconceptions or provide insight on hotel rules and policies so visitors can feel more comfortable. In this example, the live stream would work as a live hotel manual that is able to correspond with the audience.
Hotel Ratings and Social Media
Social media can play a huge role in helping establish your hotel ratings. For better or worse, word spreads with rapid pace on the internet. If your hotel has failed to accommodate its guests, such as room shortages and overbooking, know that your reputation may be at risk.
Without a strong social media presence to develop a good rapport with your audience, they may susceptible to buying into other people’s perceptions of your hotel. Live streaming allows you to handle crises as soon as they happen.
For example, even if you have a chain of hotels, a good live streaming service, such as Contentflow, will allow you to simultaneously stream from 100+ facebook accounts, websites and other platforms. By using Contentflow, you would also have access to many features, such as a graphic overlay for branding purposes, the ability to live edit and much more.
Hotel Digital Wellness
By partnering with a health and fitness company who prioritizes virtual support, your hotel can conquer the wellness space through live streaming.
For example, according to Hotel News Now, over 50 Westin Hotels locations across the U.S. have partnered with the wellness innovation team from Peloton to allow the visitors to have in-room and in-studio cycling classes.
Similar to their model, your hotel could use a partnership to help visitors away from home to maintain their fitness routines. Additionally, your hotel could partner with holistic and meditation organizations to provide more value through live streaming.
Because of the recent shift to health, wellness and mindfulness, an increased amount of guests are turning to their hotel of choice for healthy lifestyle options. If you share your services on a digital format, you will be one step ahead of your competitors.
Weekly Hotel Tour
Your social media following might have people who have never stayed at your hotel before. These people might follow you because they are contemplating staying at your hotel in the future. Optimizing your live stream could convince them to choose your hotel versus a competitor’s. Show them aspects of your hotel that they may not be privy to unless they were guests. For example, photos and videos of your hotel are not the same as a live tour of the facilities.
Breakfast Spread
Show them how the chef prepares the food in the morning. If your hotel offers room service, then live streaming the process would ensure the hotel’s stellar customer service, cleanliness and wide range of options for a diverse group of guests.
For example, if your hotel offers a contintental breakfast or a picture-worthy breakfast spread, then what would be better than a live streamed breakfast layout?
Show your followers how the staff gets ready before anyone wakes up. If a few patrons are interested in being on camera, then show them making fresh waffles or pancakes in the dining area.
People don’t choose hotels because of the food. However, an enticing presentation can appeal to anyone, especially someone who is hungry or desiring something special. Hotels are functionable, but they also pamper their guests with great service and offerings. With live video, your hotel can provide a unique experience. In return, travelers will keep your hotel in consideration the next time they are in your city.
Comfy Bedrooms
One of the best parts of staying at a hotel is sleeping in a comfy bed. Of course, you can’t feel the bed for your audience. However, you can show them what they can have.
Your audience could be watching your live stream from their home or workplace. They also could be watching your live video from a competitor’s hotel room.
If so, you want them to be in your hotel room, not somewhere else. Instill the sense of envy by giving a behind-the-scenes look of your where they could be staying. Show the accommodations and service at the start of the day, prompting your audience to get curious about your hotel rates.
Amenities (Gym, Pool, Etc.)
Live stream the perks that your hotel offers. If there is a pool, gym, ironing room, lounge, game room or rooftop, capture each perk via live video. Even though your amenities are listed on your hotel’s website, nothing beats a live video of what they can experience.
Be mindful that you would need your patrons’ permission to film them. If your amenities tend to get crowded around certain times, pick a less crowded time to go live. Or, you could always show different amenities before anyone arrives, such as early in the morning.
Influencer Marketing
Influencers and their opinions can greatly change the perception of your hotel. With the right influencer, your hotel ratings might increase substantially in your favor. Because influencers have such a strong hold on their audience, their followers will trust their recommendations. You could offer a free stay or a discounted rate for a prominent travel or lifestyle influencer to visit your hotel.
If they enjoy the hotel, you can ask them to live stream their experience. Additionally, the hotel’s social media account can be a guest on the influencer’s live stream, generating more views through cross-promotion of channels.
This would allow your hotel’s following to grow in addition to more buy-in, sales and reviews. If your hotel is on brand with the influencer, you could offer them an affiliate partnership.
Insta Moments for Influencers
Influencers are very selective when it comes to crafting the perfect post. If your hotel offers great scenery or has the ideal backdrop for a photo opportunity, then more influencers might be interested in not only taking photos but live streaming there as well. Create memorable moments by investing your hotel’s decor, including furniture, art pieces and color scheme. While improving your hotel’s aesthetics, you can ask for your followers’ opinions by polling during your live stream.
Experiences result in hotel ratings and recommendations. However, in 2019, it is not enough to provide guests with an amazing experience on site. You have to make it a transformative experience. It should not start once the traveler steps on the hotel property and becomes a guest.
The process must start in the mind of the guest. That could begin with a simple live video. It could make them wonder how staying at your hotel could be exactly what they need at the moment. By utilizing live video effectively, your audience might even start saving money or looking for discounts so they can stay at your hotel. Optimizing your hotel’s live stream can make a significant difference in not only how many people become guests but how many become return guests.
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 876239, 959379 & 965502.
