The inaugural episode of the Suite Spot: Social Success Sequence is right here!
Be part of first time host and Model Ambassador at Journey Media Group, Cassady Quintana as she sits down with particular visitor, Aislynn Roberts, the TMG Enterprise Shopper Success Supervisor, as they talk about the newest and best social media traits and panorama for accommodations.
This primary installment of the sequence is the start of a brand new age for the podcast and we hope you benefit from the dialogue between two social media gurus on how accommodations and property administration teams can’t solely optimize their social media presence but in addition how they will see the best return on their social media funding.
Cassady Quintana:Howdy everybody and welcome to our very first episode of the Social Success Podcast, A Suite Spot podcast powered by Journey Media Group. I’m your host, Cassady Quintana, Model Ambassador right here at Journey Media Group. Tremendous excited to lastly kick off this podcast. You realize, the explanation we determined to start out this was due to the success of our social success webinar sequence that we did final 12 months and we’re nonetheless doing to at the present time. However I used to be listening to numerous suggestions from those that had been watching and there’s numerous opinions and scorching takes about resort, social media, however not almost sufficient conversations with folks which can be truly within the thick of it working in resort social media. So I assumed, what higher method to have Aislynn Roberts, our Enterprise Shopper Success Supervisor right here at Journey Media Group as our first visitor, she is working with companions and speaking about these matters every single day. So Aislynn thanks for becoming a member of me.
Aislynn Roberts:Thanks for having me.
Cassady Quintana:So form of earlier than we get into social media, I would like folks to know what your position is like. So simply stroll us via form of what your day-to-day seems like.
Aislynn Roberts:Yeah, in fact. In order the enterprise Shopper Success Supervisor, I’ve a novel alternative to work not solely with particular person property homeowners, however I additionally work with model workforce execs and the C-Suite for resort administration teams as nicely. So it’s a really attention-grabbing position wherein you’re speaking to those government groups rather a lot round total portfolio traits. What you’re seeing throughout the board business, information updates, particularly when you take into account meta, what number of occasions they’re updating. Ensuring that they’re within the know of what’s taking place, but in addition giving them development evaluation for his or her portfolio. What’s working nicely, the efficiency, what we’re seeing throughout the board versus once you’re speaking to particular person properties, it’s very a lot centered, proper? What their particular person objectives are, what they’re attempting to realize, and, and actually honing in on what works nicely for them. And social media content material sensible. The dialog turns into very a lot centered into their facilities, what their company are, what kind of viewers they’re on the lookout for, versus what the C-suite and model. It’s overarching, proper? Like how will you proceed to capitalize this throughout the board?
Cassady Quintana:Yeah, I completely agree. And so once you’re having these conversations, what are a number of the greatest issues or reservations that you just’re listening to probably the most from these folks you’re talking with?
Aislynn Roberts:Yeah, it could differ throughout the board. More often than not it actually relies on every particular person’s consolation stage, which surprisingly matches all through the chief workforce. So whether or not you’re particular person property stage as you go up, dependent in your private use, your private consolation with social media, your conversations might be the identical or it might be vastly completely different. In the event you’re speaking to a director of promoting or VP of promoting who’s eats lives and breathes social media. So, these conversations form slightly bit completely different, however there may be numerous concern of not figuring out what to do, proper? Not understanding the way it works, concern of doing one thing incorrect, or needing to be one hundred percent skilled and utterly photogenic and photographed and all these items. And like, and that’s not essentially what social media is about. So, after which for the person property stage too, you go into time consuming, proper? So that they’re already of their day-to-day coping with visitor requests, having to comply with up with teams which can be coming via, coping with fires that they should put out typically actually which can be occurring on the property stage. So to them, like giving them an additional process of getting to consider the best way to create content material may be very very like, whoa, like I don’t need something to do with it. Or laborious for them to wrap round their head they usually simply get added stress to their regular day.
Cassady Quintana:And I really feel like after you have, all that stress of social media, it’s simpler to simply put it on the again burner. As a result of such as you mentioned, their day-to-day is coping with precise company, you understand, they had been employed to cope with company and do issues on the property and social media is normally put to the again as a result of it’s like, I can’t even take into consideration that proper now. So clearly you’re having these conversations, you’re educating them of the significance. Have you ever seen that shift with management and and the way severely are they taking social media now?
Aislynn Roberts:Completely. So positively among the many model groups and the C-Suite, once you, once you discuss to them, the seriousness of social media’s positively shifted. They perceive it’s essential. They know the position it’s taking part in within the traveler’s journey and the way persons are utilizing it to make a reserving determination. Particularly once you’re contemplating the youthful technology who grew up on social media. So it’s a positively completely different market on the particular person property stage. You do nonetheless have some, however some are nonetheless slightly bit gradual to the absorb understanding it as a result of they themselves don’t use it or they’re solely utilizing it to speak with their family and friends. So that they’re not utilizing it as a method to plan their journeys, however once you get all the way down to it and present them the way it’s utilizing, otherwise you speak about reserving dot com’s replace the place that’s now via Instagram, it opens up the eyes slightly bit extra, however the C-suite and model groups positively perceive it. And that’s why you’re seeing increasingly more model initiatives come out relating to social media. And it’s the accommodations and themselves are virtually like at a scrambling attempting to determine how are we gonna meet these model requirements, be sure we’re reaching to it as a result of they’re nonetheless slightly bit afraid of the best way to transfer ahead.
Cassady Quintana:Properly, it’s rather a lot. And I don’t blame them for being scared as a result of you understand, me and also you have a look at these social media traits on a regular basis and each week there’s one thing new popping out. So I can’t think about working in a resort after which having to remain updated with all this. After which on high of that, your model is sending you these necessities. It may be rather a lot. So form of after they get previous that hesitation and possibly they perceive it slightly bit extra, what’s actually thrilling to them on social media?
Aislynn Roberts:Yeah, so typically it takes a number of conversations. It’s not like an in a single day swap of the thoughts the place they begin to see this. So I feel what I’ve discovered working, particularly with model groups and C-Suite, is that they typically have two departments for all the pieces, or not a number of departments for all the pieces. They’ve an operations workforce, they’ve a income workforce, they’ve gross sales and advertising. So typically these groups don’t essentially talk with all of the traits that they’re seeing throughout the board. So in case your operations workforce handles your status and your on-line opinions, they’re not essentially speaking the suggestions and traits that they’re seeing that manner into just like the gross sales workforce, proper? Gross sales groups know what they’re focusing on, they know what their price range is, they know what kind of teams they’re attempting to succeed in to usher in enterprise into the accommodations. However essentially that’s not portrayed throughout the board. And what I’ve discovered is that once you relate the visitor suggestions into turning it into a straightforward social media content material technique, they begin to see that connection. So oftentimes, particularly on the property stage, once I’m speaking to particular person GMs they usually’re weary they usually don’t know the best way to get began, I leverage their visitor opinions. So, you understand, your actually optimistic suggestions that highlights all the pieces nice about your resort, the facilities your visitor actually love, that’s a straightforward property function put up for positive. You realize, write one thing about your shuttle or your complimentary breakfast or regardless of the great point that retains being highlighted. In case you are seeing some gaps, service gaps, whether or not it’s issues a couple of particular coverage otherwise you had a shuttle however you don’t know the place to seek out it in these opinions, that’s an amazing alternative to do an data share an replace on social media the place you’re sharing, Hey, that is your pickup location in your shuttle, or these are the occasions. I’d say a extremely nice instance is parking. We get numerous opinions that point out parking. Generally it’s about, oh, the storage is complicated. I don’t know the place to seek out the storage. Particularly when you’re in a downtown market. A easy video of simply driving down the road, displaying the place the doorway to your parking storage is, may do rather a lot so far as like educating and having that transparency to perspective company.
Cassady Quintana:I feel it’s attention-grabbing ’trigger you talked about earlier about these hoteliers eager to be good on social media, feeling like they should have the correct shot. They, they don’t have an expert digital camera, however such as you mentioned, social media, it may be tremendous straightforward. Take the, take the video of driving to the storage or take a video of your breakfast unfold or present a sundown outdoors your pool along with your iPhone. We now have a number of the most wonderful cameras on our iPhone, and it doesn’t should be rocket science. Social media is all about authenticity, which we’ll, we’ll contact on slightly bit. So form of the place are you seeing out of your perspective, you understand, you’re speaking with a number of completely different sorts of accommodations. What’s the distinction between accommodations that appear very assured in what they’re doing on social media from people who is perhaps slightly bit caught or uninspired?
Aislynn Roberts:So I feel the principle factor that separates them is after they understand that their character issues on-line simply as a lot because it does in particular person. So particularly when you’re a property who persistently will get praised in your service and your workforce members and the eye that you just do. So that’s all their character that’s coming throughout the board after they’re head to head and interacting with these company, that very same character ought to mimic onto social media, proper? So once you assume outdoors the field, once you preserve your true character into your content material, you begin to see slightly bit extra success since you’re having enjoyable with it. And that’s what social media is. You don’t wanna be so polished that it turns into a secular process that you must do on a weekly, month-to-month foundation. It must be one thing that’s tremendous enjoyable, you assume outdoors the field, however preserve true to who you’re and showcasing an expertise. As a result of that uncapped storytelling that you’ve got with social media, having the ability to create this expertise and establish that, but in addition get folks to dream about it and eager to have that have is ideally the place you need your social technique to be.
Cassady Quintana:Yeah, completely. So form of in that very same lane, the place are you seeing these accommodations begin to overcomplicate issues on social?
Aislynn Roberts:Positively the concept it must be polished, like their web site. So, you understand, we work with numerous accommodations that don’t have the pictures. They don’t have an expert, photographer that’s gonna come out, or they solely have the pictures are on their web site. And people are nice photographs to have, however doesn’t should be polished. Such as you mentioned, it might be a mobile phone. You simply exit, take a photograph. I’m positive you’ve got workforce members. Each property has workforce members which have mobile phone or possibly you’ve needed to inform them, Hey, don’t be in your telephone a lot at work. It occurs, it occurs right here. So you understand, when that occurs, in the event that they, when you form of create this curiosity otherwise you’re like, Hey, when you’re strolling across the property in your break, or, when you’ve got a restaurant and the chef makes you one thing to eat for lunch, take a fast photograph of that dish. Use it in your social media content material. So it doesn’t essentially should be tremendous duper polished so as to have the ability to have success with it. However the extra content material, the extra picture and video you’ve got, the higher to maintain your toes recent and get folks to remain linked with you.
Cassady Quintana:Yeah, completely. After which form of on the flip facet of that, the place are you seeing accommodations underestimate, you understand, numerous the stuff you’re having to do is persuade these accommodations that social’s essential. A number of the person properties are usually not seeing it but. So what are you telling them that they’re underestimating of the potential they might have on social media?
Aislynn Roberts:Yeah, they’re positively underestimate the worth of it. So once you speak about social media, particularly when you’re , when you’re coping with possibly the income workforce or Director of Finance, for Suite Suite and the model groups, they’re all numbers primarily based. So that they count on, “Hey, we’re we’re doing a advertising technique, we now have this in place. What am I getting in return from it?” And I perceive it, I get it, however social media doesn’t function that manner. So that they’re actually underestimating the worth of the attain related to it versus the fee. So it’s not essentially about what I’m getting bodily in return for it, it’s the potential, the longevity. So you’ve got this capability to inform your story in a manner that no one else can inform it. No promoting marketing campaign that you just do can inform a narrative the way in which a social media content material technique can do. And it’s the power to essentially to attach with folks at each level within the traveler’s journey as a result of persons are on social media issues in several methods. For various causes at completely different occasions throughout their day. So it doesn’t matter what you put up, you’re focusing on everybody throughout that piece and through their journey.
Cassady Quintana:Yeah. And I feel it’s essential. You realize, we hear the ROI of social media on a regular basis, and that’s not normally a bodily quantity. You don’t, you don’t see that. Perhaps you see it via engagements and your followers and all and clicks and issues like that. However for me, I set it on my webinars earlier than, you understand, I went to a resort final 12 months in Mexico and I felt like I knew all people that labored there due to their social media. And that’s not one thing I actively advised them, however I used to be so snug there already due to the issues they had been posting on social media. So if we will get that message throughout and accommodations can inform their story and present their character, like that’s what issues most to those company on social media and that there isn’t any quantity that may present that clearly them returning is an indication that it’s working, nevertheless it’s, it’s laborious to provide these precise numbers. And, you understand, some folks consider in, some folks don’t. So we simply preserve preaching that very same message. However so when our workforce, once we begin to work with these properties and we’re speaking via their technique, possibly they’re ranging from zero or they’ve some kind of presence, how essential is creativity versus consistency?
Aislynn Roberts:Yeah. In order that’s a extremely nice query and an attention-grabbing subject as a result of you’ve got rather a lot, like once we speak about people who find themselves afraid of it, it’s that creativity. They don’t know the place to start out with it. They don’t know to go together with it. So, however once you take the idea of consistency and also you speak about, website positioning and like all of the stuff that’s going into social media now and the searchability of it, it’s actually what consistency that drives content material and drives efficiency. So I imply, when you, if you concentrate on it, you understand, lots of people get caught on, oh, virals the one factor that’s profitable. In the event you discuss to anybody that’s went viral, I assure you more often than not the reply is gonna be it was a fluke. Proper. You realize, they didn’t plan it. It’s not one thing that they knew what they had been doing, it’s simply, it’s one thing that resonated with lots of people and it took off. However they bought to that time as a result of they’d a constant lead into that they had been persistently posting. So when that, when that one viral second went out, then folks checked out their previous content material, determined, oh, this can be a cool web page. I’m gonna stick round and comply with together with it. So the idea is you want each. You positively want each. However consistency is what drives, and when you to form of peel it again even additional, we speak about sports activities, proper? We each like sports activities, proper? So consider your favourite sports activities workforce. You’ve been to some video games, proper?
Cassady Quintana:In fact.
Aislynn Roberts:Do you comply with them on social media?
Cassady Quintana:Sure. Proper.
Aislynn Roberts:So the expertise you see on social media is similar expertise you get on the sport. That’s what social media is about. You’re promoting an expertise. It’s not, I imply, you’re promoting your property, nevertheless it’s extra essential to promote the expertise {that a} traveler can have. To have that connection and have the ability to like, Hey, I can image myself right here. So when I’m on the town, whether or not it’s two months from now, six months from now, I’m gonna take into consideration that property once I’m planning my journey.
Cassady Quintana:I really like the sports activities analogy. I feel that’s a great way for folks to know. You realize, once we speak about resort, social media, it’s simpler to see it when you may evaluate it to different industries like a sporting occasion for instance. Or possibly you’re going to a music competition or any of these issues. They’re all experiences. Generally we consider accommodations as simply someplace to put my head at night time. In fact, on the finish of it, that’s an important factor of why somebody’s staying at a resort. But when you can also make the complete expertise one thing that they keep in mind, it’s extra than simply someplace they laid their head at night time. So, form of shifting gears slightly bit. You realize, we speak about authenticity on social media. Now we’re seeing an awesome quantity of AI form of content material. So how do you assume that is gonna play into resort methods as we transfer ahead?
Aislynn Roberts:Yeah, so I do assume there’s a correct, a great way to make use of ai. I feel there’s positively a use case the place AI does profit and may also help you a large number. However to your level, you understand, persons are positively craving authenticity to allow them to spot when it’s pretend actually, actually shortly. I imply, it’s throughout now in my feed the place it’s like, inform me your put up is AI with out telling me me, it’s ai. Proper? That’s a continuing factor. And each single put up has tons of of feedback on it as a result of folks can really feel it. They need the true stuff, they need the authenticity and the explanation they need that, it goes again to they’re attempting to have an expertise, proper? They need a real expertise of what’s they will do at your property, in your space, what they will go and see issues to do. So there, there’s a manner which you could leverage AI and give it some thought. Perhaps not do the entire thing ai ’trigger it’s spot in a position, proper? Individuals can see it. However take into consideration in case your GM and, you understand, you don’t have numerous pictures. You might have solely like your empty skilled pictures in your web site, that are nice in your web site, however take into consideration how one can take that, pop it into an AI picture editor, say, add two company checking into my property. And now you’ve got this nice foyer photograph with precise folks in it, which is a real expertise, proper? If I see that I’m gonna see the identical factor once I stroll in and it allows and furthers the attain and efficiency of that content material. ’trigger now persons are envisioning there. Identical factor for our pet pleasant accommodations. I work with numerous pet pleasant accommodations who love to advertise that, however little or no of them have photographs of precise pets of their property. And it’s one thing that I’ve at all times really useful. When you’ve got somebody coming in, ask them when you may take a photograph of their pet. And it’s nonetheless one of many final issues. However think about once more, throwing it into an AI picture instrument and also you simply say, add a pet on this visitor room, whether or not it’s on a praise pet mattress that you’ve got or it’s on the precise mattress in your room. And simply now me as a pet proprietor, I don’t have to fret about leaving my canine behind once I wish to go and keep as a result of I can see, oh she’ll be snug right here.
Cassady Quintana:I feel it’s gonna be essential as we proceed to go via this 12 months and we’re already seeing OTA integration with AI and Instagram and TikTok and having the ability to create your entire itinerary on Instagram to essentially deal with what the grey space of AI is on social media, proper? As a result of what you mentioned, the examples you gave are a good way to make use of AI to indicate an actual expertise that would occur. However when you’re utilizing AI to generate photographs that aren’t doable, issues that you just don’t have in your property, possibly you wanna broaden the how large your gymnasium is or what the gear you’ve got in your gymnasium is, that’s one thing we wanna keep away from. So it’s gonna be essential, and I’m positive each of us are gonna be watching this 12 months, how AI continues to evolve and the way social media platforms are evolving with it and what folks can put up and what, what works and what doesn’t work. So form of as we transfer into this 12 months, what do you assume these accommodations must be paying extra consideration to on social?
Aislynn Roberts:Interactions. So, and that’s truly, extra of a spotlight for social media too. Like they’re updating their algorithms to deal with attain and true actual interactions. In order that’s gonna be actually large, however not solely simply with social media additionally in particular person. So how are your company interacting along with your property, along with your employees, along with your facilities, what they’re utilizing probably the most. ’trigger that’s gonna be a straightforward method to develop and fill in your calendar for many of the 12 months. When you’ve got a set schedule of content material that, you understand, like I wanna cycle via health heart posts each month as a result of it’s a spotlight. We now have 5 peloton bikes or, or no matter gear that your company actually love about you, it makes it simpler to fill these small gaps along with your inventive moments. Yeah. So when you strategize in your constant proper off the bat and you understand, each occasionally I’m gonna do that and, and this, then these inventive moments are available and people small moments, however on-line interactions current slightly bit otherwise. So it’s feedback, it shares, likes, put up reactions, and in these moments you get interactions all through each piece of the traveler’s journey. So figuring out what they’re interacting with probably the most, is it a static put up? Is it a video? Is it an actual or a carousel picture? And that would change all year long and it could change 12 months over 12 months. So it actually simply relies on what vacationers are doing. However figuring out how they’re interacting with it, understanding that and having the ability to adapt to it’s gonna be key to have the ability to proceed to see efficiency, have success with it, and have the ability to promote your property the way in which you need.
Cassady Quintana:Yeah. And I feel it’s essential, and I do know our workforce right here at TMG is continually these reviews and seeing how issues are performing. So it’s essential for accommodations that is probably not working with us to set a reminder in your calendar. You realize, each month I’m gonna have a look again at our interplay, see what sort of content material was performing, what sort of content material could also be flopped and we gained’t do extra of that and we’ll do extra of this as a substitute. And taking note of these issues and taking note of after they’re interacting with it, particularly, you understand, we’re heading virtually into spring break season after which it’ll be summer season. And what content material is gonna resonate with these company at the moment is essential. So when you’re not looking at your interactions, you’re simply posting blindly, proper? You’re not, you’re not understanding what your company truly wish to see and what they’re having fun with to see. So that you personally, Aislynn what’s thrilling you most about the place resort social is headed?
Aislynn Roberts:There are rather a lot. So I do like that social is turning into the brand new search. And I’ve an train to problem all people that’s form of listening right here. However you understand, once you take into the truth that social is the brand new search, how they’re utilizing it, how the journey is turning into extra built-in due to the social search, you’ll have a greater thought of what technique to put in place. And all of us use social media. I don’t assume I’ve ever met anyone that doesn’t use social media in some method. So once you’re on social media, you’re, there’s many moments the place you’re simply scrolling aimless. It’s senseless, proper? You’re going via it, you’re simply going via, possibly it’s proper after work, you’re decompressing and also you’re simply scrolling via issues. Me, that’s reels. I scroll via a bunch of reels and if it, typically it’s a fast cross price, typically I watch the entire thing. Different occasions I’m looking with function and I’m scrolling with function ’trigger I’ve consideration behind it. Whether or not it’s, I wanna go to a brand new restaurant, so I’m gonna look them up, see what their menu gadgets are, or if I’m on the lookout for a resort and I wanna see what’s taking place there. So these are purposeful scrolls. I’m truly looking for one thing about it. So with that in thoughts, that’s a search engine instrument, proper? I’m purposely scrolling for one thing, attempt to discover issues. So one factor that I discover that’s tremendous enlightening once you form of have a look at that is when you do kind of like a spotlight group, ideally non hospitality folks. ’trigger as hospitality folks, we’re slightly bit extra in tune. So we’d go a sure manner with it. However you understand, when you do each and an integration of each, however your loved ones, your mates, ask them, let’s plan a visit to Denver, Colorado and discover out the place they begin. You’ll be shocked. I feel that the majority of them will begin on social media now, and it’s as a result of that senseless scrolling has created an algorithm for them that after they do Denver, Colorado, they’re gonna get movies of issues to do in Denver, the very best eating places in Denver, they’re going to get all these items. So now they’re like, okay, this is perhaps an attention-grabbing place. I wanna go right here. After which they go to seek for rooms, accommodations charges and now could be your property assembly the facilities that I require or the issues that I would like? After which it goes into, you’re transferring extra into that reserving. So only a enjoyable little train. I discover it tremendous enjoyable once I do it, you understand, whether or not the place they begin off and it’s simply displaying that social media is transferring into this extra body and it’s getting much more centered with search and journey planning.
Cassady Quintana:It’s not even getting simply extra centered on the platform itself, however we’re seeing, even on Google, there’s a tab on the high that now says quick type video, proper? So when you click on that, that’s social media movies. So we’re gonna see that proceed to evolve into Google and different precise search engines like google and yahoo. However I really like the time period “social is the brand new search”. I really feel like I’ve mentioned that 1,000,000 occasions and I preach it on our webinars on a regular basis. But it surely’s true. And it’s simply gonna proceed. Once more, like I discussed, these OTA integrations, having the ability to do all the pieces in a single platform. I’m positive as soon as we see the event of that, ultimately there’ll be a manner for accommodations so as to add their reserving proper into the platform too. And that’s thrilling, proper? That’s thrilling. And it’s thrilling which you could make it that straightforward and you’ll share the, your total expertise earlier than a visitor even stays with you. So these are the conversations I wanna proceed having with folks. However Aislynn, thanks a lot for becoming a member of me. I do know we’re gonna proceed to look at these traits and speak about these items all year long. However thanks for becoming a member of me on this primary episode. It’s been a blast.
Aislynn Roberts:Yeah, thanks for having me.
Cassady Quintana:And thanks all people for listening and we’ll see you subsequent time on the Social Success Podcast.
