The first step to social success is figuring out where to be, and even more importantly, why. Social media can be overwhelming at first. There are many different platforms organizations can use to deliver their message to the public. From Facebook to Twitter, Instagram to Pinterest, professional networks such as LinkedIn to video-orientated channels such Periscope, Vine, and YouTube - there are endless opportunities out there for businesses to interact with their consumers (and that is without diving into extremely specific niche oriented channels). READ MORE

In the past six years, social media has exploded on the hotel scene, creating an opportunity for many hoteliers to not only engage guests, but measure effectiveness. When Twitter became a household name in 2009, most business owners thought social media was a fad and hotels didn't take it seriously as a platform to communicate with guests. Since then, social media continues to evolve and new networks are introduced that affect the way we deliver news, communicate with guests, promote specials, and manage critics. Learn what is new, how you might incorporate it, and the opportunity you have to measure effectiveness. READ MORE

As the use of social media becomes more pervasive, its impact on businesses becomes more significant. Digital conversations about your hotel are taking place all the time, and if you're not engaging in that dialogue, it's a huge missed opportunity to strengthen your relationship with consumers. By taking advantage of social media interactions, you learn more about your customers and their experiences with your company. Furthermore, you can leverage that information to enhance your operations, create new sources of value for your guests, and influence perceptions about your brand in the global marketplace—ultimately increasing your bottom line. READ MORE

More and more guests post reviews online, tweet about their experience or post photos about their idyllic holiday getaways. This trend is gaining considerable momentum and many potential hotel guests place a lot of importance on these online opinions and will often make their decisions on which hotel to book based on these recommendations. Hotels can see this as an opportunity to boost their online presence, their brand awareness and grow their online community of fans. What tools can hotels use to encourage guests to post positive online reviews, tweets and photos? How can they increase customer loyalty and see their guests as their best marketers? READ MORE

Social media has become a primary channel for hotels to market their brand and for guests to share experiences, thus controlling and shaping the reputations of hotels large and small every day. In a crisis, social media can be a critical tool for keeping your customer base informed, but also for monitoring potentially damaging opinions and finding a resolution. Social media can help with real-time, responsive communications, understanding followers' concerns and swiftly allaying them with direct and transparent messaging. READ MORE

What a difference a year made in hospitality technology. For Americans, Chip-and-PIN/EMV appears to be the new Y2K - those who prepared are feeling terribly anti-climactic, and those who ostriched, so far, haven't felt much pain. It did, however, provide more widespread awareness of the need for credit card tokenization, and data security in general. People who previously hadn't moved to the cloud out of fear of losing data security, now started doing so to actually increase it. READ MORE

Hotel guest satisfaction has hit a record high, according to the J.D. Power 2015 North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index Study. But we can never become too comfortable. Continuing to grow satisfaction levels will give your property a distinct advantage over others. And, while embracing the latest technology trends offers new opportunities to improve guest satisfaction, it also presents a few challenges. Guests are accustomed to a very mobile world and have more ways than ever to select where they will stay. The manner in which guests assess, select and experience their lodging is changing almost as quickly as technology is advancing. What technologies are you leveraging to serve your guests? READ MORE

Social media influencers are changing the way hotels and hotel brands are promoting themselves in the digital era. In years past, hoteliers could simply consult a short list of available options to promote their products through paid advertising media. Moving beyond the local newspaper, a GDS terminal sign-in message could offer a “point of sale” purchase that directly targeted travel influencers. At the same time, paid consumer advertising meant print space in Conde Nast Traveler or The New York Times travel section. Advertisers could tally the number of impressions the publication declared through the Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) that supported their advertising line rates. READ MORE

In 1888, George Eastman introduced the world to the first Kodak camera. Eastman's patented box and roll camera revolutionized photography by providing individuals the ability to capture everyday moments with relative ease. Fast forward to 2010, when Mike Krieger and Kevin Systrom co-founded the modern version of the Kodak camera - Instagram. Within a week of launching, the app drew in 100,000 users. Two years later, Krieger and Systrom sold it to Facebook for $1 billion. READ MORE

Nearly half of US consumers use social media to get customer service and 1/3 would rather use social media than make a phone call. Those numbers are likely to keep growing. If you handle social media queries right, you can grow your base of potential customers and strengthen relationships with existing ones. On the other hand, if you handle it badly, your mishandling can ricochet around the world in an instant. So how the heck should you manage this beautiful but dangerous wild animal we call social media customer service? This article takes you through the basics of what you need to know. READ MORE

Word of mouth is nothing new. Consumers have always shared their opinions with their family and friends. Brands, on the other hand, have always known that word-of-mouth has a powerful influence on business results, as consumers trust friends over advertising. With the rise of social media on the Internet, consumers can now share their opinions with a much larger audience, amplifying its impact and multiplying it by 100x or more. The rise of Social Media has brought massive changes to the hospitality industry, as we are witnessing the emergence of an empowered consumer that makes decisions based on other user's opinions. READ MORE

Customer experience management is increasingly critical as a top investment area and skill essential for C-suite executives (some firms even have a CXO). What does that mean exactly and what do leaders need to do to ensure they are ready? How will they proactively acquire these skills and mindset when there is no single or even clear roadmap as to exactly what to do or how to do it? On top of that, the new science of customer emotions is inspiring even more considerations and most CEO's don't like to 'get emotional' about their business strategies! Some are finding their way in the dark. Yet, more and more evidence shows the direct relationship of emotional intelligence as part of the customer experience strategy. It's time to figure it out! READ MORE

Multicultural beverage marketing can be a difficult segment to break into — particularly for the travel and entertainment industries. Fortunately, there's a special on tap. According to a recent Pew Research report, Asian-Americans are the fastest-growing segment of the marketplace. Since the 1965 Immigration and Nationality Act, 51 percent of new immigrants have come from Latin America and a quarter from Asia. Asian-Americans are projected to eventually overtake the size and importance of the Hispanic market. READ MORE

As the Dean in a college program with many international students, I speak firsthand about how these students enrich the college culture. Their unique perspectives and backgrounds help create a special atmosphere in classes. Relishing this richness, I have written this article to encourage hotels and other companies to consider hiring an international student through Optional Practical Training (OPT) to realize some of these same benefits. OPT is a period during which students with F-1 status who have completed or have been pursuing their degrees are permitted to work for one year towards gaining practical training to complement their field of studies. OPT is an easy, cost-effective method for hoteliers to hire international students. READ MORE

With more than 600 million Tweets sent daily, it's likely your next customer is on Twitter. The challenge for companies is making their Tweets stand out and building their business by capturing a greater share of the growing market using Twitter. An effective Tweet can boost business by creating the highest engagement with followers, while building a devoted fan base. And while what you say and how you construct a Tweet is important, building an effective Twitter program sets the stage for those all-important 140 characters or less communication. In this article I'll address ways to create an engaging presence on Twitter, as well as give you tips to make every Tweet count. READ MORE