In today's interconnected world of marketing, social media remains a growing area for businesses to attract new customers on various platforms to grow their brand. Now companies in every industry are integrating Influencer Marketing within their campaigns as a new way to reach audiences on various platforms. As this practice evolves, there are various best practices that should be followed when executing an Influencer Marketing campaign such as picking the right platform and being aware of what metrics are crucial to monitor. This article will take you through the foundational do's and don'ts when it comes to working with an influencer to promote your business. READ MORE

Hoteliers must be plugged into social media 24/7 to know what's happening and be ready to provide meaningful and helpful posts when there's a crisis. Just as anyone with a social media account can post bad news, the same technology can enable organizations to defend themselves and share information that may help mitigate a crisis. Comprehensive social listening can help organizations gain insights about issues before they escalate into a crisis, provide advance warning that a crisis is brewing, help identify problem issues and provide enough information to develop a strategy to address them. READ MORE

Social media has opened up wonderful new opportunities for hoteliers, but has also exposed them to a range of new risks. Our reputations are closely linked to guest reviews, and our style of engagement affects how the public see our properties. Avenues for advertising have taken new shapes with the rise of social media influencers, while the forward march of technology and service trends is never-ending. It wouldn't be smart to plug your ears and ignore it all (as there is a lot of leverage to be gained through social media) but at what point does the noise become deafening? At one point should a hotel ignore the growing buzz and be loyal to its own identity? READ MORE

New and, sometimes, complex technologies are impacting almost every area of hotel operations and management, from the C-suite to frontline staff to guests. Their adept use can improve operational efficiencies, enhance the guest experience and boost the bottom line. However, there is a lot to choose from with new concepts and technology solutions appearing, it seems, daily. The successful implementation of these new technologies relies on a smart approach to their identification, assessment and purchase. READ MORE

You pay close attention to what your hotel looks like. You listen to what your staff has to say. You encourage – and respond to – guest feedback. When was the last time you listened to your hotel? What does your hotel sound like? Listen up for ways to engage the most underutilized of the senses in the hotel industry, sound. When you focus on the music in your hotel you won't just get the reward of sweet sounds, you'll also like the result of its impact on guest satisfaction, brand loyalty and how that all looks on the bottom line. READ MORE

"What happens in Vegas Stays in Vegas" may help save relationships, jobs and reputations by hiding mistakes made by visitors to Sin City. It does little to protect the global hospitality industry from repeating the same mistakes made by hotel properties. Las Vegas-based Forte Specialty Contractors CEO Scott Acton takes a look at the design successes and failures in a city where hospitality properties are punished by high-energy, high-occupancy conditions that accelerate wear and tear and provide quicker assessment of design decisions. This article shares what Forte has learned in this hospitality-design laboratory and shares best practices with the industry. READ MORE

Is an automated external defibrillator (AED) on the guest list at your hotel? Currently, there is no federal mandate requiring hotels to have AEDs. However, a recent Harris Poll found that 69 percent of Americans believe hotels should have an AED installed. In the U.S., there are 350,000 out-of-hospital sudden cardiac arrests (SCA) each year, and 90 percent of out-of-hospital SCA events are fatal. AEDs, however, greatly improve a person's chance of survival. This article explains the need for AEDs and includes steps for implementing an AED program at your property. It could help you earn more business and more importantly, potentially save a life. READ MORE

Launching a new social media channel can be daunting. Whether debuting a brand new property, renovating an outlet or seeking to expand existing hotel channels; it is important to develop a strong brand voice, leverage influencers, curate content and consistently engage with users. Guests follow the property social media handles to learn more, engage with the property, and share their experiences with friends and family. Developing and maintaining strong social media channels are a critical part of brand reputation and guest engagement. READ MORE

Twitter is just like the new world of online dating. You need to swipe right on (signal affinity for) many potential suitors to match with just one normal person. And getting a match is only the start. You still need to spark a conversation and tailor it to the interests they've indicated on their profile. Careful though! If you take too long to answer, they may lose interest. Or worse-inundate you with angry follow up messages for "ghosting" them. READ MORE

For the past several years working with influencers has been a cost-effective tool for brands, including hotels and resorts, to reach target markets. But as an influencer's follower count gets higher and higher, so too does their partnership fee. A better option now is micro-influencers and nano-influencers. They allow brands to significantly narrow down targets without a very large fee. And, with precision targeting, help brands reach new markets. In the article, we will take a look at three ways KWE Partners helped client Grand Velas reach new markets without increasing their budget. READ MORE

Personalization and "people relations" have become a priority for businesses and especially hotels to succeed today. As always, relationship-building has been the key to sales and marketing successes across all industries. Businesses that proactively invest in their relationships with a human-touch, reap the best return on their investments, says Mia Schipani, President of Schipani PR, a boutique public relations agency specializing in hospitality. READ MORE

This research examines consumer reactions to types of consumer reviews and finds that when a satisfaction guarantee is not provided, the most favorable evaluations belong to positive reviews, followed by mixed reviews, and then negative reviews. With a satisfaction guarantee, consumers react the most favorably to mixed reviews and have similar evaluations of positive and negative reviews. Furthermore, this research concludes that uncertainty intolerance (i.e., the need for cognitive closure) enhances the evaluations of positive and negative reviews but lowers the evaluations of mixed reviews. Nonetheless, with a satisfaction guarantee, consumers' uncertainty intolerance enhances also the evaluations of mixed reviews. READ MORE

This year, the All Suites brands by Hilton, comprised of Embassy Suites by Hilton, Homewood Suites by Hilton and Home2 Suites by Hilton, opened their 1,000th property, reaching a major milestone in the brands' explosive growth. Global Head and Senior Vice President of the All Suites Brands by Hilton Dianna Vaughan lends her insight on how the brands work closely with their owners to drive strong demand for the brand, leading to industry-leading growth in the U.S., Canada, Caribbean and Latin America. READ MORE

The Lodging industry in all price categories is going through a period of disruption, with huge forces at play. New technologies, mergers, acquisitions, online competition, Airbnb, new travel behaviours, new types of travelers: these are not small adjustments to an ecosystem. In the midst of that chaos it's valuable to step back and ask our consumers, directly, what they value, want, need and expect. And that's where the 75,000 surveys in the Valuegraphics Database come in. We've done that work of asking hotel guests those questions for you. READ MORE

Traditional media - remember them? In the rush to embrace social media, plenty of hotel and resort sales, marketing and PR executives have lost sight of the onetime mainstays of influence but they are missing out on grand opportunities to get their messages out. Traditional media have almost become a secret weapon among savvy marketers - the power is there if you know how to harness it. That's what this article is about: Integrating traditional media into a full throttle campaign that hits all the 21st-century buttons - and a few now neglected 20th-century ones too! READ MORE