At the intersection of hospitality social media campaigns and esteemed industry influencers, you'll find a select few social media users fraudulently touting tremendous influence over their too-good-to-be-true number of followers. The social media influencer industry is not going away anytime soon, so it's more important than ever to keep your brand safe and in the eyes of your target audiences. Marketers are finally talking about the issue of influencer fraud openly, to put these potential negative brand representatives on notice. A watchful eye for influencer red flags will help hotel brands search, recruit and manage influencers for a positive campaign. READ MORE

From things like being up to date on the latest job board or careers site, through finding the time to screen every qualified potential candidate, hiring can be a brutal experience. This is among the chief reasons that the recruiting industry came into being; recruiters can make things easier for hiring managers. But not all roles and situations merit the help of a seasoned hiring professional. In facat, there are a number of circumstances that travel tech and hotel leaders should consider before bringing on a recruiting partner. This article identifies when it is, and when it is not time for hiring help. READ MORE

For hotels, using Instagram is a win-win, it's free and the opportunity for engagement is endless – as long as you're using the platform in a compelling way. With over a billion active users, Instagram is quickly gaining steam as the social platform of choice, with much higher engagement over Facebook. Although smaller, the IG community is loyal and more active with brands. If you're new to Instagram, or just looking for a few tips to keep your content engaging, we've put together a quick guide of Dos and Don'ts to make your IG account a fan favorite. READ MORE

A growing number of brands and businesses are using social media to tell a more authentic story and to connect with consumers of all demographics. Social media marketing for businesses means more than just posting content on these platforms but its more around building trust and forming meaningful long-term relationships with their audiences. 2018 was an interesting year with several opportunities and saw the rapid growth of live and dynamic content across social channels. As 2019 kicks off we are going to see another year when social media use and adaption will grow and engagement between users will be key to drive the use of the platforms. Hotels can leverage this opportunity to connect with guests and deliver meaningful experiences which eventually will lead to better outcomes for their business. READ MORE

General Manager, Ryan Kunzer of The Duniway, a bold lifestyle hotel located in downtown Portland, OR, comments on the changing city that celebrates the independent and progressive spirit for which Portland is best known. His leadership at this uniquely modern property boldly sets the stage for conversations between urban cyclists, entrepreneurs, locals and travelers alike. Ryan shares his views on the maturing city and why visitors should stay at The Duniway to unwind and recharge when visiting the city for business or pleasure. READ MORE

Charting a path for growth is an enviable and exciting journey for any hospitality organization. It takes a bold, yet careful blend of vision, strategy and technical expertise in a wide variety of areas, including property identification, financing, human resources and organization building, and day-to-day hotel operations. Regardless, as in all successful business endeavors, this journey ultimately depends on the relationships of trust and mutual benefit, with everyone from investors and brand partners to our staff, that we cultivate and secure along the way. READ MORE

Creating original content is imperative in order for your brand to stand out; however, curated content is equally important. If it does not already, user generated content (more commonly referred to as UGC), should play an integral role in your social media content plan. User generated content is an essential part of content curation and easy to come across if you know where to look and how to encourage guest participation. Not sure where to start? Encouraging guests to share their stories is easy if your hotel team implements these three methods. READ MORE

Today, hotels are keenly positioned across social media to attract Generation Z and Millennials to drive new and incremental bookings to their property. This younger generation is highly influenced by social media when choosing their next weekend getaway or vacation. Hotels have to be part of the social conversation to drive revenues with these younger generations. The following article highlights opportunities for hotels to connect with these younger travelers by developing an overarching strategic approach, building break-through social content and aligning to an overarching measurement strategy. READ MORE

Like any other digital marketing discipline's strategy, social media advertising requires careful consideration of the buyer journey and purchase funnel. Building funnels within any advertising management platform can be less than intuitive and seem like a job meant only for digital savvy professionals. In this article, Screen Pilot Social Media Manager Arielle Rubenstein will walk through the high-level planning steps necessary to create a successful Facebook advertising funnel to get you started. From audience targeting to bridging the gap between brand awareness and retargeting to budget management, these five steps will optimize Facebook advertising strategy to fit any goal - for any hotel marketing team. READ MORE

Looking to solve the social media puzzle, but don't know where to start? Mimicking or copying other Instagram or Facebook accounts that have lots of followers is not going to give your property the results you're looking for. To see real social media success, create a plan tailored to your property or hospitality business by Finding Your Why. Define the unique social media why that inspires people to follow you and keeps them coming back for more. Learn how to define your why and how to use gamification, user-generated content and hashtags to reinforce it across the social media realm - growing your followers and engagement, and driving more customers your way in the process. READ MORE

Reputation used to be word of mouth, recommendations and built over years of hard work and professional behavior. Today, thanks (or not) to social media, reputation can be built in very short time (see ''influencers'') and destroyed as quickly. Needless to say that your online behavior is as important as your public one. Ensure you follow these basic rules to not fall in the sea of sameness. I am not an expert, and neither I want to be, but I want to share what helped me become a trusted and respected hotelier. READ MORE

Mobile labor management tools promise hotel managers the ability to schedule staff and monitor performance in real time, on the go, while providing the open communication channels that are crucial to keeping a millennial workforce motivated. This article takes the real-life example of a leading hotel management company that is using mobile across its properties and includes interviews with several of its managers to see if-and how-going mobile has impacted their ability to manage and engage staff. READ MORE

The advent and dramatic improvement of internet connectivity gave way to a plethora of new businesses and forever changed the way existing businesses and their customers connect. Smartphones have since given way to a new group of businesses and, in many cases, allowed for even deeper and more seamless connections between businesses and customers. As the technologies continue to improve and open platforms allow for consistent innovation by numerous companies, all industries are embracing these changes and continually looking for new ways to leverage them to improve their customer experience. READ MORE

The intelligent use of 'big data' is essential to any growing business. The way data is analyzed and leveraged is unique to each operation. Big data refers to informational data sets that identify patterns, trends, and can be used as an element for operational predictions and forecasts. It is made up of volume, velocity and variety. Volume is the abundance of data. Velocity is the continuous accumulation of data. Variety is the combination of data sources that often reveal 'I didn't know that' moments when merged in analysis. Most hotels use big data to optimize how they market to and engage guests. However, forward looking hotel operators also use data analytics to create more efficient and profitable businesses. READ MORE

The way travelers are taking vacations has changed. Expectations are higher. Travelers want a worry-free vacation with personality. It is all about the experiences and maybe more importantly how those experiences translate to an emotional connection. The story, the people, the adventure is as important as, maybe even more important than, the physical deliverable. The team at Margaritaville Hollywood Beach Resort's mission is to deliver Fun and Escapism to our guests. We provide something unique and somewhat intangible and that ultimately differentiates and makes us successful. We take tremendous pride in knowing that our guests return again and again to the Resort because of this emotional connection. READ MORE