CURRENT TRENDS IN HOSPITALITY

SOCIAL MEDIA IN HOSPITALITY

According to Davis et al. (2010) social media is so available to anyone with an internet connection, hospitality industry uses it to interact and share information with other user. Social media platforms like Face book, twitter, YouTube and LinkedIn are replacing conventional forms of internet communication like emails (Miletsky, 2010).

Hospitality industry use social media to market themselves interact with customers before, during stay and after the vacation. Wendy, L. (2010) stated that the adoption of social media such as twitter, face book and LinkedIn has opened up variety of avenue and opportunities to hospitality; it is great tool for increasing customer satisfaction and to attract new business.

Twitter and Face book (Davis et al. 2010) are used as word of mouth marketing machines, happy customer will want to return to the hotel after enjoying first class services, but they will also share their experience with others (friends and family), customers will clamor to praises on social media and it will be the best free marketing for the business.

LinkedIn is a professional networking tool site for business mind to track customer’s contacts. The fact that customer relationship management can relate to customer directly and access their social media date this will allow them to communicate with guest early in the booking process that provide with an excellent chance to market services and ensure that the booking do not change (Miletsky, 2010). 

YouTube function as a public relations tool since its video sharing website. The industry use YouTube to promote and communicate with customers and attract new customers by providing high definition video and upload them on YouTube. Videos could be an event about the company demonstrating or introducing new lunched product. Once video are uploaded it will reach mass number of people, the attention of using YouTube is to attract people to the business (Miletsky, 2010). 

Wendy, L. (2010) emphasis that it is important for hospitality to be engaged in any of the social media of the social media activity, if not engaged it means they are missing out huge opportunities in digital market. The industry has to be involved and engaged with by participating in online discussion, hospitality forum and review commentary to increase awareness and build relationship with new and loyal customers.

REFERENCE

Davis, B., Wood, A.L., & Stone,S. (1998). Food and Beverage Management 3^rd Edn. Oxford: Heinemann

Miletsky, J. (2010). Principles of Internet Marketing: New Tools and Methods for Web

Developers. Course Technology, Cengage Learning.

Wendy, L. (2010). "The Effects of social media networks in the hospitality industry" UNLV Theses/Dissertations/Professional Papers/Capstones. Paper 693. (Accessed 19 March 2014)