Tech Talk

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With Guests Checking Back In, Hoteliers Look to Take Next Step With New Tech
Posted: 03/07/2023

Business travel is picking back up and families may be taking their first or second real vacations since the pandemic cancelled so many plans just a few years ago. To ensure that guests have the best on-site experience possible, hoteliers are increasingly looking to new technologies to make their stay more comfortable than ever. With an advanced property management systems (PMS) and integration platforms, hoteliers can increase operational and staff efficiency, but also meet changing guest expectations for a high-value but relatively low-touch experience. We looked ahead to see what changes we expect to see sweeping the hospitality industry this year.

Long-term readers of this blog know that I rarely focus on a single company or product. My goal is to help readers understand new and emerging technologies, when and why they might be useful, and what to consider if you are buying them.

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The Future of Hotels
Posted: 02/21/2023

Hotels have always been a high-touch low-tech business. Today, and into the foreseeable future, hotels are moving away from the pure ‘people serving people’ model towards a more high-tech low-touch business, and doubling down on digitalization. In the paragraphs below, I envision ways in which tech can innovate and enhance the guest experience throughout the guests’ 6 stage hotel journey: Imagine-Book-Stay-Report-Recommend-Return.

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Definitely Doug 2/10/23: Planning for June
Posted: 02/10/2023

The question I have heard most often in recent months is “where are you going in the last week of June?”. As most readers are aware, two trade shows featuring hotel technology are scheduled during the same dates that week. Many of you are still undecided which to attend. Knowing that your decision will be based at least in part on where others are going (hoteliers and exhibitors both), I decided to try to get some real data that I could share.

The Shiji Distribution Solutions team provided the research on available partners, vendors, and technology, however, for obvious reasons, the chart doesn’t contain every single solution and partner available.

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More Than Just a Like: Engagement Focused on Real Stories

06/15/2020

by Erika Wuelfrath

The introduction of Instagram Stories and their real-time, ephemeral content has significantly altered the course of our social media experience, especially for the hospitality industry. Since its launch, Instagram Stories have become an integral tool for content discovery, a sense of welcome and comfort, platform engagement and deeper storytelling. With more than 500 million daily active users, Instagram Stories continue to draw in more brands, hungry consumers, and content creators.

However, throughout 2019, there was a significant outcry among influencers, creators and brands, with public frustrations about a noticeable drop in organic engagement. Reaching out to potential guests with simple posts has become a stagnant effort. With Instagram at the highest user base it’s ever seen, how could this be?

There are many factors at play:

More users. More content. A larger user base means more content than ever at the tips of our fingers at any moment.
Hashtag discovery. Hashtag usage plays a lesser role in content discovery, and with a rise in social direct messages, sharing and content discovery through hashtags has declined.
Passive content consumption. From mindless scrolling to more direct messaging capabilities, thoughtful account growth and meaningful engagements are coming from direct sharing and content interactions, has increased with group chat functions.
Algorithm shifts. With no official way to understand the Instagram algorithm, users can only rely on their posting insights to better (potentially) reach their followers with a grid post. Stories and direct messages are a work-around to help increase visibility and true engagement.
Stories, stories, stories. With Instagram Stories the most-used feature on Instagram, we’re seeing a larger shift with users viewing the latest stories before they scroll through the conventional feed.

Beyond the sheer volume of content and platform updates on Instagram, 2020 will likely be a year fueled by politically-charged social conversations with a larger push for monetization and paid advertising. As we enter an election year, there’s no doubt all social media advertising space will become more competitive. With this, content prioritization will focus on ad accounts utilizing new ad types and social content with paid media support, which isn’t the best news for those customer service-focused organizations with lean media budgets or accounts reliant on organic content for reach and engagements.

This gradual rise of pay-to-play on social media is no surprise to the hostel industry’s marketing managers or advertising agencies, but with organic reach and engagement at an all-time low for Instagram, this noticeable shift is causing many social media professionals and marketers to reevaluate current strategies. The reliance on “simple” engagement including likes, comments and shares won’t be going away, given that agencies, clients, and social media creators have attributed value to this method for years. And, not without good reason, as even minimal interaction means someone saw and connected with the content.

That said, quality engagements are a much better collective measure of impact and potential influence than quantity alone. Numerous comments are nice but are they thoughtful? Relevant? Are they from genuinely engaged fans commenting on the post, or are the comments random, in another language or bot-generated? Meaningful engagements matter more and hospitality brands must ensure that’s what the content generates.

Look for opportunities beyond curated feeds, through a new and refreshed social lens. If your organization leans on the ordinary and “safe” approach to social media, you will just be that to your consumers. To be extraordinary you need to be different. That doesn’t mean throwing best practices out the window, but alternative posts, playing with style, tactics, colors and voice, are positive ways to branch out, without causing a disconnect among potential guests.

Instagram Stories allow brands to take up more space, be seen and heard, and establish meaningful connections with their audiences. The only downside: it takes more time, effort and frequency to do so, compared to a simple grid post.

After deeming 2019 as the “year of authenticity,” 2020 is sure to be the year where Instagram users will be more real than ever. Through a storm of politically charged social conversation and a sea of brands and creators pushing to be something for everyone, it's time to start thinking about the future of Instagram marketing and how to properly join the movement of social storytelling to entice guests and improve the travel experience. Success in 2020 will go well beyond likes and clicks. Success in 2020 means sharing real stories that resonate with real people.

About The Author

Erika Wuelfrath
Social Media Strategist
Sparkloft Media

Erika is a goal-oriented, driven social media professional with a passion for digital storytelling, account services, content strategy and curating the perfect Spotify playlist. After nearly six years in social media and digital marketing, she's eager to create meaningful work that leaves a lasting impact on brand social media accounts.

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