User-generated content (UGC) has become a powerful component of any brand's presence and can be especially useful for hotels and hospitality businesses to supercharge their marketing efforts.
UGC helps to build assurance and trust.
In a world full of countless marketing messages and digital noise, potential customers are left forever searching for authentic, genuine recommendations before committing to any kind of purchase, and that’s especially true when it comes to booking a hotel room.
In fact, according to a recent survey, 80% of respondents read at least 6-12 reviews before making a decision, because after all, people trust people. And that’s where user-generated content comes in.
By displaying authentic user-generated content, such as reviews, social media posts and testimonials, hotels can build trust and credibility like never before, highlighting everything great about your property from the eyes of an actual real guest!
Naturally, it's understood that the appearance of your property and its facilities often differs from the well-staged and professionally photographed images showcased on your website. User-generated content can help show what it’s like day to day and allows potential guests to realistically imagine themselves staying at your hotel.
How to get UGC
To harness the power of UGC, it’s important to encourage your guests to share their experiences and visits to your property at regular touchpoints during and after their stay.
This can be encouraged in several ways, we’ve listed a few ideas below:
A personal note in their room (potentially offering something in return, such as a free drink)
A generic social media post
A competition (share a photo of your stay and win something)
A post-stay email (you could offer them a discount on their next stay)
Guests will need a gentle nudge in the right direction to get the content flowing, and usually offering something in return will yield better results.
You could also use branded hashtags - these are an excellent way to encourage social sharing! Display your hashtags throughout your hotel, including in-room materials and on any available signage. It's also important to make sure you’re using them on your social media too!
One thing that works extremely well, especially in hospitality businesses, is to create a space where people will want to take photos and share them online. It’s important to think out of the box here! We’ve seen bathtubs filled with ball-pit balls, spectacular flower arches, framed backdrops and so much more. Just make sure there’s some sneaky branding visible.
Just remember, by making it as easy as possible for guests to join the conversation, you’ll cut out any pain points and see a surge in engagements and content.
Using your content
Now you’ve collected some valuable content, it’s time to utilise them across all of your marketing channels.
One of the best places to start is by including a dedicated UGC gallery on your website where guests' photos can be displayed, it's then easily accessible for potential guests to find and browse at their leisure.
You can then build this content into your social media strategy and regularly showcase these on all of your social channels. We’d recommend sharing them on a regular basis to keep building engagement.
Additionally, you can integrate them into any of your regular email campaigns, for example, a banner at the bottom featuring some user-generated imagery or reviews.
Just remember, it’s important to keep consistency and to tell that authentic story at each customer touch point.
Don’t just stop at simply showcasing your user-generated content and forgetting about it! By using it to nurture a sense of community, you’ll foster loyalty, turning guests into lifelong advocates for your hotel and keep them coming back time and time again.
Examples
Back in 2014, Hilton ran a campaign called ‘Our Stage, Your Story’ encouraging their social community to ‘share the best moments of their favourite travel stories’.
This campaign generated almost 20 million social impressions and was mentioned over 5.5 thousand times on Instagram and Twitter.
Lowes Hotels also utilise user-generated content well, in a prominent position on their homepage, you’ll find an Instagram feed packed with user-generated photos that showcase their hotel perfectly!
Conclusion
It’s clear to see that user-generated content can be a powerful tool for hotels and hospitality businesses to supercharge their marketing efforts!
In a world full of information overload, UGC plays a vital role in building trust and credibility and can be such a powerful marketing tool not only from a conversion point of view but for brand building too.
Embracing UGC can undoubtedly elevate your hotel's marketing strategy and help it stand out in a crowded marketplace!