1/26/2021 Social media in 2021: The new MVP for hospitality | PhocusWire

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Social media in 2021: The newMVP for hospitality

Social media has become a lifeline during the pandemic, with people turning to their devices forconnections with far-�ung family, friends and colleagues. 

The COVID-19-related social stats (https://www.emarketer.com/topics/category/coronavirus) arestaggering: a 10% jump since the start of 2020, over half the world(https://www.slideshare.net/DataReportal/digital-2020-july-global-statshot-report-july-2020-v01?ref=https://s3-ap-southeast-1.amazonaws.com/) is now active on social media.

That’s four billion people, spending an average of 15% of their daily time browsing social. In WesternEurope, Instagram’s monthly user count tripled the pre-pandemic estimates(https://www.emarketer.com/content/instagram-s-growth-western-europe-will-more-than-3-times-higher-than-our-pre-pandemic-estimate), propelling that platform to over one billion users

Brought to you by BCV (https://www.bcvsocial.com/)

By Mark Skroch - BCV | December 28, 2020

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for the �rst time (https://www.statista.com/statistics/272014/global-social-networks-ranked-by-number-of-users/). Similar trends were seen across other platforms, such as Facebook, Snapchatand TikTok, which all registered massive spikes in usage.

Surging social media use is a bright spot for brands looking to engage with consumers while stuck athome. The pandemic has accelerated the shift to digital, resulting in a 61.7% jump in North Americanadvertising spend on social media during Q3 2020.

At BCV, where we execute global social media strategies for hospitality brands, we've seen the surge�rsthand. The average number of incoming messages across all of our partners was up 31.2%between June and September 2020 versus the same timeframe in 2019. 

So how will this all play out in 2021? Social media will remain a powerful communications and brandmarketing tool. With social at the center of consumer engagement, it’s time to prepare for the yearahead. Here's what you need to know to stay on top of the social game in 2021!

1. Wellness in focus2020 was a challenging year not just economically but also mentally, physically and spiritually. Thishas taken its toll, leading to a heightened focus on wellness. Travelers are already researchingwellness-related experiences that restore and rejuvenate. Terms such as "immersive,", "mindful travel,""sensory" and "local" are currently trending, as travelers look for hotels to offer more wellness options.

Travelers don’t yet feel comfortable receiving indoor or direct therapy treatments and are seekingopportunities to recharge and restore through alternative amenities offered by resorts. On-propertywellness offerings that connect guests with nature in a socially-distanced way, such as open-air yogaor sound baths, have priority in planning and purchase decisions.

In mid-2021, as vaccines go mainstream, travelers will then turn to spa treatments and other indoorwellness experiences. 

ACTION: Emphasize your property’s wellness opportunities, such as immersion in nature, creative spapackages, and locally-sourced, immunity-boosting healthful options at your on-site F&B outlets.

2. Socially conscious, cause-driven contentAudiences are driven to engage with brands that value social impact, whether directly through theirproduct or via a relevant cause. This is especially true among millennials, a demographic that’s primedto travel the most in the coming year: 75% expect brands(https://www.emarketer.com/content/younger-generations-expect-brands-take-stance-on-social-issues) to take a stance on the social issues that matter most to them. Brands that can speak about

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these issues authentically - and help guests make a difference - will have a leg-up in 2021. 

Also, sustainability and environmentalism are key. The pandemic triggered a worldwide conversationabout regenerative tourism, which puts local preservation ahead of economic imperatives.

Many destinations plan to reopen their tourism economies in ways that don't sacri�ce the well-beingof the environment or local citizens.  This theme is a high-impact, high visibility opportunity in the yearahead.

ACTION: Find opportunities to showcase your property’s authentic commitment to sustainability, aswell as your involvement with local communities. 

3. Brand personi�cationPeople want to relate to brands in a more personal, human way. They crave the types of deeperconnections that have been sorely lacking in 2020. To establish and strengthen these connections,make sure that your brand voice is authentic and real. You want to humanize the brand so that it feelstangible and relatable rather than remote and distant. 

It's this type of warmth and congeniality that makes an impression in the pandemic-weary consumer.There's little appetite (or patience) for fake brands  keeping consumers at arm's length.

In 2021, humanize your brand with transparency and authenticity to develop deeper, more authenticconnections with your most important audiences.

ACTION: Make sure that your brand voice documentation is current and distributed broadly so thatyour communications align across channels.

4. Diversity and inclusionConsumers want to see their own values re�ected in your brand’s content. Visibility and awarenessinto racism, sexism and systemic inequalities is at an all-time high. To thoughtfully integrate diversityand inclusivity across your marketing, include a diverse array of voices and communities. 

Start conversations with employees, clients and customers, as well as other stakeholders, that candeliver a more meaningful and long-term effort at  improving diversity and inclusion. 

ACTION: Make an effort to infuse your content with diversity. While planning your content, organizeyour photo shoots to make sure that there's accurate representation of the communities you serve.

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5. Celebration-centric travelFollowing the postponement of life events and seasonal traditions, people are eager to celebratethose milestones missed in 2020. Travelers are looking to plan birthday getaways, anniversary trips,wedding celebrations, honeymoons, family reunions and religious observations.

Those plans are already underway,  with Travelers turning to social media for ideas.  

It's important to participate in this conversation from the get-go, so your brand is on the shortlist forbooking in 2021. Those brands that stay relevant today by offering travel dreams for the pandemic-weary will over-perform in the next year. 

ACTION: Highlight the opportunity to celebrate those missed milestones by providing trip ideas andeven special discounts for those delayed celebrations.

6. AR/VR maturesAs consumers spend more time at home and online, they have consistently turned to immersivevirtual experiences for escapism and exploration. This comes as mobile devices becomesophisticated powerhouses, able to deliver augmented reality experiences more easily.

Guests and event planners want to wander the halls of a hotel, visit guest rooms and experience theproperty virtually prior to booking. 

Tapping into this trend and placing "taster content" can generate a�nity and create genuineconnections.

Augmented reality/virtual reality content makes for compelling marketing centerpieces, with 360-degree videos immersing travelers in virtual experiences with your brand, such as unique onsiteexperiences like �y �shing or highlighting standout team expertise in a wellness instructor-ledmediation.

ACTION: When refreshing your content in 2021, invest in new types of content that give potentialguests an interactive way to explore your property. 

7. Social commerceWith social commerce, social media becomes an integral part of the buying experience. In-appshopping tools and capabilities will continue to evolve as consumers turn to social as their new go-tomarketplace. This includes reviews from friends, as well as in�uencer recommendations that“in�uence” buying decisions. 

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Social media also connects groups to discuss potential trips, which makes Instagram directmessages and Facebook Groups an informal channel for trip planning(https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/facebook-releases-new-insights-on-groups-usage-during-covid-19/587146/). To align with this trend, share detailed itineraries and fun trip ideas onyour social handles and encourage followers to tag friends and family.

The underlying engagement objective should be to inspire dreams and encourage groups to beginenvisioning future trips for 2021. 

ACTION: Planning is more fun together and brands that make this easy will see greater engagement.Find ways to empower your followers to shop socially. 

8. Omni- and micro-in�uencers In�uencer marketing has always been a powerful force in trouble. As we saw in the earlier trend,in�uencers have been a core component of social shopping for years. In 2021, travel marketers will�nd value in partnerships with omni-in�uencers and micro-in�uencers.

Micro-in�uencers are those with 10,000 followers or less. Even though reach is small, averageengagement is generally higher.

With a focused campaign engaging multiple micro in�uencers, a brand can reach a targeted audiencein an authentic and direct way. While micro-in�uencer campaigns require close collaboration to be themost successful, the results can be impressive.

Omni-channel in�uencers are those that reach across multiple channels, nurturing communities onmore than one platform. Since multichannel in�uencers have multiple connection points withconsumers, they can provide a valuable boost to brand awareness and conversions. However, due totheir broad in�uence, the cost can be much higher than micro in�uencers.

ACTION: Identify in�uencers that have engaged communities create opportunities for collaborationthat put your brand in front of the right people.

9. Short-form videosShort-form videos have exploded in popularity during the pandemic, propelling the format’s pioneerTiktok to two billion total downloads in April. Other platforms are getting in on the action: Instagramrecently released its own short-form format with Reels, while Snapchat launched a $1 million contentcampaign (https://petapixel.com/2020/11/23/snapchat-launches-tiktok-competitor-will-pay-1m-a-day-to-creators/) for its Spotlight feature to showcase short videos. 

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As user attention turns to short-form video content, your brand will need to consider if and how toparticipate in the medium.

Given the nature of video, it can take a bit more work than typical content; thankfully, the videos areshort and users don’t expect slick production values. 

ACTION: Experiment to see what works with your audiences to make sure that you don't miss out onthe explosion of short-form videos in 2021. And ask front-line staff to contribute - they may havecreative ideas!

10. Gaming-style contentOnline consumers are turning to content they can interact with as a means of distraction andescapism. Even if you aren’t an avid gamer, many others are: social users who now identify as a“gamer” have increased by 32% since 2020 Q1.

The de�nition has expanded beyond traditional console games to include mobile gamers, like NYTGames and Plato. There’s more diversity than ever when it comes to those who consume gaming-style content!

For your 2021 social media, that means being aware of this emerging demographic. It also meansoffering new approaches to content that may have game-like elements, such as Choose Your OwnAdventure or other interactive components. It comes down to satisfying the user's desire forinteractivity and novel experiences as a way to deepen connection with your brand.

ACTION: Create packages targeting gamers to test the market. Experiment with interactive-stylecontent on social that adds a game element to your feed.

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