With the rise of short-form video content platforms like TikTok and the continuous popularity of visual content-based platforms like Instagram, the production and circulation of user-generated content has never been easier. How can this be utilised in hospitality marketing?
The importance of user-generated content (UGC)
Before we dive deep into the significance of user-generated content for your social media strategy, let’s look at the bigger picture and see where UGC fits there. In marketing, there are three main types of media and content your brand can produce or receive:
paid media
Paid media encompasses all the advertisements that your business is running and any sponsored content you are producing, both on social and on other platforms. Essentially, these can be viewed as all the external conversations about your brand that you control.
owned media
Owned media spans across all your brand’s social media profiles, website, newsletter, podcast, and the organic content you produce on them. These can be considered as all internal conversations about your brand led by you.
earned media
Earned media are all the content generated by other users and individuals which revolves around your brand in some way. These are the conversations about your brand that others control. This could be comments under your posts, reshares on stories, mentions, reviews and testimonies and much more.
On social, earned media is precisely this user-generated content that every brand longs for, particularly when it paints the brand in a positive light. But what makes UGC so valuable for hospitality marketing? Trust and reliability, of course.
For the hospitality industry, where customer satisfaction is so important and so interconnected with customer retention and loyalty, trust is a necessary element of this equation. Let’s explore how UGC could help you build customer loyalty.
How UGC impacts hospitality marketing
As a hospitality business, whether a restaurant, bar, hotel or coffee shop, you want users to be organically talking about your brand. You want multiple ongoing conversations about the quality of your products, the excellence of your customer service team, and the speedy delivery of services or products.
We live in a social and digital age, which means our innate desire to share the places we visit and snap a photo of what we ordered or where we are staying, is something that can be used to your brand's advantage.
Both Instagram and TikTok host large communities of food bloggers and reviewers, as well as travel bloggers whose platform is dedicated to restaurant and coffee shop recommendations in different cities, as well as hotel and experience recommendations. All of these can be greatly beneficial in hospitality marketing.
But how can you motivate guests to share their positive experiences and essentially turn them into brand advocates online?
How to stimulate UGC in hospitality marketing
#1. emphasise value offering
First and foremost, your brand’s value offering must be tempting and inspiring enough to motivate guests to share their experiences. Going back to your business strategy, ensure that your unique selling points and the aspects of your brand that make you stand out from the competition are clearly showcased on your social media.
#2. create "moments" for your guests
Secondly, you can create special moments for your guests that would enhance their experience and stimulate genuine and authentic UGC. A personalised "thank you" card, a complementary gift basket or a glass of bubbly will add a special touch to an already exceptional time for your guests. This will be their inspiration to document and share how appreciated you made them feel.
#3. community management
Thirdly, community management is vital, even more so in hospitality marketing. Ensure you always participate in the conversation about your brand by monitoring any mentions and comments, replying promptly and appropriately, and expressing appreciation for any positive reviews. This will ensure users feel heard and understood by you, further strengthening their trust.
#4. social media tactics
Lastly, there are a few tactics you can employ on social media to further motivate users to voice their opinions or share praise about your brand. With proper credit assigned, you can allocate a certain time of the week to spotlight and reshare your favourite pieces of UGC on your page, awarding that creator the “Guest of the Month” title and even adding a complementary discount for their next visit.
You can also organise social media giveaways around special occasions and holidays. At the prospect of winning a prize, users are more likely to engage and share pictures or videos of your brand on social.
