www.calodging.com MARCH/APRIL 2023 17 a platform that doesn’t fit well: “If you know your sweet spot is guests ages 50 and up, it probably doesn’t make sense to pour resources into a platform like TikTok,” where short, edgy videos appeal to younger users. At the same time, there are ways to stay true to a more old school and formal brand yet get creative with digital marketing. If a property is trying to drive a lot of weddings and considering diving into TikTok, Ashbaugh recommends a marketer “be present on TikTok yourself, using your own personal account” to see examples of content that might work for your brand. In general, Ashbaugh advises her team to focus on mainstream and more popular apps— and to be aware of how fast things change and the kinds of controversies that can affect platforms. TikTok is being banned on some college campuses and there have been calls by lawmakers to ban it altogether. Twitter has been controversial since Elon Musk purchased the company, and many aspects of how the platform works have changed as well. Other platforms like Facebook change their algorithms for what people see all the time, so “as soon as you become familiar and comfortable with your marketing strategy for that platform, a new algorithm rolls out” that forces you to change. One platform that Ashbaugh uses widely for now is Instagram, and Pinterest is undergoing a sort of resurgence. Yet it’s important to stay up to date, follow the news, and “always be ready to pivot your strategy.” Three other things she recommends to help make the best use of social platforms for brands: Be prepared to keep your content current— with at least 2–3 posts per week, mapped out and ready a month in advance. Don’t try to be too polished or “salesy.” And take advantage of user-generated content: Guests typically love it when they post about their stay on their own channels and a hotel reaches out to ask to repost it. “We’re going back to a space of authenticity online, even with digital marketing,” she said. “On social channels, you don’t have to post professional photographs, just a short video shot on your phone with some music behind it will perform well. I think it’s a positive shift where people have gotten tired of seeing perfection on their social channels.” As complex and constantly changing as digital is, Ashbaugh sees the alignment between the new digital platforms and the old-school core of hospitality: Building relationships. “I love it,” she said. “because the root of it all is social connection.”
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy Nzc3ODM=