How social media affects electronic hotel distribution

This article published on December 14th 2009 on the website Hotel marketing attracts my attention because it is linked with our next class on the community site.
Nowadays, there is no denying that more and more people belong to a community that mean share with somebody else your experiences.
Hoteliers can not ignore this new phenomenon, as one of the member of the panel HEDNA (Hotel Electronic Distribution Network Association) said: “because social media is becoming more and more omnipresent, the wise thing to do is keep tabs on it”.
Of curse it is not because your hotel creates a buzz online with posting negative things about you that you going to sell it!
That is why professional of the hotel industry have to keep a check on the community site with the online posting from the visitors. Moreover play an active role on these social network shows that you have interest for your online users and can even bring you traffic and sales.

Sources:http://www.hotelmarketing.com/index.php/content/article/how_social_media_affects_electronic_hotel_distribution/

Should Hotels Respond to Online Reviews?

This article published on December 10th 2009 on the website 4hoteliers.com is really relevant because the question of the online reviews affect all the hoteliers.
Indeed, the online reviews represent something that the hoteliers can not control. Some comments are fake with only one goal drop down the image of the company. It is interesting to learn that the hoteliers can contact TripAdvisor to remove it very quickly.
This means of communication is really powerful because it reflects the image of the hotel perceived by the guests. Comments can be saw by millions online visitors and that is why a professional of the hotel industry should pay attention and respond to it.
Throughout author examples it was interesting to see the worst answer give online by some hoteliers (no answers, standard responses, blah blah solution…) and how one London luxury hotel responds smartly. The response was personal, written by the person directly responsible and acknowledges the issue raised and this is exactly was a hotel has to do.

Sources:
http://www.4hoteliers.com/4hots_fshw.php?mwi=4672

E Business OTAs and Portals

View more

Reverse Travel Auctions Analysis.

Check out this SlideShare Presentation:

Reverse Travel Auctions Analysis.

View more presentations from Doria06.

Doing well without OTAs!!!

A recent article published on December 3th 2009 on the website Hotelmarketing.com attracts my attention because it was directly related to our last classes on OTAs.
When you are reading this article you become aware that hoteliers can live without OTAs.
The author takes a real example with the hotels of the city Columbus, Georgia -USA- which has been "fire" from the Websites of online travel agencies. And you know what? Since 16 months the hotels are going pretty well up with an occupancy rate unchanged from a year and a slight decrease of the RevPar of 4,9 %. Moreover it's interesting to notice than the US has however drop figures with a decrease of the RevPar of 13,8%.

Sources:

http://www.hotelmarketing.com/index.php/content/article/doing_well_without_otas/

I read another article which is link to this one, indeed hoteliers can stop to give millions to the OTAs with a better and faster marketing strategy than the OTAs have. The hoteliers have to rethink their brand's proprietary website (design, social network...).
http://www.hotelmarketing.com/index.php/content/article/hotels_need_to_rething_their_ota_strategy/

OTA's characteristics

• By the large choice of products offered, the client find everythings he needs for his trip.OTA are gain of time
  

• Price does not longer reflects the quality of services

• we can find different types of OTA:

1- Classic (eg.Expedia, the client knows what he buys)

2- Reverse auction by bidding (eg: priceline) where the client decides for the price

3- Hide, hotels names are hiden, the client does not know what he buys until the last moment (eg: hotwire)

• OTAs can generate trafic for hotel, but hotels loose the control of client segmentation and credibility(eg. a 5* hotel that receives and attract low class & uni=educated people)

• The communication methods are trendy, present in social network sites (eg: facebook, twitter)

• OTAs try to develop customers'loyalty by different programmes: newsletter, rewards =, personal account

• offers are frenquently updated

• OTAs guarantee online payment security
  

Ota Analysis Travelocity

Check out this SlideShare Presentation:

Ota Analysis Travelocity

View more presentations from Doria06.

Facebook Can Benefit Your Restaurant

http://www.4hoteliers.com/4hots_fshw.php?mwi=4628

By Jose L Riesco
Sunday, 29th November 2009

Facebook has become a real phenomenon since the last 2 years. Internet is a tool of communication that takes a major place in our personal and professional life.

Facebook counts in September 2009 more than 300 millions members.

I choose this article because this social network can be a strong means of communication for restaurants but not only. Indeed the hotel industry has started to use it with all the other sectors of activity.

The web marketing "war " has started! An efficient marketing strategy of a company is vital, facebook represents an active free marketing tools that can increase the turnover of a business.

The social network belongs to the viral marketing where the internet users have a relationship and interact with each others.

Create a company account on facefook includes assets and drawbacks. This article is useful because you can find serious advices and applications to increase your account efficiency.

Facebook is not a miracle you have to paid attention to: "your friends, the valuable application, security setting, preferences feeds..."

Social network can be a real benefit for your company, you have to choose the good applications which will help you to not spend all your time on facebook, Twitter... This means of communication can not longer be ignore by the company. Why? Because this free tool can really decrease your marketing expanses and increase your turnover!! Just think about it...