Social media is a hit with the public no matter how you slice it. They are always on the cutting edge of knowledge and like keeping up with the people in their lives. They also like documenting their travels through photography, which they then post to various social media sites to show off to their friends and family. Guests on vacation are the most likely to fall into this category, creating a golden opportunity for hotels. You should be on the lookout for this kind of content, known as User Generated Content (UGC).
User-generated content (UGC) can be far more effective in gaining publicity for a business than the company’s own professional photography. This is due to the fact that people tend to put more stock in user-submitted images, believing that they provide a genuine representation of the property. It’s also a fantastic resource for acquiring brand-new, unique material.
There is a technique to locate UGC on every social media platform.
The “Check-ins” section of Facebook is where most users go for user-generated content. The ‘Notifications’ tab at the top of your Facebook page will show you who has checked into your hotel. Select Check-ins after clicking on Activity.
You may also use hashtags and the hotel’s name to look for photographs that haven’t been tagged. This can be little more challenging, especially when looking up the name. Promoting the use of a hotel-specific hashtag can help you collect user-generated content in the future.
Instagram is a great app to use if you’re looking for user-generated content. Follow the steps below to access the tagged photo button on your Instagram profile. In this section, you may view images of your hotel that have been tagged by other users.
- Instagram’s “tagged photo” button
- In addition to clicking on your pictures, you may also scroll your finger from right to left to view them.Swipe from the right to the left to view user-generated content.
- Photos of your hotel may also be found by searching Places in the Explore menu. Simply enter your hotel’s name, choose the Places tab, and you’ll be presented with an album containing every photo ever shot there.
When using Twitter, it’s important to remember that not everyone will automatically tag the company in their posts. The first place you should look for photographs that have been tagged on Twitter is in the Mentions section. After that, look for phrases that include your company’s name in their definition. If you’re an E-marketing Associate, for instance, enter that title first. Emarketing associates is one choice you should explore.
Simply key the name of your hotel into the search field. You may do a search of All Pins, People, or Boards from this page. Use this feature to find pins that contain your hotel’s name or a close variant thereof. You may also search for specific pins by using a hashtag, however this will be most helpful has a trending hashtag.
You may also use a brand-specific hashtag in posts or comments to solicit user-generated visual content. If you’re going to use a hashtag, be sure it’s not already being used by another company.
Making Use Of User-Created Material
If you have access to UGC, you can put it to good use in:
- Messages on social media
- Online Picture Album
- Promotional e-mail campaigns
- Starter pages
- If you intend to use the images for commercial purposes, you must ensure that you have the necessary permits to do so.
Inquiring About Authorization
If your organisation wants to use a guest’s photo on social media, it’s courteous to get their consent first. The only exception would be if you specifically invited attendees to contribute images to a interact with your post or use a certain hashtag. If you want to prevent problems with copyright infringement or anything else, it’s best to err on the side of caution and seek formal permission.
This is a great foundation on which to construct your user-generated material, even if not all UGC will be accessible owing to privacy settings.