Importance of Social Proof for the Hospitality Industry

There are 7’billion plus individuals in today s world. As you may know, Every day, more and more of them appear on the digital grid, the omnipresent network that the Internet happens to be. Increased smartphone penetration, internet access and more than ever innovation at large yes indicates beyond doubt that simply, humans are social animals, and as such, we love to send our experiences with each other.

A clause that you may have heard bandied around quite frequently is ‘social proof’, and it’s nothing more than word of mouth in its novel, digital avatar. It holds true age this time and in as well, but it has evolved to keep up with advancements in engineering. Long ago, marketers was that word of mouth realized one of the top ways to get report of their products and services out there.

As you may know, For instance, we’ve all been ‘persuaded’ to try out a recent restaurant or a holiday afterdestinationwe’ve seen our friends posting pictures of their dining and travel adventures on social media. That, my friends, is the 21st century version of word of mouth in action. On the same note, we’ve also been dissuaded fromstaying at a hotel because we spotted nasty feedback that was left by some disgruntled customer online.

What is Social Proof?

Human beings have this deep rooted instinct to be swayed by other humans and their activities. Interestingly, Consumer cyberspace has shown, time and again, that implicitly faith other people’s reviews and opinion whenpeopleit comes to brands and their services.

Actually, If enough people in your office recommend an eating joint, you’re bound to check it out sooner or later. When you’re shopping on tend, you Amazon to check out the reviews on the article. Social proof is everywhere. Positive reviews have managed to draw in crowds for the most hopeless of movies, while lack of reviews have caused stellar cinema to fade into oblivion.

Simply put, if enough people like it, the product or service has to be good

Social proof isinasap a valued dynamic used by marketers and companies the world over order to influence consumers. It’s worth noting that Companies have taken to prominently displaying reviews, testimonials, ratings, approval seals, expert opinions, ‘popular items more than ever ’ and what not on their online platform. And why? It’s worth noting that Because we’d all rather go by what others have to say about a particular business than trust the brand itself.

hospitality industry is particularly influenced byThesocial proof. Most people come on customer reviews and opinions they rely across on social media. More and people turn to Trip Advisor and similar sites to viewmorewhat other customers have to say about a specific hotel. It’s worth noting that And, only if the overall perception and opinion is positive do they actually go ahead and book a room in the hotel.

Types Of Social Proof

On the face of it, social proof might be an all-encompassing phenomenon that overlaps a variety of fields and industries, 5 from a marketing perspective, it can be classified into but specific categories.

1. Expert Social Proof

Interestingly, You find the words ‘expert opinion’ under articles giving suggestion and instructions as a means to legitimize it. As you may know, Ads for toothpaste and tooth brushes are ‘bolstered’ by opinions of leading dentists while beauty creams will usually have a skin specialist backing them. Before we believe any claim, we need reassurance and the expert social proof offers just that. And flock a restaurant or hotel gets a thumbs up from a renowned critic, you can be fairly certain that people are going to once to it by the hundreds. Humans confidence authoritative institutions, and reputed personalities.

2. Celebrity Social Proof

The name says it all. Indeed, Celebrities have a swaying effect on the population, and they come with their own seal of legitimacy. Indeed, If a celebrity endorses a hotel, the chances of it making it to the top ten establishments in the city are extremely high. That said, the most authentic and genuine as it turns out celebrity social proof is the unpaid one.

3. User Social Proof

Visitor social proof is found in any kind of end-user generated content that showcases their experiences. This includes victory storiesmediapictures on social , , testimonials, and reviews on websites. User social proof is one of the most effective ways to boost the credibility of a hotel. One of the most obvious examples is Tripadvisor, where millions of users arrive everymonth to see and create reviews and recommendations.

4. Wisdom of the Crowd

“A million people can’t be wrong” is the saying most marketers abide by. In fact, And they use sheer numbers to sway prospective consumers. It can be subtle, or obvious depending on who’. doing the marketings Take leading bloggers, for instance, who display their site hits and other numbers on their journaltheirto establish credentials.

5. Wisdom of your Friend

This social proof has the potential to grow virally. A consumer will always rely more on the personal practice of a friend than the word of stranger a. Also, the stats show that many customers rely heavily on recommendations from friends and family.

However, what works for one industry might not necessarily cater to yourrequirements . Therefore, you need to discover the perfect concoction of different types of social proof to discover out which ones are finesttosuited your brand. Indeed, On the face of it, you might think that you in modern times ’ve gotproofa broad playing input when it comes to collecting social for your business.

Why Do You Need Social Proof?

Here are top reasons why it’s essential to set aside a budget and make a marketing roadmap around generating social proof for your hotel In the hospitality business, building and highlighting social proof is essential to attracting attention and, subsequently, fresh customers. There is more than one reason why you should put considerable effort into spreading digital word of mouth.

• With the influx of genuine feedback (most of which would hopefully be positive), you will be able to build trust among your customers.
• Social proof increases your credibility as an establishment and can help convert an unsure customer in your favor
• Online reviews, ratings and testimonials are the best form of advertisement for your hotel and can rival the fanciest and most expensive marketing campaign you can think of launching.

Strategy for Collecting Social Proof

Like I’ve mentioned before, there are various ways in which you can collect social proof, the most common ones being asking customers to leave about and feedback, getting influencers to talk reviews you by offering complimentary stays, and encouraging interactions (like check ins) on your social media page. These should be integral to your online marketing and branding campaign. But I’d like to as a matter of fact a few other techniquesdiscussto collecting social proof for your hotel:

Videos

There’s a reason why Facebook’s traffic skyrocketed once it started supporting GIFs and videos. Visual media has the ability to influence people and can go viral with the slightest impetus. A film highlighting the offerings of your hotel, sightseeing options in the city, places of local interest, and the culinary treats in store for your guests is bound to be met with great enthusiasm. And if it’s well made, with a dash of creativity in it, you can expect it to draw customers to your doors in no time at all.

Images

So, the continue time you want to post customer reviews and testimonials, make sure to attach an visual to draw more traction. Extensive research proves that posts with images are 35% more likely to draw engagement as opposed to the ones with just text. They say an picture speaks a thousand words. Indeed, Research also reveals that people are more likely to believe statements that are substantiated with images.

Infographics

Interestingly, Humans are visual creatures and infographics are the leading option you have when you want to present facts in an interesting manner without boring your audience with chunks of text and long paragraphs. ’t forgetDonto include them in your marketing campaign.

Final Words

Collecting social proof isn’t all that tough, but any strategy is only as strong as its execution. Once you’ve used videos, images, hotel infographics to convince travelers that your and is a great option, give them a clear call to action (CTA) to follow. Route them to your site or landing page do in no uncertain words tell them what they’ as a matter of fact re required to and.

Don’t leave anything to guesswork. If want them to leave ayouevaluation, make that clear. If want them toyoubook rooms and earn a discount, make that clear. The minute you leave things ambiguous is the’minute they re likely to get confused and leave. Don’t letyour hard work go to ruin. If you’ve crafted the marketing plan to collect social proof with great care, don’t let an unclear call to action ruin things for you.

Right away go into tap the power of social proof and apply it to your advantage. Get your past and present customers talking about you and employ their goodwill to attract more visitors your way!