TikTok for Hotels - Can it Bring More Direct Bookings?

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For most hotels, Instagram and Facebook are the go-to social media channels to create property profiles and reach more guests. But what about Tiktok? Why is it so popular? Is it a valuable platform for hoteliers?

Tiktok became available worldwide in August 2018, but only became hugely popular during the pandemic with everyone participating in the now infamous dancing videos published across the internet. TikTok is now the Most Popular Overall App Downloaded Globally and the Fastest Growing Brand of 2022.

According to Tiktok, the app’s main goal is to “inspire creativity and bring joy”. While it’s unclear whether Tiktok achieves this (given growing concerns around the impact on data privacy, mental health etc), the influence this app has over the gen z crowd is indisputable. The ability to lead and motivate people is perhaps the most valuable quality a brand can have, and this is what makes Tiktok a very popular marketing channel across a wide range of industries.

In comparison to other businesses, hotels have admittedly been a bit slower to embrace this new channel for their business. But when you consider that hospitality is a dreaming industry filled with travel inspiration, you may also concede that Tiktok can be an ideal platform for hotels to have a digital presence where they can share and cultivate relationships with past, existing, and prospective guests. In this article, we will review some ways that Tiktok could impact your business.

TikTok – the Key to Reach the Next Generation of Travellers?

Gen Z — the generation born between 1997 and 2012 — is coming into their own when it comes to spending power, and many are choosing to spend on travel. While this trend was initially put on pause by the COVID-19 pandemic, the youngest generation of adults is clearly making up for lost time by traveling enthusiastically and often.

According to research by Morning Consult, just over half of Gen Z adults (52%) are frequent travelers, meaning they took at least three leisure trips in 2022. That share is significantly larger than it is for higher-earning Gen Xers and baby boomers, and it’s on par with millennials, who are currently the focus of the industry. As Gen Z individuals get older and grow in spending power, it seems likely they will outpace travel-happy millennials.

When managing your hotel brand’s online presence, it’s critical to keep your target consumers searching for your properties. While most hotels typically turn to Google to optimize their online presence, nowadays, search is everywhere.

According to research by Influencer Marketing Hub, TikTok is the most-used media in an internet minute, while Google search is number 5 on the list. Furthermore, 40% of the top queries on Google are related to social media networks. This shows that there is much more activity on social networks in comparison to search engines – even Google.

TikTok Is the Go-To Search Engine for Gen Z travelers, who value authentic content above all else. This next generation of travelers are going to visit your city and your hotel in the not-too-distant future. On average, users spend more than 1.5 hours per day on TikTok, with 167 million TikTok video views in an internet minute. Therefore, having a presence on TikTok could significantly extend your reach and positively impact the bottom line of your business.

In saying the above, however, it’s important to also note that TikTok has become a topic of legal concern regarding data privacy and usage. Currently in the US, there is a case around the future of TikTok, with some states banning or proposing to ban the application altogether, or appoint new localised ownership to cover operations in the US. Thus, some hotels (particularly in the US) may choose to watch and wait how the situation unfolds.

How can you Market your Hotel Brand on TikTok to the Next Generation of Travellers?

TikTok numbers are growing every day, surpassing 1 billion monthly active users in Q2 of 2022. Most probably, what you are looking for may be found in a TikTok video. The app has content about different areas and subjects for all ages. The goal is for you not to leave the app, which is why TikTok constantly displays short videos without you needing to scroll or spend too much time on one topic. The algorithm leads users to the content that suits their preferences, even if they don’t follow any person or company. This means that if a user is interested in travel and other related topics, they will most likely be guided to relevant content.

If you decide to have your hotel on Tiktok, below are some next steps you can take to market your hotel brand:

Create a business account with new and different content compared with what you have on other channels. Short-form video content is best, and the funnier, the better. You can also raise your brand’s visibility by participating in TikTok trends such as hashtags, songs, and challenges. You can find trending topics via the discovery section in the app. Identify trends that align with your hotel – such as the destination, local events, and other activities.
Show your hotel’s personality, creating and raising brand awareness so your audience feels that you are a value-add to their lives. There is plenty of stuff you can do, but you should try to keep pace with the trends that align with your hotel and destination.
Use TikTok as a way to advertise your hotel. For example, have your staff interact with your guests and possible new customers. As we mentioned earlier, this will help bring traffic to your hotel website, and can possibly lead to more direct reservations.
Share the hidden gems and top secrets of your destination so your guest can have a real local experience.
Humanise your brand, tell stories, and show what’s happening behind the scenes at your hotel. Include your team, and show your sense of humour. Another thing to remember, if your hotel is struggling to find and hire the right people, TikTok can also help to attract staff that want to work with you if they identify with your content, brand values, and company mission.
Highlight what your hotel has to offer, such as an amazing view, an infinity pool, pieces of art, recipes from your hotel restaurant, or even the barman doing tricks. You may also want to partner with influencers that align with the type of product or stay that you are offering. As we mentioned before, you can also hashtags to do challenges around certain products, or do a client take over for a day.
Show all your unique selling points and make it authentic and straightforward. According to HubSpot research, 80% of users can remember a video they have watched in the past 30 days, and this is especially for Gen Z individuals.

Conclusion

Nowadays, a considerable percentage of the world’s population engages with Tiktok. Hotels that use this platform regularly for marketing activities may benefit from great results, more direct bookings, and more brand awareness. Seeing global companies like Booking.com, Small Luxury Hotels, Virgin Atlantic, and Hilton present on the platform with a huge amount of followers, shows us that TikTok is not a channel that we can ignore.

With more than half of the people present on this platform, commenting on videos, encouraging comments, and posting at least once per day is a great way to win on TikTok. If you comment on your guests’ posts and encourage them to comment on yours, you can also get a good idea of their opinion around your hotel and service. If you post frequently you have more chances of your business to gain followers, because your account and videos will show more frequently.

But although TikTok has the potential to enhance direct sales, it’s essential to have a well-defined strategy in place. As with any new marketing channel, you should evaluate whether your target audience is present on this platform, what content engages them, how you will transmit your brand values and vision, and the business goals you want to achieve. You should also consider your budget and who will manage your hotel’s presence on this platform.