HOTELS.COM

Content Analysis & Strategic Approach

Zara Kenton, September 2014

BRIEF. •  Critical analysis of the Facebook page www.facebook.com/hotels.comuk

•  Strategic thoughts

•  Social strategy

WHAT IS HOTELS.COM?

•  Hotels.com offers the choice of over 290,000 hotels in more than 60 countries with a hotel finder and deals

•  Their unique ‘Welcome Rewards’ program gives 1 free night for every 10 •  Genuine hotel reviews from real guest stays •  Precise mapping to ensure the best locations  

•  24 hour phone line accessible from any country

WHAT CHANNELS EXIST?

+9.5k followers Travel inspiration, popular landmarks Discounts & offers Low engagement rate Impersonal replies

+1.6k subscribers Videos include: Captain Obvious, #MyFreeNight outtakes, The Hotel Price Index, ads Low views

+598k subscribers Captain Obvious Travel inspiration, quotes and offers Personal responses

FACEBOOK CRITICAL ANALYSIS.

Vitality

1/5

ER

1/5

Frequency3/5

Responsiveness

2/5

CRITICAL ANALYSIS: VITALITY.

•  No clear content strategy to tap into fan interests

No clear balance of content themes and messaging – most posts push fans from Facebook (conversation/referral) to the website

•  Content doesn’t account for user behavior (on social and off)

Seasonal inspiration is often posted on the day of the event, which allows no advanced planning or discussion for fans

•  Lack of integration with social trends and conversations

Content reflects what’s popular or on offer on the website, without recognition of fan experiences, aspirations and plans to garner engagement

•  Digital assets create a one-way ‘broadcast’ feel

All images are professionally shot ‘brochure style’; ‘Real life’ photos, taken by fans, on mobiles, on go-pro’s, etc. would generate more interest, memories and engagement

•  High number of post Likes, but little conversation

While post likes create awareness, there is little conversation to build advocacy and referral

•  Fans aren’t endorsing the brand

While the website encourages reviews to drive purchase, Facebook fans don’t use the brand page to share their experiences, limiting referral and consideration among existing fans and friends of fans who would see the interaction

CRITICAL ANALYSIS: ENGAGEMENT RATE.

•  Post time doesn’t align with optimal engagement time

Each post goes out around 1pm, however the majority of comments are made in the early evening around 7pm

CRITICAL ANALYSIS: FREQUENCY.

•  Interaction with fans ends in full stops, not commas,…

Although responses are personal , they are brief and conclusive. They fail to add brand value by sharing memories or leading them to their next awesome adventure

•  Reaction time is s.l.o.w.

There’s no out of hours response, so fans who are looking for inspiration, advice or issue resolution have to wait until the morning for a response

•  Erratic responses mean limited connections Not all comments are responded to, meaning some fans are ignored

CRITICAL ANALYSIS: RESPONSIVENESS.

•  Hotels.com need to offer an integrated digital approach, layering social insights with what’s popular on their website to engage with people who are already engaging

•  Use current fan base to drive consideration, (re)-purchase and (re)-referral among the wider community by delivering social value through the Facebook page

•  Create campaigns to drive awareness

•  Encourage co-creation of content among the fan base to drive advocacy, discovery and referral

•  Nurture online conversations by interacting with users in more timely and personal way

STRATEGIC THOUGHTS.

•  Fan base (Customers):

Current customers, people who have booked once or multiple times and are interested in using the service again

•  Friends of Fans (Considerers):

Friends of fans who may have booked before but haven’t Liked the Facebook page, or have never booked with Hotels.com

•  Wider Community:

Varied awareness of Hotels.com. Do not come across social content via referral from friends (but may do through paid media)

Wider Community

Friends of Fans

Fan Base

AUDIENCE OVERVIEW.

•  Fan base (customers):

Current customers, people who have booked once or multiple times and are interested in using the service again

Aim:

Turn fans into advocates to drive awareness and consideration among the wider community, and purchase among themselves and their friends

How:

Get them talking about their experience, reviewing their holidays, sharing pictures and memories. Reward them for their effort by making them feel heard, connecting them with like-minded travelers for future holiday discovery and offer fan discounts

STRATEGIC THOUGHTS.

Fan Base

•  Friends of Fans (Considerers):

Friends of fans who may have booked before but haven’t Liked the Facebook page, or have never booked with Hotels.com

Aim:

Raise visibility of shared content by fans to drive (re)consideration, engagement and sales through friend endorsement and referral

How:

Post page content at relevant times (e.g. lunch time and evening) to optimise fan engagement. Amplify through paid media to targeted audiences based on interests, marital status, etc.

STRATEGIC THOUGHTS.

Fan base Friends of Fans

•  Wider Community:

Varied awareness of Hotels.com. Do not come across social content via referral from friends (but may do through paid media)

Aim:

Raise visibility of shared content by fans to drive awareness, consideration and engagement

How:

Run targeted dark posts based on interest, behaviour and context to drive page likes. Utilise fan reviews, photos and experiences on the website to drive bookings and new fans to the Facebook page.

STRATEGIC THOUGHTS.

Fan base Wider

Community

TIMELINE.

• Audience and competitor profiling & analysis

• Website & wider channel audit

• Goals & opportunities

• Content strategy

• Advocacy strategy

• Measurement & KPI’s

• Content guidelines

• Resourcing

• Execution & rollout

• Test & optimization

Thanks!

Any Questions?