How to reach Chinese travelers on social media
While some of the same best practices still apply, hoteliers must approach Chinese social media sites cognizant of their differences.
Almasalla, ATP News- GLOBAL REPORT—When engaging Chinese travelers on Chinese social media platforms, many of the same best practices hold true: develop a personality, be responsive, and tailor your message to the targeted site.
But hoteliers would be remiss if they failed to also recognize the differences inherent in platforms such as Sina Weibo, Dianping and others, according to experts.
The primary challenge in being active on these and other Chinese social media sites is the language barrier, said Eric Ziegenhagen, social media manager for the Langham Chicago and the Langham Place 5th Avenue in New York City.
There are ways around this obstacle, he added, including the use of visual storytelling.
“That can create some imagery that transcends language and can tell the story of the hotel visually,” he said.
Another workaround for hoteliers not based in China could be to employ the use of native Chinese students studying abroad in the hotel’s home city and utilizing their ability to speak the language, Ziegenhagen said. Hoteliers also might consider partnering with another organization, such as a convention and visitors bureau, that is doing work in China already. Langham Hospitality Group took that route via a partnership with Visit Chicago.
Fangting Sun, a research analyst at Euromonitor International, wrote in an email that Chinese travelers also bounce from social media site to social media site quickly.
“Therefore, the hotels need to catch up with the trend in time and allocate the resources accordingly,” she said.
Chinese sites
The most popular social media platform in China is Sina Weibo, which went public earlier this year. According to company figures, it had 123.1 million users as of September 2013. Sun said Weibo is an important platform by which hoteliers can promote a brand and build awareness with followers.
Ziegenhagen said the site is similar to United States’ microblogging sites.
“It’s very important to have an independent voice, a personality” on the site, he said. Social media personnel should be mindful and tactful regarding their posts on the site, he added.
Another important site that should be on hoteliers’ radar is WeChat, Sun said.
“WeChat has been developed to be a multifunctional tool for promotion, news and events, booking and even payments,” she said.
Interstate China Hotels & Resorts is active on several Chinese social sites, including Ctrip, eLong, Dianping (a restaurant review and flash sale site), Meituan (flash sale) and others.
“We have seen a great response in our restaurants when doing various promotions through these sites,” said David Givens, the company’s VP of operations.
Givens said many users of Chinese social sites also use the platforms during the vacation-planning process.
“Chinese travelers are very active in looking at hotels in the destination they are visiting,” he said via email. “They want to know what past guests are saying, see what the hotels are like and find out what there is to do at the destination. With the amount of outbound travel from China growing rapidly, these sites are becoming more and more popular and a valuable tool for the Chinese traveler.”
Tried-and-true strategies
Sources said hotel social media managers should not forget about the social strategies that have proved successful elsewhere in the world.
The GM at the DoubleTree by Hilton Shanghai—Pudong, for instance, is engaged on TripAdvisor and adds his email address to his signature following each response. In January 2011, the hotel was ranked No. 180 out of 3,882 hotels in the market and has since moved up to No. 64.
“The company feels it is important to respond to both good and bad comments, as we want our guests to know we care about their opinions and experiences at our hotels,” Givens said.
Givens also said it’s important to stay vigilant and retain an open channel of communication on the Chinese sites. The sites also need to be diligently managed every day.
Source : HNN
