Getting heads into beds depends on three factors – first, guests knowing you exist; second, guests trusting your hotel brand; and third, the ability to book easily and instantly. 

For people, hotels are not real. They have no faces, no voices or no personalities. Most of the time people don’t even realize that a hotel exists until they are looking for a hotel in a specific location and then, they are plagued with doubt over which hotel to pick. You can eliminate these doubts and increase your occupancy levels by building an identity in your potential guest’s mind even before they make a booking or start looking. Twitter, the online social media network can help you achieve these goals.

Twitter is one of the most popular social media websites with over 200 million users. By adding Twitter to your marketing mix, you can:

• Learn what people are saying about your hotel. Use the search engine to find out what people are saying about you. This information gathering exercise will enable you to plan more effectively.  
  
  
  • Understand the strength of your online reputation andenhance your brand online. A good reputation inspires trust and vice-versa. Building a strong online reputation is vital for success. Understand what people are saying about you and use the information to enhance your hotel’s offerings online and in the real world.
    
    
    • Connect with past and future guests, gain feedback. Gain feedback from past delegates, learn why they love you or hate you. Use the information collected to enhance your services and improve your occupancy levels.
      
      
      • Generate traffic. Tweet about hotel happenings, packages, events at your destination to encourage interest. Use links to provide them with more information.
        You can achieve the above by taking the following steps:
        1. Give your hotel a face and a voice. Make your hotel real to potential guests by giving it a personality and a presence online. This will help people relate to you better.
           
           
           1. Use your resources effectively. New special at the hotel restaurant, opening of a spa etc. figure out what information guests are interested in learning and post it.
              
              
              1. Acknowledge guest reviews, both positive and negative. When a guest posts an excellent review, make sure to thank him sincerely for the review. If a negative review is posted, address the problem by informing him of steps taken to correct the problem. This acknowledgement will encourage guests to stay at your hotel if returning to your destination.
                 
                 
                 1. Tweet about packages and last minute deals. Everyone is looking for a deal now and Twitter is a great way to ensure the package or deal receives maximum coverage and exposure.