Discover the New Marketing Goldmine: Authenticity, Not Ads!
By Emin Kara | August 8, 2023
If you’ve ever spoken to a business owner, they’re often very adamant that their business is the BEST at X. Pretty bold claim considering how many businesses there are in the world. Not only that, when you make a claim, it instantly creates skepticism – you never actually persuade people when doing this.
Let’s get down to brass tacks: we live in an age where people trust their digital neighbor’s online chatter more than the fabricated advertising jargon your business purports and pushes. Your average Joe and Jane are the new influencers… their thoughts, their experiences, their reviews – they matter more than ever! So how do you harness that?
Really what it boils down to is authenticity. Consumers are exhausted from ads! Every day they’re bombarded by 6000 ads per day! Crazy, I know. Today’s consumers sniff out fakery faster than a bloodhound on a scent! When your guests are posting pictures, reviews, TikToks and stories about their experience at your business, it carries an authentic flair! In an ever-increasing world of inauthenticity, people crave the real deal. It’s like Newton’s 3rd law; for every action there’s an equal and opposite reaction.
A concept that a lot of people struggle to grasp when it comes to the internet is it’s really like a web, hence the name World Wide Web (WWW). And it’s the same for networks too! If you’ve never watched the Edward Snowden movie, the saying essentially goes “3 hops from anyone with 40 contacts, you’re looking at a list of 2.5 million people.” What I’m getting at is the speed at which people’s posts/experiences travel around the internet.
Next, let’s take a look at SEO (Search Engine Optimization). It’s not just about brand visibility, it’s about brand engagement. The more people who share personal stories or content about your business, the more search engines love you! TikTok is a really great place to build a UGC portfolio, the SEO capabilities are brilliant there! If you haven’t read my past article on this, I highly recommend it: How To Incorporate TikTok Into Your Hospitality Strategies.
Remember, the heart of the hospitality business is people. Back in the day, word-of-mouth marketing used to be amazing! However, it was very restricted to local areas. Now, word-of-mouth looks like blasting an opinion into the social media universe and getting millions of hits from ALL OVER the world. It’s not about reinventing the wheel, it’s about using what your customers are already freely giving you and turning it into marketing gold.
This is a very in-depth conversation, that may need a little guidance, so use your resources. I’ll be over in the Hotel Interactive threads ready to answer any questions you may have, to offer guidance in your efforts to utilize social media! So, get curious, get to work and get winning!
