How Your Hotels Can Connect with Local Communities

By Emin Kara | October 3, 2023

One of the things I believe all businesses should do is foster a connection with the local community in which their business is situated. Maintaining a strong brand image while merging it with local traits and taste is a recipe for flawless execution to resonate and become one with the environment a business is built and targets. I don’t believe this is something you should choose to do; I believe it’s necessary. Let’s take a closer look.

Since the dawn of time, humans have always been inclined to be a part of a tribe. And as much as we’d like to think we’ve evolved, we really haven’t… those tendencies are still there. In broader society comprising millions and billions, individuals often lose this sense of community and conform to a ‘huge cog in the machine’. Every post, update, or engagement on social media is an opportunity to be part of the local narrative, to showcase your brand’s values, ethos, and character within the local community and out.

Drawing from personal experience, during my time at a local hospitality business, customers connected with the workers in the place because of their authenticity from where they came from. People spoke with the local slang, didn’t try to change their accent; simply put, people were real. Where most businesses went wrong in the local area is, in person they were authentic, but on social media they tried to put on a very professional and proper front. What we did at my workplace was translate the authenticity of the local people to our social media, from the captions to the comments. Essentially, we digitized our outreach efforts to the local “tribe,” resulting in them looking forward to our posts. 

You should treat social media like a digital tribe gathering. It’s where the local narrative is shared, discussed, and celebrated. Herein lies the golden opportunity for hospitality businesses.

Here’s some simple ideas to get the ball rolling: 

Local Storytelling: Leverage social media to tell local stories – be it about local events, traditions, or personalities. This not only engages the local community but also places your brand as a local storyteller, a part of the community’s digital tribe.

Community Discussions: Engage in local discussions on social media, be it about community events, local issues or celebrations. This engagement is a nod to our tribal instinct of community interaction and shared narratives. Sacha Lord (co-creator of Parklife Festival and The Warehouse Project and Night Time Economy Adviser for Greater Manchester, UK) is a great example of someone who does this. Check his LinkedIn out here for an example.

Collaborations with Local Influencers: Local influencers are akin to modern-day tribal leaders in the digital realm. Collaborate with them to promote local experiences, enhancing your brand’s local resonance.

Promoting Local Events: Promote local events on your social media, invite discussions, and encourage participation. It’s about being a part of the local narrative, both online and offline.

Use The Local Flair: Aim to use local slang or unique characteristics in content creation, captions and comments. For example, I’m from Yorkshire and instead of saying “hello” the locals often say “eyup”. If I had a business just opening in Yorkshire, I wouldn’t say “Hello Leeds, WE’RE COMING TO YORKSHIRE.” I’d say “Eyup Leeds, WE”RE COMING TO YORKSHIRE.” It’s a small change with a huge difference. It makes the locals feel understood whilst displaying the culture to people on the outside.

User-Generated Content: Encourage patrons to share their experiences at your establishment on social media. Repost these with a local narrative, fostering a sense of digital tribal belonging.

Supporting Local Causes: Showcase your support for local causes on social media, resonating with the community’s values and fostering a sense of shared purpose.

Digital Groups: Be in the community discussion groups on apps like Facebook. Don’t just us it as a place to push and sell your business; be genuine and apart of the discussion.

The narrative here is straightforward yet profound. Engaging with local communities on social media is not merely about digital marketing; it’s about resonating with the human instinct for tribal belonging, creating a digital tribe that resonates with your brand’s local ethos and being proud to showcase the community in which your business is situated to travelers outside of the local area as well as in!

When these elements are synergized on social media platforms, it creates a digital echo chamber where your brand’s local engagement reverberates, creating a tribe that not only engages with your brand but also advocates for it within the broader community.