Social media continues to be more impactful than ever in terms of influence and return on investment—and marketing spend in this channel is growing, according to Hootsuite’s Social Media Trends 2023 report. Here, we share some trends and best practices to elevate your social media marketing in the year ahead.

Trends to Watch

1. Creator collaborations are on the rise among small businesses.
   Marketing budgets are often the first to be cut in times of economic uncertainty—and Hootsuite is reporting a decrease in spending by big brands on partnerships with content creators. This opens the door for smaller businesses to compete for top creators and influencers at more affordable price points.
2. Expect ROI numbers to come under increased scrutiny.
   Even as confidence in the effectiveness of social media is at an all-time high, marketers must be prepared to prove the value of the channel. Leadership needs to understand the impact social media has in terms of driving bookings, building brand awareness, and boosting repeat customer engagement.
3. Marketers are using different platforms in different ways.
   Facebook is often a place to connect with friends and family, Twitter is a forum to share political views and breaking news, and TikTok has become the place for entertaining short-form videos. Rather than posting the same content everywhere, marketers are delivering better results by tailoring their content to each platform and focusing less on copycat features.

Best Practices to Adopt in 2023

Staying on top of trends is a key part of cultivating an authentic and engaging social media presence—but be sure you’re following these best practices as well.

• Do your research: Conduct a social media audit to evaluate what’s working and where there is room for improvement. Determine what platforms your audience uses (age demographics can play a big role here). If resources are limited, you’ll want to be sure you’re focusing on the platforms that can deliver the biggest impact. Study success stories on how to use each platform to best engage your audience and boost your ROI. And don’t forget to compare with your comp set.
• Vet potential influencers: Work only with influencers who are strategically aligned with your goals and have the demonstrated ability and credibility to deliver your target audience while also providing brand-appropriate assets for use in your own marketing channels.
• Measure and report: Use UTM codes to measure the success of influencer campaigns, and track metrics like conversion rates, site visits, and more with your reporting tools. Create an ROI report that highlights the impact of your social media campaign.
• Focus on retention: Social media is a great opportunity to increase retention. Utilize point-of-sale pieces on property to encourage guests to follow. Continue to market to them on social media well past their stay to create new opportunities for rebookings. Also, consider pulling your past guest list and adding them to your database for social media ad campaigns—allowing you to boost repeat guest stays.

What social media strategy is right for your property? Your audience? Your objectives? At Brown Marketing & Communications, we’ll work with you to create and execute a plan that’s customized for you. Contact us today at 949.310.8662 or hbrown@brown-marketing.com.