Hotel UGC Marketing Guide: 5 Tips [2024]
Learn how to leverage user-generated content to boost hotel marketing, drive bookings, and engage modern travelers in 2024.
UGC is essential for hotel marketing because 79% of travelers base their booking decisions on it, and 32-39% of millennials avoid hotels without UGC. It builds trust, boosts engagement, and keeps your content fresh - without breaking the bank. Here’s what you’ll learn:
- Encourage Guests to Share: Create photo-worthy spaces, offer rewards, and host social media contests.
- Use Guest Content Effectively: Share UGC on social media, websites, and ads to drive 6.9x higher interaction.
- Engage Online: Interact with guests through hashtags, replies, and reviews to inspire more UGC.
- Monitor Results: Track metrics like engagement rates and hashtag performance to optimize your strategy.
- Leverage AI Tools: Automate UGC collection, organization, and performance tracking for better efficiency.
UGC isn’t just a trend - it’s shaping how people book hotels. Start using these five strategies to attract more guests and increase direct bookings.
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1. Get Guests to Share Their Experiences
Modern travelers, especially Gen Z, lean heavily on social media for travel decisions - 40% skip traditional search engines altogether, heading straight to platforms like Instagram and TikTok. To tap into this trend, make it easy and appealing for guests to share their experiences during their stay.
Create Photo-Worthy Spaces
Transform your property into a visual magnet by designing areas that guests can’t resist photographing. These spaces naturally encourage sharing and help spread your hotel’s presence online. Here are some ideas:
- Install interactive art in busy areas.
- Add striking architectural elements as focal points.
- Use bold colors and creative lighting to enhance spaces.
- Include features like themed lounges or scenic rooftop views.
Once your property is camera-ready, it’s time to motivate guests to share their snapshots.
Offer Rewards for Sharing
Give guests a reason to post by offering perks they’ll appreciate. From spa discounts to loyalty points, these incentives can boost engagement while building a stronger connection with your brand. Here's a breakdown of reward types and their benefits:
| Reward Type | Example Incentive | Guest Benefit |
|---|---|---|
| Immediate Perks | 10% off spa services | Enhances current stay |
| Future Rewards | Room upgrade next visit | Encourages repeat bookings |
| Exclusive Access | VIP lounge privileges | Creates a premium feel |
| Loyalty Points | Double points for posts | Builds long-term loyalty |
Host Social Media Contests
Social media contests are a great way to spark guest participation. They’re fun, engaging, and can significantly increase the amount of user-generated content for your brand. To make your contest successful:
- Set clear rules for submissions.
- Offer prizes that align with your hotel’s vibe.
- Use branded hashtags to track entries.
- Interact with participants by liking and commenting.
- Highlight winning submissions on your platforms.
2. Use Guest Content in Your Marketing
Guest content can be a game-changer for your marketing efforts. User-generated content (UGC) creates stronger engagement, with studies showing it drives 6.9x higher interaction compared to traditional brand photography. For hotels, this is a powerful way to connect with audiences.
Post Guest Content on Social Media
Tap into existing hashtags and highlight top guest submissions to keep your social media fresh and engaging. UGC can make up 35% of your monthly social posts while showcasing real guest experiences. When sharing guest content, follow these best practices:
- Always get permission before reposting
- Credit the original creator to build goodwill
- Ensure the content aligns with your brand's messaging
- Interact with guests who share their experiences
Social media isn't the only place for UGC. Your website is another great platform to feature guest stories and inspire bookings.
Add Guest Content to Your Website
Placing guest content strategically on your website can influence potential customers and build trust. Here's how you can use it effectively:
| Website Section | Type of UGC | Why It Works |
|---|---|---|
| Key Pages | Guest photos and reviews | Adds credibility and visual appeal |
| Amenity Pages | Related guest experiences | Highlights real-life usage |
| Room Listings | Guest room photos | Offers an honest, relatable view |
Include Guest Content in Ads
UGC isn't just for organic content - it works wonders in ads too. Ads featuring user-generated content have 4x higher click-through rates than standard ads. Take inspiration from campaigns like The Ritz-Carlton's "Let Us Stay With You", which used guest memories and photos to double engagement rates while cutting acquisition costs.
To make the most of UGC in your ads:
- Pick high-quality content that fits your brand's image
- Highlight a variety of guest experiences
- Focus on seasonal moments or standout amenities
- Experiment with different UGC formats to find what works best
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3. Interact with Guests Online
Engaging with guests online is key to building connections and encouraging user-generated content (UGC). Hotels that actively interact with their audience often enjoy more UGC sharing and stronger loyalty from their guests.
Create and Promote a Hotel Hashtag
A hashtag acts as a digital hub, making it easier for future guests to discover real experiences shared by others. A well-thought-out hashtag strategy helps you track and showcase guest content effectively.
Here’s how to make the most of your hotel hashtag:
- Display it prominently in elevators, lobbies, and other physical spaces.
- Add it to your social media bio and regularly include it in posts.
- Include it in guest welcome kits.
- Feature it on in-room materials like brochures or TV screens.
Monitor how your hashtag performs by tracking its growth, the quality of content it attracts, and engagement levels. Highlight a variety of guest content, such as dining photos, room views, or event snapshots, to show different sides of your property.
Once you’ve established your hashtag, actively engage with guests who use it.
Reply to Reviews and Posts
Quick responses to guest reviews, comments, or photo tags can boost engagement significantly - by up to 40%. Personal, thoughtful replies not only build trust but also encourage others to share their experiences. Here’s how to interact with guest content:
| Engagement Type | Best Practice | Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Reviews | Respond within 24 hours with a personalized message | Can increase review response rates by 25% |
| Social Comments | Like and reply with specific details about their stay | Boosts engagement with followers by 40% |
| Photo Tags | Thank the guest and ask permission to reshare their post | Leads to 3x more tagged photos |
Keep your responses aligned with your brand’s tone but make them personal. Mention specific details from the guest’s post to show you’re paying attention. This approach not only strengthens relationships but also fosters a sense of community around your brand, encouraging more guests to share their moments.
4. Monitor and Improve UGC Results
Keeping track of how user-generated content (UGC) performs can help hotels fine-tune their marketing efforts and boost engagement. By analyzing the right data and using a mix of content types, hotels can create a UGC strategy that encourages more bookings.
Check Engagement Metrics
Reviewing social media metrics like engagement rates and hashtag activity helps identify which UGC resonates most with your audience. Platforms like Instagram Insights and Facebook Page Insights make it easier to track these performance indicators:
| Metric Type | What to Track | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| Engagement Rate | Likes, comments, shares | Shows how well the content connects with users |
| Story Views | View completion rate, clicks | Highlights interest in temporary content |
| Hashtag Performance | Usage frequency, reach | Gauges how successful your campaign is |
| Website Traffic | Click-through rates, time on page | Indicates potential for bookings |
Research suggests UGC leads to 28% higher engagement compared to branded content, and highly engaging UGC is three times more likely to result in bookings. Check these metrics regularly - monthly is a good starting point - to spot trends and tweak your strategy. Once you know what works, focus on showcasing a wide range of guest experiences to attract different types of travelers.
Use a Variety of Guest Stories
Sharing diverse guest stories helps connect with a broader audience and highlights everything your property has to offer. For example, The Peninsula Chicago features content that spans wedding celebrations, family vacations, business trips, pet-friendly stays, and dining experiences.
This approach works - 79% of travelers say UGC influences their booking decisions. When selecting content, prioritize genuine guest experiences that align with your brand while representing different perspectives.
To stay organized, consider creating a system to manage your UGC library. This ensures you're consistently sharing rights-approved content that fits your strategy.
5. Use AI Tools to Improve UGC Marketing
Artificial intelligence is changing the way hotels handle user-generated content (UGC), making the process faster and more effective. AI tools simplify UGC management while driving better engagement and conversion rates.
Automate UGC Collection and Organization
Sorting through UGC manually takes time and often leads to inconsistencies. AI automation ensures a steady stream of high-quality, rights-cleared content. Research from Accenture shows that AI can boost labor productivity by up to 40% when integrated into content management systems.
AI tools make UGC workflows easier by:
- Automatically monitoring and sorting content by themes, quality, and engagement potential
- Tracking usage rights and permissions
- Providing real-time performance analytics
Hotels using automated systems for UGC management report a 35% improvement in monthly social media content efficiency. To get the best results, integrate these tools into your current processes and review their performance regularly.
Use Sail for AI-Powered Hotel Marketing
Platforms like Sail leverage AI to optimize UGC marketing without requiring upfront ad spend. Sail works with your existing hotel management systems to improve marketing across different channels:
| Feature | Benefit | Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Managed Social Campaigns | Automated content sharing on Facebook and Instagram | Boosts visibility and engagement |
| Metasearch Integration | Improves presence on booking platforms | Drives more direct bookings |
| Performance Tracking & Pay-per-booking | Real-time access to campaign metrics with no upfront costs | Enables data-driven decisions while reducing financial risks |
"AI-powered platforms have revolutionized how we approach UGC marketing in the hospitality industry. The ability to automatically collect, organize, and analyze guest content has made our marketing efforts more efficient and effective", highlights BCV Social's analysis of The Peninsula Chicago's social media strategy.
Conclusion: Use UGC to Drive Bookings in 2024
User-generated content (UGC) has become a key player in hotel marketing, proving to be 9.8x more effective than influencer content and influencing 79% of travelers' booking decisions. Younger travelers, especially millennials, are prioritizing genuine experiences, with 32-39% avoiding hotels that don’t include UGC in their marketing efforts.
By pairing guest-generated content with AI tools for easier management and distribution, hotels can amplify their marketing efforts. Highlighting real guest experiences across digital platforms not only boosts engagement but also drives bookings, shaping a fresh standard for the industry in 2024.
To remain competitive, hotels need to treat UGC marketing as a long-term approach rather than a passing trend. Properties showcasing genuine guest experiences while staying active on multiple platforms are seeing higher direct booking rates and reduced reliance on OTAs.
"People, especially younger travelers, convert based on authentic content, often created by their peers. But remember, the User Generated Content strategy isn't just getting your guests to do the work of marketing. It's a new job for marketing to inspire guests to want to create amazing shots of your property." - BCV Social
Hotels that focus on authentic UGC and utilize AI for smooth management in 2024 will enjoy stronger engagement, more direct bookings, and less dependence on OTAs. Encourage your guests to share their stories and build a marketing plan that thrives on honesty and smart optimization.
