Social Networks | Hotel | Golf | Tourism

It seems that the world of sales and marketing is waking up and adding items in their financial budgets for sales actions through social networks. We see this every day in professional publications from all economic sectors in our country. But, let’s break down this topic a little more, and see if they are really being given the follow-up, functionality and importance that these tools deserve. communication.

Since 2009 we have seen a timid approach to the world of communication on social networks both in hotel complexes and on golf courses. There have been so many online platforms that have been pushing to stand out in their market, that there was still reluctance about who to bet on and where to communicate. And I say timid, because the strategies that are being carried out on the social network to this day are not entirely accurate and forceful.

On a personal level, my commitment to social networks focuses on 2008, when I began to develop different communication platforms at the Sotogrande golf resort, more specifically at Almenara Golf. Even though the chain had not yet established a social communication system, my commitment to this type of communication was express, clear and forceful. And since that date, seeing that the different sales channels we had were not enough, due to the aggressive competition we had in the market from different tourist complexes, we realized that we needed a more direct communication strategy towards different types of clients: hotel residents, local clients and those who came to us through intermediaries.

Why access social networks?

Very easy, and in a very graphic way, I would like to explain it, in the same way that Leopoldo Abadia did with the description of the crisis. Let’s do it with colloquial language so that all users can understand the kind of social strategy that certain companies adopt, because sometimes, with such technical terms, there are people who mislead.

Life, communication, meetings with friends and clients, communication forums have changed. Technology has imposed new forms and ways of interacting, communicating, and contacting each other. Thus, from a point of view of marketing a product or service, things change. We no longer only have conventional sales tools, but we are also realizing that our clients, collaborators and contacts are increasingly using these means to exchange information, receive it and even share it. Curious invention! I mean, my clients are dedicated to touching these “little machines” to manipulate information. Some of them ask me if I have Facebook, if I can share the photos on Facebook, if I follow you on Twitter, or even to share my profile. LinkedIn because he is interested in offering me a job.

Well, things change, in 2008 I thought, either we are immersed in these platforms, or in the future we will be outside the communication market for what I sell. It was there, when I began to develop the different social network profiles such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc. of the company I work for, with little acceptance, in terms of registered “friends”, but each time, the result of a great effort of social communication via personal profiles that I managed, online promotions and discounts, I managed to increase the public traffic that the company pages had. It is not at all difficult, it just requires knowledge of the structure of the development of social networks, and like everything in life, many hours of work, with much success to this day in the communications that we need to make about our services, events and promotions.

In order not to devirtualize the topic, and as I mentioned at a graphic level, I would like to explain to you what each of these tools meant for me. In this way, all the managers to whom I explained it seemed reluctant at first, but little by little they began to understand this simple and straightforward description of what their social actions could generate in their clients:

Facebook: It is the playground, the bar, the cafeteria or a meeting place for our “friends” and potential clients. Let’s keep in mind that our parents did not have this form of communication. All the businesses came out of meetings alternating with friends, clients, etc… where deals were agreed and business was generated. Like the Bananarama song. “Friends of my friends are my friends”

Twitter: Same as Facebook, but more select. It is the specific forum where our predecessors went to search, what type of business, or contact in a very concise and practical way.