Social media in 2021: The new MVP for hospitality

Social media has become a lifeline during the pandemic, with people turning to their devices for connections with far-flung family, friends and colleagues.

The COVID-19-related social stats are staggering: a 10% jump since the start of 2020, over half the world is now active on social media.

That’s four billion people, spending an average of 15% of their daily time browsing social. In Western Europe, Instagram’s monthly user count tripled the pre-pandemic estimates , propelling that platform to over one billion users for the first time . Similar trends were seen across other platforms, such as Facebook, Snapchat and TikTok, which all registered massive spikes in usage.

Surging social media use is a bright spot for brands looking to engage with consumers while stuck at home. The pandemic has accelerated the shift to digital, resulting in a 61.7% jump in North American advertising spend on social media during Q3 2020.

At BCV, where we execute global social media strategies for hospitality brands, we've seen the surge firsthand. The average number of incoming messages across all of our partners was up 31.2% between June and September 2020 versus the same timeframe in 2019.

So how will this all play out in 2021? Social media will remain a powerful communications and brand marketing tool. With social at the center of consumer engagement, it’s time to prepare for the year ahead. Here's what you need to know to stay on top of the social game in 2021!

1. Wellness in focus

2020 was a challenging year not just economically but also mentally, physically and spiritually. This has taken its toll, leading to a heightened focus on wellness. Travelers are already researching wellness-related experiences that restore and rejuvenate. Terms such as "immersive,", "mindful travel," "sensory" and "local" are currently trending, as travelers look for hotels to offer more wellness options.

Travelers don’t yet feel comfortable receiving indoor or direct therapy treatments and are seeking opportunities to recharge and restore through alternative amenities offered by resorts. On-property wellness offerings that connect guests with nature in a socially-distanced way, such as open-air yoga or sound baths, have priority in planning and purchase decisions.

In mid-2021, as vaccines go mainstream, travelers will then turn to spa treatments and other indoor wellness experiences.

ACTION: Emphasize your property’s wellness opportunities, such as immersion in nature, creative spa packages, and locally-sourced, immunity-boosting healthful options at your on-site F&B outlets.

2. Socially conscious, cause-driven content

Audiences are driven to engage with brands that value social impact, whether directly through their product or via a relevant cause. This is especially true among millennials, a demographic that’s primed to travel the most in the coming year: 75% expect brands to take a stance on the social issues that matter most to them. Brands that can speak about these issues authentically - and help guests make a difference - will have a leg-up in 2021.

Also, sustainability and environmentalism are key. The pandemic triggered a worldwide conversation about regenerative tourism, which puts local preservation ahead of economic imperatives.

Many destinations plan to reopen their tourism economies in ways that don't sacrifice the well-being of the environment or local citizens.  This theme is a high-impact, high visibility opportunity in the year ahead.

ACTION: Find opportunities to showcase your property’s authentic commitment to sustainability, as well as your involvement with local communities.

3. Brand personification

People want to relate to brands in a more personal, human way. They crave the types of deeper connections that have been sorely lacking in 2020. To establish and strengthen these connections, make sure that your brand voice is authentic and real. You want to humanize the brand so that it feels tangible and relatable rather than remote and distant.

It's this type of warmth and congeniality that makes an impression in the pandemic-weary consumer. There's little appetite (or patience) for fake brands  keeping consumers at arm's length.

In 2021, humanize your brand with transparency and authenticity to develop deeper, more authentic connections with your most important audiences.

ACTION: Make sure that your brand voice documentation is current and distributed broadly so that your communications align across channels.

4. Diversity and inclusion

Consumers want to see their own values reflected in your brand’s content. Visibility and awareness into racism, sexism and systemic inequalities is at an all-time high. To thoughtfully integrate diversity and inclusivity across your marketing, include a diverse array of voices and communities.

Start conversations with employees, clients and customers, as well as other stakeholders, that can deliver a more meaningful and long-term effort at  improving diversity and inclusion.

ACTION: Make an effort to infuse your content with diversity. While planning your content, organize your photo shoots to make sure that there's accurate representation of the communities you serve.

5. Celebration-centric travel

Following the postponement of life events and seasonal traditions, people are eager to celebrate those milestones missed in 2020. Travelers are looking to plan birthday getaways, anniversary trips, wedding celebrations, honeymoons, family reunions and religious observations.

Those plans are already underway,  with Travelers turning to social media for ideas.

It's important to participate in this conversation from the get-go, so your brand is on the shortlist for booking in 2021. Those brands that stay relevant today by offering travel dreams for the pandemic-weary will over-perform in the next year.

ACTION: Highlight the opportunity to celebrate those missed milestones by providing trip ideas and even special discounts for those delayed celebrations.

6. AR/VR matures

As consumers spend more time at home and online, they have consistently turned to immersive virtual experiences for escapism and exploration. This comes as mobile devices become sophisticated powerhouses, able to deliver augmented reality experiences more easily.

Guests and event planners want to wander the halls of a hotel, visit guest rooms and experience the property virtually prior to booking.

Tapping into this trend and placing "taster content" can generate affinity and create genuine connections.

Augmented reality/virtual reality content makes for compelling marketing centerpieces, with 360-degree videos immersing travelers in virtual experiences with your brand, such as unique onsite experiences like fly fishing or highlighting standout team expertise in a wellness instructor-led mediation.

ACTION: When refreshing your content in 2021, invest in new types of content that give potential guests an interactive way to explore your property.

7. Social commerce

With social commerce, social media becomes an integral part of the buying experience. In-app shopping tools and capabilities will continue to evolve as consumers turn to social as their new go-to marketplace. This includes reviews from friends, as well as influencer recommendations that “influence” buying decisions.

Social media also connects groups to discuss potential trips, which makes Instagram direct messages and Facebook Groups an informal channel for trip planning . To align with this trend, share detailed itineraries and fun trip ideas on your social handles and encourage followers to tag friends and family.

The underlying engagement objective should be to inspire dreams and encourage groups to begin envisioning future trips for 2021.

ACTION: Planning is more fun together and brands that make this easy will see greater engagement. Find ways to empower your followers to shop socially.

8. Omni- and micro-influencers

Influencer marketing has always been a powerful force in trouble. As we saw in the earlier trend, influencers have been a core component of social shopping for years. In 2021, travel marketers will find value in partnerships with omni-influencers and micro-influencers.

Micro-influencers are those with 10,000 followers or less. Even though reach is small, average engagement is generally higher.

With a focused campaign engaging multiple micro influencers, a brand can reach a targeted audience in an authentic and direct way. While micro-influencer campaigns require close collaboration to be the most successful, the results can be impressive.

Omni-channel influencers are those that reach across multiple channels, nurturing communities on more than one platform. Since multichannel influencers have multiple connection points with consumers, they can provide a valuable boost to brand awareness and conversions. However, due to their broad influence, the cost can be much higher than micro influencers.

ACTION: Identify influencers that have engaged communities create opportunities for collaboration that put your brand in front of the right people.

9. Short-form videos

Short-form videos have exploded in popularity during the pandemic, propelling the format’s pioneer Tiktok to two billion total downloads in April. Other platforms are getting in on the action: Instagram recently released its own short-form format with Reels, while Snapchat launched a $1 million content campaign for its Spotlight feature to showcase short videos.

As user attention turns to short-form video content, your brand will need to consider if and how to participate in the medium.

Given the nature of video, it can take a bit more work than typical content; thankfully, the videos are short and users don’t expect slick production values.

ACTION: Experiment to see what works with your audiences to make sure that you don't miss out on the explosion of short-form videos in 2021. And ask front-line staff to contribute - they may have creative ideas!

10. Gaming-style content

Online consumers are turning to content they can interact with as a means of distraction and escapism. Even if you aren’t an avid gamer, many others are: social users who now identify as a “gamer” have increased by 32% since 2020 Q1.

The definition has expanded beyond traditional console games to include mobile gamers, like NYT Games and Plato. There’s more diversity than ever when it comes to those who consume gaming-style content!

For your 2021 social media, that means being aware of this emerging demographic. It also means offering new approaches to content that may have game-like elements, such as Choose Your Own Adventure or other interactive components. It comes down to satisfying the user's desire for interactivity and novel experiences as a way to deepen connection with your brand.

ACTION: Create packages targeting gamers to test the market. Experiment with interactive-style content on social that adds a game element to your feed.