Understanding the conversation prism and what it means for your hotel’s social media marketing strategy

A little over a decade ago, social media was barely mentioned when talking about marketing but it’s become an integral part of any modern hotelier’s business strategy. Used as a way to connect, drive interest and deliver a return on investment, engaging in social media is a powerful tool. Today there are numerous social channels to choose from but how do you pick where to focus? The Conversation Prism can help.

By 2022, the number of active social network users is projected to reach 4288 million people in the UK alone, a significant slice of the travel market. The growing prominence of social media means it’s become an essential channel for hotels to use. If you’re targeting the millennial generation, it’s even more important to get to grips with the latest social media trends. In 2016, nine in ten adults under the age of 35 had set up a new profile in the last twelve months.

While there are some social media platforms that continue to be popular, performing well in hotel social media marketing strategies as a result, there is also an increasing number of new market entrants. With so many different options, focussing on a few select platforms to build up an engaged audience can create a digital hotel marketing strategy that delivers a return – the Conversation Prism helps you identify those opportunities.

What is the Conversation Prism?

The Conversation Prism is an infographic packed with information that’s waiting for marketing professionals to tap into. Updated frequently, it explores how people use social media to communicate, learn, and share. Since the first edition was published in 2008, the power of social media has grown enormously and the latest version reflects that.

Why does the Conversation Prism matter?

The Conversation Prism isn’t just an interesting infographic to glance at, there are lots of parts that hotel social media marketing professionals can draw out to improve the way that they use social media.

Firstly, it doesn’t only identify how the key social media players like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn are being used, it explores lesser-known platforms too. A few years ago Instagram was one of those little players but it now has an impressive 800 million monthly active users, a lucrative market for hoteliers to tap into. The Conversation Prism can help you find that new market to target and establish yourself within.

As it shows how users communicate through each platform, the Conversation Prism is also ideal for informing content choices. For example, if you’re keen to blog about your hotel, the blog/microblog category helps you find your niche.

How does the Conversation Prism inform hotel social media marketing?

The Conversation Prism cleverly breaks down each section of social media platforms to create groups, for example breaking them down into those that are used to listen, engage, co-create, and learn. Armed with the information provided you can not only find a channel for your content but also tailor it to match the expectations of your followers.

An example of this is the video category, which contains leaders in this area like YouTube, Vine and Vimeo, it’s ideal for hotels as it gives you a chance to show off your offering and it’s been proven that beautiful holiday snaps and videos perform well. But people often consume content to learn, so it’s vital that you don’t focus on the promotional aspects but aim to inform.