REVENUE MANAGEMENT GUIDE © Marin Management, Inc. 1 A. The Purpose of This Policy The purpose of this policy is to provide general information on how to use online networking channels to market to hotel travelers and travel managers. Our goals include increasing online business-to- business transactions, government bookings, group bookings, and our individual traveler loyalty and bookings. Continue ► Online Networking Guide, 1553 General Guidelines for Online Networking

REVENUE MANAGEMENT GUIDE © Marin Management, Inc. 2 B. Overview Many companies have successfully harnessed the potential of online networking channels channels for marketing. Some of these businesses sell directly to consumers, so their methods often do not apply to businesses that sell services to other businesses, such as travel agents and travel consortia. There are businesses, however, that use networking channels channels to find commercial and government customers and build their images. We can learn from some of their methods, which are described in this policy. Continue ► Online Networking Guide, 1553 General Guidelines for Online Networking

REVENUE MANAGEMENT GUIDE © Marin Management, Inc. 3 C. How to Use Online Networking to Build Your Business 1. Build a reputation of expertise. Use online networking channels (including blogs, Twitter ®, etc.) to build your reputation of expertise on topics of interest to your commercial, government and individual customers. Doing so will cause those clients and prospects to want to stay in touch with your hotel. For example, if your hotel is near a special-event venue, become the undisputed expert on those events. This will help to hold the interest of your customers and potential customers in your communications regarding those events. For online networking marketing purposes, each hotel must define their subjects of expertise and interest to their customers. Continue ► Online Networking Guide, 1553 General Guidelines for Online Networking

REVENUE MANAGEMENT GUIDE © Marin Management, Inc. 4 C. How to Use Online Networking to Build Your Business (cont.) 2. Research your customers. Many think of online networking as a great communication tool, but it is also an excellent research tool. From the massive amounts of data accumulated every day on blogs you can identify trends by tracking this information, for example:  Know what your customers are saying about you, your competitors and our industry in general.  Know what your clients’ customers are saying about them.  Track industry trends. For example, you can use Twilerts and Google ® Alerts to track keywords by , or create an RSS feed of new information via Content Keyword RSS Yahoo Piple ®. Continue ► Online Networking Guide, 1553 General Guidelines for Online Networking

REVENUE MANAGEMENT GUIDE © Marin Management, Inc. 5 C. How to Use Online Networking to Build Your Business (cont.) 3. Ramp up your networking. In the hotel business, our potential customers come to us from every industry, non-profit organization and governmental organization. To compete with other hotels, it helps to be well- connected with the organizations that you want to attract and retain as clients. Hotel sales and management team members should always be networking and prospecting for business. Using online networking channels can help. There are hundreds of ways to use online networking channels for business networking and prospecting These tools include LinkedIn ®, Twitter ® and Plaxo ®, which are highly valued by our prospects and clients. If you also network on niche social sites, however, you have the potential to stand out even more. Continue ► Online Networking Guide, 1553 General Guidelines for Online Networking

REVENUE MANAGEMENT GUIDE © Marin Management, Inc. 6 C. How to Use Online Networking to Build Your Business (cont.) 4. Learn from others. With all communications, you must appear sharper, more knowledgeable and better prepared than your competitors. Watch what others, including competitors, are doing with online networking:  Seek out blogs for your industry and subscribe to RSS.  Network with relevant experts.  Follow the insights of business leaders on Twitter ®.  Connect with on blogs.  Make yourself easy to find on the web.  Keep an open mind to new networking ideas. Continue ► Online Networking Guide, 1553 General Guidelines for Online Networking

REVENUE MANAGEMENT GUIDE © Marin Management, Inc. 7 C. How to Use Online Networking to Build Your Business (cont.) 5. Additional Advice on Online Networking.  Go to your online sites regularly and update them.  Make your pages interesting so people will want to come back often. Regularly add and update quality content.  Be professional. Though Online Networking sites are fun and entertaining, it is important to treat your hotel pages and sites as professional profiles and not personal communications.  Be creative and have fun. End Online Networking Guide, 1553 General Guidelines for Online Networking

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