📌 Hospitality Highlights: 4th September 2023
Serving Fresh Marketing Updates, Trends, Buyer Behaviour & Strategic Intel
In this week's Hospitality Highlights Marketing Newsletter
New Feature Alert: Instagram Unveils Creator Subscriptions
Instagram Expands Reels Uploads: Testing 3-Minute and 10-Minute Options
Meta's Subscription Plan for EU Users: Say Goodbye to In-Stream Ads
Meta's New Ad Library: Empowering Brands with Advanced Advertising Solutions
Job Listings for Verified Organisations on X Takes Shape
X Pilots New Feature Enabling Creators to Collect Email Contacts from Subscribers
Gen Z Teens and YouTube Ads: Majority Watch, Almost Half Remember
Streamlining the User Interface for LinkedIn Newsletter Creation
Reddit Introduces AI-Driven Keyword Research Tool
Exploring the New "Mentioned In" Search Snippet on Google Search
☕ Grab a coffee, and let’s get started!
📷 New Feature Alert: Instagram Unveils Creator Subscriptions
Meta has announced the global expansion of Instagram subscriptions, allowing eligible creators in Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Spain, and the United Kingdom to offer exclusive content to their followers for a monthly fee. This expansion follows the launch of Instagram subscriptions in the United States in January 2022. To be eligible, creators must have at least 10,000 followers and be over 18 years old. Subscribers will receive exclusive posts, Live videos, Stories, reels, highlights, and more, and a special badge to stand out in the comments section.
According to Meta, Instagram subscriptions help creators create deeper connections with their most engaged followers and generate recurring monthly income. The company plans to continue rolling out access to Instagram subscriptions globally. "We will continue to invest in tools that help creators earn money and will have more updates to share in the coming months," Meta stated in a blog post.
💡 With more and more Hospitality brands experimenting with Paid Loyalty programs, could paid subscriptions and exclusive content become an essential part of the marketing toolbox?
🎥 Instagram Expands Reels Uploads: Testing 3-Minute and 10-Minute Options
Instagram is reportedly testing more extended video options for its Reels feature, with internal tests for 3-minute and 10-minute Reels underway. This move aligns with TikTok's introduction of longer video uploads last year.
Instagram's previous long-form video option, IGTV, was retired last year. While it remains to be seen if users will embrace longer video content, the trend towards longer clips is consistent with the cyclical nature of social media. Instagram has confirmed the internal testing of 10-minute videos but has yet to make them available externally.
💡 Long-form content can be used to give a deep dive behind the scenes of your venue. Experiment with a range of topics, including Employee Interviews, How the Dish is Made, Events Planners sharing Wedding Tips, and Visits to Local suppliers. Walking Tours are popular on YouTube, so experiment on Instagram by showing walking routes from your venues to local attractions or parking facilities.
💰 Meta's Subscription Plan for EU Users: Say Goodbye to In-Stream Ads
Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, is reportedly considering the introduction of paid versions of its platforms for European Union (EU) users. The proposed subscriptions would allow users to avoid in-stream ads and use their data for ad targeting.
The move comes in response to evolving EU regulations, such as the Digital Services Act, which aim to give users more control over their data. Based on Meta's earnings report, the subscription cost is estimated to be at least $6 per month. It could lead to losses in ad revenue for the company. While the idea of paid subscriptions has been considered in the past, this marks a shift in Meta's approach to revenue generation.
💡 Hospitality businesses that want to attract customers in the EU, should focus on community building and brand awareness to mitigate any reduction in advertising reach. Focus on storytelling techniques with an emotional element, showcase your social good and brand values, and become an online conversation starter.
📚 Meta's New Ad Library: Empowering Brands with Advanced Advertising Solutions
Meta's Ad Library Search tool allows users to search for all ads on Meta platforms. Users can search for ads using keywords or advertiser names, set their location, and choose an ad category. The library now showcases and archives advertisements that have reached users in the European Union and its associated territories. The library provides vital details about the targeting and delivery of these ads.
Users can also search for information regarding branded content on the Facebook and Instagram platforms. By saving and naming frequently used queries, users can expedite their searches and quickly access filtered results whenever they return to the Ad Library. This enhancement aims to streamline the search experience for users.
💡 The Ad Library is a fantastic and often overlooked resource for competitor analysis and for getting inspiration for your social media posts and campaigns. Make sure you check it out. Don’t forget to search for results related to your personal brand as well as your company.
👩💼 Job Listings for Verified Organisations on X takes shape
X has officially launched its new job listings feature in beta, allowing Verified Organisations on the app to add job listings to their profiles. These job listings appear as an open roles shelf above the organisation's main timeline. Users can tap on the "View all jobs" call-to-action to see all the open positions and apply for each one.
To add job vacancy listings to their business profile, organisations need to subscribe to Verification for Organizations, X's premium business plan, and apply to join the X Hiring beta. The job listings feature will roll out in the coming weeks.
❓ Can X take the recruitment crown away from LinkedIn? Let me know in this week’s poll
💌 X Pilots New Feature Enabling Creators to Collect Email Contacts from Subscribers
X is developing a new feature that allows subscribers on the platform to share their email contact information with the creators they follow. This feature, accessed through a checkbox on the subscribe pop-up window, would give creators off-platform access to their subscribers' email addresses, enabling direct offers and the potential to move to another platform with those contacts.
While social media platforms are typically hesitant to allow contact info sharing, X's move towards data portability could attract more creators and brands. This feature, combined with X's ad revenue share program, aims to incentivise top users to remain active without compromising the platform's core offerings.
💡 Encouraging users to share their email contact information presents hotels and restaurants with a valuable opportunity to expand their newsletter lists.
This would facilitate direct outreach to potential customers, offering special promotions, discounts, and exclusive deals. Email strategies can boost brand awareness, attract new customers, and increase bookings and reservations.
📺 Gen Z Teens and YouTube Ads: Majority Watch, Almost Half Remember
YouTube has become the top platform for Gen Z teens, with approximately 80% using it to stream video content. A study also revealed that 60% of teens choose to watch YouTube ads rather than skip them, and nearly half can recall ads they have seen on the platform.
These findings have led to a shift in ad spend, with advertisers moving budgets from traditional TV to YouTube ads. These results have convinced many advertising partners to prioritise YouTube as their primary video advertising channel.
💡 Hotels and restaurants can use YouTube ads by partnering with content creators or influencers with a strong platform presence. This can involve featuring sponsored videos or collaborations with popular YouTube channels to promote their establishment and offerings.
By capitalising on the rise in YouTube Connected TVs, hotels and restaurants can effectively reach and engage with the younger generation, ultimately attracting more customers and increasing revenue.
📝 Streamlining the User Interface for LinkedIn Newsletter Creation
LinkedIn is enhancing its newsletter creation functionality by introducing an updated editing and publishing process. The revamp includes improved formatting, layout options, and multimedia integration. The new editor enables users to focus on sharing insights and expertise effectively. Users can save drafts, seek feedback, customise publishing schedules, and optimise content by adding SEO titles and descriptions.
A user can host multiple newsletters, up to five, each with individual designs and topics, and newsletter subscribers will now automatically follow the member's LinkedIn updates. These updates aim to boost engagement and provide a direct connection with LinkedIn's expanding audience. The platform plans to roll out these features to all users in the coming month.
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💡 Hotels and restaurants can capitalise on this news for corporate travel and events by leveraging LinkedIn's enhanced newsletter creation functionality. To showcase their offerings and services, they can create and distribute newsletters to their target audience, including corporate travel managers and event planners.
🔍 Reddit Introduces AI-Driven Keyword Research Tool
Reddit has introduced a new feature called Keyword Suggestions in its Ads Manager. This tool uses machine learning and natural language processing to generate relevant keywords for advertisers. It ranks each suggestion based on monthly Reddit views and filters out unsuitable content. The aim is to save time on keyword research and improve the reach and efficiency of campaigns.
The feature ensures brand safety by analysing the original context of each keyword and offering suggestions that align with advertisers' requirements.
💡 As Reddit is notoriously tricky to advertise on, this tool will be well suited to finding those micro-niches where engagement can be found, rather than risking the ire of the Reddit community in general. By using these suggested keywords, hotels and restaurants can improve the reach and efficiency of their campaigns on Reddit.
🔎 Exploring the New "Mentioned In" Search Snippet on Google Search
Google is testing a new search snippet feature called "Mentioned in," which allows users to expand and view websites that mention a particular webpage. The feature includes a dropdown arrow that reveals the first two websites in a carousel format within the search snippet. Users can navigate the carousel to see additional sites where the webpage is mentioned. In another test variation, the carousel is displayed by default without the dropdown.
This feature provides searchers with information about reputable websites that mention a specific site, potentially increasing trust in Google's search results. This limited test will evaluate the effectiveness of the feature and its usage among searchers - meaning we could see this feature roll out in full in the coming months.
💡 This feature allows users to expand and view websites that mention a particular webpage, allowing hotels and restaurants to see where they are being mentioned and how others perceive them.
This feature could increase trust in Google's search results and help hotels and restaurants enhance their online presence. I recommend running a backlink audit if you need to find out where your site is being mentioned.
ICYMI
🛎️ Hotelier’s Hub 29th August 2023
In this week's Hotelier's Hub Newsletter 88% of Global Markets Post RevPAR Growth Above 2019, on Par with the Record High Essential Role of Digital, Wellness and Sustainability for Customers in Travel Expedia Group’s Q3 “Traveler Insights” Shows Traveler Enthusiasm Holds Strong
🍎 Food for Thought: 31st August 2023
In this week's Food For Thought Newsletter Top Drinks Trends on TikTok Grubhub Bringing Amazon's Just Walk Out Technology to College Campuses Modular - The Newest Trend in Restaurant Design What Do Restaurants Get Wrong About Their Vegetarian & Vegan Menu Options?
Coming Soon on Substack
Campaign Plan: Christmas
Strategy Updates: September
Why Customers Are Turning on AirBnb
Content Calendar: November 2023
Hashtag Research: October 2023
Campaign Plan: Valentine's Day
Buyer Persona: Gen Z
Educational Series: Instagram Part 4 - Growth Strategies
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That’s a wrap for the week!
Please don't hesitate to contact me with any feedback or suggestions for future topics. Here's to Your Success 🥂