SOUTHLAKE, Texas June 14, 2011 – Leveraging the growing role of social media in travel, Sabre Hospitality Solutions has launched SocialConversion, a comprehensive product suite allowing hotels to maximize their social media presence, bring their brand to new travelers, connect with guests, and grow revenue through distribution on sites such as Facebook.
According to a recent eConsultancy report, more than 40 percent of travelers use social media to research their travel options before a purchase, so a strong presence in social media channels is an important part of a successful hotel marketing plan. SocialConversion is the first marketing solution of its kind to be introduced to the hospitality industry and was designed to allow hotels to tap into new market segments as well as build community within their existing loyalty customer base. The suite of offerings includes a range of unique, new ways for hotels to engage and interact through social media:
- A fully integrated, seamless Facebook booking engine with the look and feel of the hotel Website, allowing guests to not only search availability but also view rooms, shop rates, and complete the entire booking process, all within the Facebook framework;
- Share-your-stay functionality enabling guests to virally distribute the hotel’s brand and their stay across multiple social channels simultaneously;
- Ability to create unique social media-only offers and promotions to push and share within Facebook;
- Integration of social media into the hotel’s Website through profile portability and social plug-ins, enabling Website visitors to pre-populate forms, and interact and share content including blog posts, photos and packages by utilizing their Facebook account;
- Custom tabs and widgets to leverage cross-promotional opportunities between the hotel or chain’s own Website and social media platforms, driving traffic between locations;
- Network building and campaign management solutions.
US-based Arizona Grand Resort, managed by Classic Hotels & Resorts, is among the first of Sabre Hospitality Solutions’ customers to implement the Facebook booking engine solution. The resort quickly achieved a 12:1 Return on Investment (ROI) after implementing the new booking engine on their Facebook page and is continuing to observe bookings and usage growth among “fans."
“We see the landscape of online marketing changing continuously. The team of experts at Sabre Hospitality Solutions has proven their expertise in innovative technology, and they have been helping us achieve our goals as we’ve been experiencing quick results," said Greg Waters, director of sales and marketing for Arizona Grand Resort. “We are excited at the new ways they are enabling us to drive revenue through our own marketing, and plan to join them as they lead the industry in opening up this new segment."
SocialConversion was designed as a toolkit to complement Sabre Hospitality Solutions’ existing social media and reputation management services. These services are offered by an expert team who provide campaign management, network building, online strategy and other support to boost hotels’ presence in social media and ultimately drive revenue.
“SocialConversion represents the commitment Sabre Hospitality’s e-marketing innovation team has made to our customers to provide the most comprehensive social media optimization solution available in our industry," said Paolo Torchio, vice president, E-marketing and Solutions Consulting, for Sabre Hospitality Solutions. “Our customers have expressed interest in taking social media to the next level and want to start seeing a return on their investment. This product suite was designed with exactly that in mind: helping our customers build loyalty, tap into new market segments, build buzz, and grow their businesses through online communities."
About Sabre Hospitality Solutions
Sabre Hospitality Solutions provides technology solutions to the global hospitality industry. A leading Software-as-a-Service business, its reservations system, marketing and distribution software, and Internet Marketing and e-business solutions are used by more than 12,000 hotel properties around the world, generating more than $12 billion in revenue each year for its customers. For more information visit www.sabrehospitality.com.
Sabre Hospitality Solutions:
Carol Levitt
Director, Marketing & Communications
+1-682-605-3614
Carol.levitt@sabre.com
