Flip.to Blog

Stories that inspire: our favorite guest moments from January

Every guest story is an opportunity for a hotel to unveil something new. Stories reach & inspire—they’re truly memorable, sometimes magical, and a lot of times, a bit of fun.

In a way, we’ve fallen in love with guest stories, and every day see firsthand the impact they’re making for hotels. That’s why we’re sharing them with you! Check out a handful of our recent favorites below:

Crystal Lodge — Whistler, British Columbia

“Staff were unbelievably helpful and friendly. Ski valet staff always made time to have a chat about snow conditions, weather and best runs etc. Immense hotel, immense holiday!” – David B.

Hit the slopes

Crystal Lodge is a regular on this list. Their all-star staff is constantly making headlines with their guests. In return, their guests have helped this pristine Whistler property tap into over 200,000 authentic introductions in the last year alone.

Brentwood Bay Resort & Spa — Victoria, British Columbia

“Brentwood Bay is a magical place. Nothing more perfect then a warm summer day, renting kayaks & then finishing up with lunch and relaxation at the Brentwood Bay Resort. Doesn’t get better then this!” – Alexis N.

Admire more

Alexis shared this fun moment from a trip to Brentwood Bay Resort & Spa. She and her fellow guests are helping Brentwood get introduced to travelers a degree away at a fraction of the cost of traditional marketing. Alexis alone has reached 11,000 friends and family and counting.

La Casa del Zorro – Borrego Springs, California

“I love Anza Borrego Desert State Park, and I love to stay at La Casa del Zorro when I’m visiting it. Who would have thought that such an amazing hotel would be in the middle of the park? The standards are very, very close to those maintained by the Copley’s in years past.” – Peter W.

Catch the view

This peaceful moment shared by Peter tells a candid story of the experience at La Casa del Zorro from a perspective only their guests can provide.

Caribe Royale — Orlando, Florida

“The best part of the hotel for us, is the pool area. We can sit poolside and watch the kids go down the slide, grab a drink and something to eat from there, or just relax on a float in the pool. When we get away to relax, it’s easy to do there!” – Trista S.

Make memories

Caribe Royale reaches travelers perfect for their hotel thanks to guests like Trista. She shared the favorite moment from her stay, driving over 1,100 introductions back to a personal experience on Caribe’s site.

Pacific Terrace Hotel – San Diego, California

“We travelled from Seattle for an important audition. After spending the morning worried about where we would practice, we approached the front desk and asked if there was anywhere we would be able to go. We were escorted to the Caribbean Conference room, Raul was brought in to make the temp just right, and Sophia came back with tea and honey for us. Talk about VIP treatment… We couldn’t have been happier with our stay!” – Amy H.

Explore Pacific Terrace

Pacific Terrace is attracting new audiences and capturing new travelers worldwide when guests relive their fondest moments. This captivating experience, brought to you by Amy, is doing just that.

Buddha-Bar Hotel Prague — Prague, Czech Republic

“Buddha bar hotel is a body and mind experience” – Anastasios A.

Experience Prague

Buddha-Bar Hotel is warmly introducing their hotel to a global audience before their competitors even have a chance. They’re turning warm introductions into future reservations, each and every day.

SeaVenture Pismo Beach Hotel — Pismo Beach, California

Relax a bit

For guests like Igor, SeaVenture is turning the excitement for an upcoming trip into authentic introductions. A view like this is enough to get anyone excited for an upcoming trip to Pismo Beach!

POSTMARC Hotel & Spa Suites — South Lake Tahoe, California

“Crystal clear water of Lake Tahoe” – Nicole H.

Discover more

POSTMARC Hotel & Spa Suites is boosting revenue and telling a richer story, all while amplifying their brand with an incredible library of content.

Hotel Zephyr — San Francisco, California

“At Pier 39. A beautiful walk from the hotel.” – Christine Elizabeth S.

Visit San Francisco

Hotel Zephyr is getting seriously good, personal introductions from guests like Christine. Together with her fellow guests, Hotel Zephyr has reached the people who matter most—to the tune of three-quarters-of-a-million in just the last year.

Check back next month for even more. See any stories that stand out? Let us know!

Adventure back to December’s stories

Stories matter: what hotels can learn from content marketers at large

Forrester defines content marketing as:

“A marketing strategy where brands create interest, relevance and relationships with customers by producing, curating and sharing content that addresses specific customer needs and delivers visible value.”

Notice that it’s more than just creating content to put in front of your guests. It’s creating effective content with a purpose—to educate and inspire.

And when it comes to this strategy, in particular, hoteliers can take cues from brands across every industry. From the most extreme examples like Red Bull TV to the more subtle like Leadpages, they all have one thing is common: incredible content marketing and storytelling.

The case for better content

There’s no shortage of content out there on the internet. Just about everyone is creating it. But is it effective? It’s critical to measure if your content marketing is working. To do this, you need to define what success is from the start. What metrics are important to your hotel? What are the wins (both large and small) to get you there?

Without a clear plan in place, it’s easy to fall into a trap of creating more content rather than creating content that’s actually effective at meeting your goals. Remember the endgame here—create interest, relevance and relationships with your guests.

According to Ann Handley, Chief Content Officer at MarketingProfs, there’s no one way to do just that. But she does offer a few suggestions to consider for your next piece:

Focus on empathy and experiences
Focus on relevant and inspiring stories
Focus on making it useful

Great content = Useful x Empathic x Inspirational

It’s important to note that all three factors are needed. Without one, the system (and it’s effectiveness) fails.

The case for storytelling

The medium you use to distribute your work and even what you define as useful or relevant is completely dependent on your brand, guests and business goals. For hoteliers, in particular, stories have an important role to play.

Stories help build powerful connections with guests, creating loyalty and trust that can make a hotel stand out from the competition. Let’s dig into why.

Stories are useful

For centuries, humans have told stories to share information and teach important lessons. Over time they shape our perceptions and beliefs, whether that’s about individuals, food, political views, or even your hotel.

As your story is cultivated, it develops into a powerful means for future travelers to learn about your hotel and the experiences your property has to offer in an authentic way. When all of these things come together, that’s when your guest is ready to book.

Stories are empathetic

Your guests are the core characters of your hotel’s story and they have relevance to the people they know—future travelers perfect for your hotel. It’s hard for these prospective guests to identify with a building. But your guests’ perspectives offer an authentic connection that resonates. They’ll breathe life into your hotel with messages that traditional advertising can’t touch.

Don’t just take my word for it. Robert McKee, regarded as one of the best brand storytellers, said in this interview, “When a story stars a consumer, there’s a kind of natural empathy. That character is a human being, just like me.”

Stories are inspirational

Stories engage consumers, pulling them in to participate in the conversation, rather than telling them what to think. Plus, stories evoke emotions, and emotions inspire us to take action.

Just remember that authenticity matters here. Travelers see right through content that’s not authentic and you’re running the risk of losing valuable credibility with your audience.

Brands across every industry recognize that storytelling is an effective avenue for marketing. It captures what today’s consumers want: useful, empathetic and inspirational content. For the hospitality industry, adapting this mindset while enlisting the help of your guests will be a win-win for your hotel.

Meet Matt: team player and pun champion

At Flip.to, we’ve made our careers in hospitality. Now, we’re certified in advocology. (Our science-y approach to turning advocacy into revenue.)

On this team, we aim to hire amazing people, which is why we’d like to introduce Matt—dedicated Account Manager and “punny” guy who settles for nothing less than huge wins for every customer.

Want to dig in? Say hello to Matt, or peek at the rest of our advocologists at work here.

Hospitality headlines: the massive growth of Airbnb and what it means for hoteliers

Airbnb is big in media, sweeping the airwaves and grabbing a huge share of attention across the web. But one topic in particular is close to home for hoteliers—a new Morgan Stanley report on their incredible growth from 2016 into the new year. It’s hit every news outlet in the hospitality sector and beyond, from Skift, to Tnooz, to Bloomberg.

According to the new report, Airbnb currently holds about 18–19% market penetration in the accommodation sector (up from 12% last year,) and is expected to grow to 23-25% over the course of the year. It’s being felt in both leisure and corporate travel, with nearly a fifth of both types being hosted by an Airbnb member.

The bottom line, hoteliers are feeling the pressure. But what else? OTAs aren’t. Tnooz reports that according to Morgan Stanley, almost half of respondents shifted stays away from traditional hotels, with the same outlook on the horizon for 2017.

What’s interesting is that this is a decidedly different message than the same Morgan Stanley report on Airbnb a year prior stating that, “we don’t see Airbnb materially impacting the hotel industry,” and, “Airbnb’s threat to the OTAs is larger and multifaceted.”

So why is the demand for Airbnb coming out of the pockets of hotels and not online travel agencies? OTAs have the tech and capital to keep up.

OTAs have big marketing budgets to compete for travelers’ attention at the moment of booking.

Add to this the ability to grow and develop their own alternative accommodations, and the OTAs are ready.

Take Expedia. In 2015, Expedia paid $3.9 billion for HomeAway, an Airbnb-like home rental platform, and in the same year also purchased Orbitz. In all, Expedia reported revenue increasing 33% last quarter.

Hoteliers have a competitive edge

The good news is that hoteliers can compete with Airbnb and OTAs. Here are some tips hoteliers should consider for regaining the attention of travelers making the switch to alternative accommodations.

Be the local expert. Travel has always been deeply rooted in experiences. Who better to guide the local experience that your hotel is a part of than your team on the ground? Use your onsite employees for perspective when communicating with guests. Plus, develop close partnerships with local businesses to offer guests unique experiences that satisfy their curiosity to explore new places.
Make your communication personal. Travelers have been pelted with marketing jargon—so much so that many are tuning it out. Hospitality thrives because of the personal relationships hosts build with their guests. Bring your staff to light. Make the communication in your digital experience the same level of personalized service you provide on site.
Compete for travelers’ attention long before they’re ready to book. Travel decisions start well before a person is ready to buy, yet there’s a huge amount of advertising effort (and dollars) spent here. Use this as an opportunity to target inspiring content to travelers long before it’s time to purchase. The inspiration and discovery phases are a prime opportunity to make an impression and hook future travelers.

Airbnb is here to stay. But hotels still have their own competitive edge. It’s important for hoteliers to play up those strengths and build on the personal relationships that define hospitality.

If you come across any articles you’d like us to feature on our next rundown let us know!

Stories that inspire: our favorite guest moments from December

Every guest story is an opportunity for a hotel to unveil something new. Stories reach & inspire—they’re truly memorable, sometimes magical, and a lot of times, a bit of fun.

Tanque Verde Ranch — Tucson, Arizona

“We had our daughter’s wedding at TVGR and we couldn’t be happier with the staff, the accommodations, and the views, they even provided a dramatic appearance of a small herd of deer just behind the ceremony, like a scene from a Disney movie! Her guests were blown away and several mentioned, that this was the best Wedding venue ever. “Best Wedding Ever”!” – Gary W.

Show some love

The staff at Tanque Verde Ranch left Gary and his family amazed after an unforgettable wedding. Not only did Gary help the ranch tell a richer story, but he’s already shared this special moment with 416 of his friends and relatives, leading to 15 leads.

Grand View Lodge — Nisswa, Minnesota

“The chance to have family time during the holidays.” – Therese S.

Admire more

The ability to spend quality time with the whole family during the holidays meant the world to Therese, who shared this moment with 639 friends and relatives. So far, she and her fellow guests have reached 15,506, and there’s still 3 months to go!

South Coast Winery Resort & Spa — Temecula, California

“The best part was enjoying the private patio at night with the stars and my family and some wine. Then again in the morning with the Hot Air Balloons, coffee, and my wife.” – Jaime R.

Explore the vineyard

Nothing beats taking time to relax during the holidays to enjoy time with family. Jamie, a recent guest of South Coast Winery Resort & Spa, captured this special moment with his wife one morning on their trip. He and his fellow guests have reached 116,000 friends and family members with authentic stories since the resort went live just 4 months ago.

Red Mountain Resort — Ivins, Utah

“The hikes are always my favorite! Also love all the vegetarian food options.” – Michelle R.

Experience Utah

A peaceful hike across the deep red rock cliffs and canyons of southern Utah make for a beautiful moment captured by Michelle, a recent guest of Red Mountain Resort.

South Seas Island Resort — Captiva Island, Florida

“The best part of our experience was definitely the staff. I think the front desk staff are so authentically sweet, all the staff at the restaurants and at the pool are truly excellent at their jobs, and the cleaning staff are excellent. But most of all, Miguel was a member of your team that we loved. We met him when he assisted with helping us change rooms, but once we met, we would see him around and he always greeted us hello offered any assistance. He loves his job and it shows. We loved the Holiday Stroll. What a special event.” – Heather T.

Enjoy more

A staff at South Seas Island Resort makes all the difference for Heather and her family, even calling out a staff member by name! It’s true hospitality like this that get future travelers excited to visit South Seas Island Resort!

Crystal Lodge — Whistler, British Columbia, Canada

“Close to the action. Short walk to the gondola and restaurants. Nice atmosphere.” – Richard P.

Hit the slopes

It’s that time of the year to hit the slopes at Crystal Lodge! This special moment caught by Richard was shared with 606 friends and relatives, bringing 78 of them to the Crystal Lodge website and generating 8 warm leads in only the first week.

Adrift Hotel & Spa — Long Beach, Washington

“I spent my birthday at Adrift during December. The staff made our stay so special. Upon arriving to our room, a “happy birthday” sign hung from the wall, along with confetti, balloons and champagne. The hotel was quiet and cozy. I’ll never forget waking up and taking a walk along the beach with my dog and seeing the pinks and oranges reflected in the wet sand from the sunrise. I returned to have a complimentary hot cup of coffee in the lobby. So wonderful!” – Anna R.

Discover more

Adrift puts the love back into hospitality, treating Anna like a true superstar on her birthday getaway. With such a lasting impression made, it’s no wonder why Anna shared this moment with 431 friends and family members, drawing 60 site visitors and 9 warm leads in only the first a week.

Alyeska Resort — Girdwood, Alaska

“I always love coming to the lodge and feeling like it’s home. No matter how long I have been away.” – Stephen T.

Check out the view

Stephen, a recent guest of Alyeska Resort, took a moment to stop and enjoy the breathtaking view at Alyeska Resort, later sharing this special moment with 587 friends and relatives. In less than a week he’s brought 112 to the resort’s site and generating 14 warm leads.

Check back next month for even more. See any stories that stand out? Let us know!

Adventure back to November’s stories

Favorites from the Flip.to blog: Our top picks from 2016

2016 was an exciting twelve months here at Flip.to. We jumped headfirst into video and launched some amazing product. Here on the blog, we shared some interesting musings, too. As this year comes to a close, take a look back at a selection of just some of our favorites.

Stories that inspire: Our favorite guest moments

This monthly series featuring guest stories from hotels worldwide has become a regular favorite for our readers. We’ve fallen in love with these stories (and it seems you have, too)! We could pick any of a number of posts, but we’ll go back to August featuring the sights of summer.

See August’s Top Picks

Flip.to on the road: CHIEF Conference

The CHIEF Conference set on the pristine sands of the Caribbean was one of the highlight-worthy moments of 2016. It was a mix of great insights and great people. Read on as Ed shares his “Flip.to superlatives” after meeting some incredible industry leaders.

Meet the industry’s best

Introducing: Photo Explorer (our first video!)

It’s been a big year for us in video. We’ve covered it a few times on our blog, but there’s something special about the first.

Look back at Photo Explorer

The hotelier’s essentials for big name competition

We ❤ our friends. So when they have a chance to sit in on our blog, it’s something special. Jason Winberg joined to share a bit of his knowledge on finding the right tools to let hoteliers compete.

Open up the tool box

The election, the social media echo chamber and what it means for hotels

Authenticity matters, as does relevancy and truth in advertising. When this was made relevant in the going-ons outside of the hospitality industry, the President weighed in.

Cast your opinion

Canning spam: Relevancy, graymail, and the path to better communication for hotels

Unwanted email is something everyone can relate to. That’s why Richard Dunbar took this deep dive into defining spam, and helping hotels unearth better communication with their guests.

Learn how to can spam

Winning at experiential travel: combining data and storytelling to compel your guests

This piece was originally featured on the blog of our friends at NAVIS. We’re both passionate about data, stories and how they come together to make a big impact for hotels.

Read on

Watch now: Spark worldwide conversations with the excitement of travel

When you strike up compelling conversations with your guests across their entire guest journey, it means a richer experience for your guests, and a growing team of advocates for your hotel. Watch more in another video favorite from 2016.

Play now

Flip.to on the road: Flat Ricky’s HITEC debut

One Ricky just wasn’t enough, so Flat Ricky made his first appearance at HITEC 2016. We soon found out that he had a taste for the bayou nightlife, and the case of #MissingFlatRicky was born…

Meet Flat Ricky

What were your favorite stories from 2016? Drop us a note to let us know. In the meantime, enjoy the final hours as this year comes to a close. We look forward to kicking off 2017 in full force!

The Crane Resort taps into the power of guest storytelling to boost their bottom line with Flip.to

Caribbean mainstay widens audience to the tune of 300K in first 5 months

ORLANDO, FL — December 19, 2016 — Flip.to, the advocacy platform that helps hotels reach, inspire and convert travelers has helped amplify the marketing efforts of The Crane Resort. Just five short months since launch, the century-old Barbadian resort has been personally introduced to 300,000 travelers worldwide with the help of their guests.

“There’s no better way to learn about a travel experience than from someone you know and trust. Our guests share everything with friends and family—from their excitement about an upcoming stay to their disappointment about having to leave—all punctuated by stories of their favourite moments along the way,” noted Eboni Phillips, Marketing and Communications Manager at The Crane Resort. “With Flip.to, we now have the ability to quantify social with the power of these influential recommendations.”

Touch points throughout the traveler journey let guests share their authentic stories about the hotel to travelers worldwide. The platform earns and tracks new bookings while growing traffic, leads and tracked potential guests through a true conversion funnel. Unique to the advocacy marketing platform, Flip.to is specifically designed for hotels and travelers.

For The Crane, this has added up to incredible impact. Their reach has well-topped a quarter of a million since August, in addition to driving more than 23,000 unique site visitors, 2,100 warm leads and 21 booked room nights with the platform.

The impact is made broader by the library of curated guest stories captured through the advocacy platform—stories that reveal the property’s character from a unique point of view, including everything from its magical sense of seclusion to the famed Crane Beach.

All content carries a full legal release, so The Crane Resort may use it to enhance their own marketing. This is critical for hotels and resorts seeking to adopt a storytelling mindset to win over new travelers.

“The authentic perspective of your guests is an incredibly effective add to your content strategy. What’s important is that hotels use it to drive actionable results, sending quality traffic to compelling experiences they own,” said Danielle Fierman, Account Executive at Flip.to. “It’s there where hotels like The Crane capture warm leads, revealing the opportunity to market to these travelers directly. Since they’ve been introduced by their friends and family, these impressions are more potent than any ad.”

Phillips went on to add, “Flip.to offered us the opportunity to track and measure advocacy with a cost-effective platform that was seamlessly implemented at our resort. We’ve pushed beyond the typical offer of sun, sea and sand, instead providing personal and powerful recommendations from friends and family.”

The historic Crane Resort overlooks the famous pink sands and turquoise waters of Crane Beach—named Best Beach in the Caribbean by readers of USA Today. Guests enjoy an idyllic respite on the Southeast coast of Barbados. The property offers grand colonial styled suites featuring lush gardens, private pools and rooftop terraces, and an impressive array of world-class amenities and services including fitness facilities, spectacular cascading pools, exciting restaurants including Zagat #1 rated Zen.

To learn more about The Crane, view the stories of their recent guests, or to reserve a stay visit www.TheCrane.com or call (866) 978-5942.

Watch now: Introducing Photo River

Right now your site is designed to capture the 1% of travelers who are ready to book immediately. But what about the other 99%? They’re still in decision making mode.

That’s why we’ve introduced Photo River—a new experience designed to bring to light the stories your guests are sharing, right on your site. Infuse more personality, offer up new ways to start a conversation, and bring back some real hospitality into your marketing with Flip.to.

Sound interesting? Take a tour, or adventure on to see how easy it is to share guest stories with Flip.to:

Take a tourorWatch next video

Stories that inspire: our favorite guest moments from November

Every guest story is an opportunity for a hotel to unveil something new. Stories reach & inspire—they’re truly memorable, sometimes magical, and a lot of times, a bit of fun.

Royal Park Hotel — Rochester, Michigan

“Making a wish for a lifetime of moments like this.” – Brittney J.

Show some love

This is the beginning of a lifetime of memories captured. Brittney’s story won first place in Royal Park Hotel’s latest photo contest, reaching 2,486 friends and family, drawing 964 site visitors, and leading to 332 warm leads.

Eldorado Reno — Reno, Nevada

“It’s just a short stroll down Virginia St from the Eldorado to the Truckee River, and a reward waits you every time!”– John R.

Explore Reno

Known as “The Biggest Little City in the World”, Reno might surprise you with how much it has to offer. John, a recent guest of Eldorado Reno, shared this moment from his November trip with his friends and family worldwide. He’s already driven 67 unique site visits and 17 warm leads for Eldorado, with time to spare!

SeaVenture Beach Hotel — Pismo Beach, California

“We love staying at the Seaventure. It’s centrally located to all the wonderful restaurants, allows us to spend time relaxing and just listening to the ocean.” – Grace C.

Check out the view

This peaceful moment was captured by Grace, a recent guest of SeaVenture Beach Hotel. She inspired 138 of her friends and family to visit their site, leading to 29 warms leads for this oceanfront property in just a month.

Carter Estate Winery and Resort — Temecula, California

“The resort felt like a true getaway from it all, the room was amazing and the view was breathtaking we cannot wait until we return!” – Jonathan P.

Relax a bit

During a perfect retreat for two, Jonathan, a guest of Carter Estate Winery and Resort, caught this favorite moment. He joined fellow guests to reach over 41,000 friends and relatives in the resort’s current photo contest, mustering 616 warm leads in just 3 months.

POSTMARC Hotel & Spa Suites — South Lake Tahoe, California

“Beautiful room. Great location. Extremely friendly service.” – Paige T.

Admire more

Paige’s story paints a rich picture of the beautiful views at South Lake Tahoe, and she shared to her 388 friends and relatives. Even more shared on to their own network, reaching an even larger audience of future travelers for POSTMARC Hotel & Spa Suites.

Anaheim Majestic Garden Hotel — Anaheim, California

“My children believed Mickey Mouse gave them their own castle to stay in. Castle beds for the win.” – Laura S.

Experience Anaheim

While the Castle beds for the kids at Anaheim Majestic Garden Hotel make for an unforgettable trip to Disneyland, this was a moment of pure joy!

Plus, Laura shared this moment with 560 friends and relatives. She already led 377 of those reached back the the hotel’s website, leading to 37 warm leads!

Margaritaville Island Hotel — Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

“The rooftop pool & bar was awesome! We enjoyed all the fun things to do on the island!” – Sarah H.

Discover more

Sarah put Margaritaville Island Hotel at the center of this fun moment that was shared with 132 friends & family around the globe. There’s truly no better introduction to all fun at Margaritaville Island.

Check back next month for even more. See any stories that stand out? Let us know!

Adventure back to October’s stories

The election, the social media echo chamber and what it means for hotels

In the last few days, news (fake or real) has become a focus thanks to a little event we call the presidential election.

The impact that social media had in the outcome is beginning to come to light, especially as it relates to the distribution of fake news stories.

You may be reading this wondering, “Why isn’t more being done about this?” The truth is handling the situation is a pretty tricky line to walk. Much of the focus has been on just how different liberal and conservative people saw content. So, why is this?

We can break what you see in your news feed down into two categories:

Organic News Feed posts
Paid News Feed posts (advertising)

Let’s start with organic posts.

You may have heard a reference to the echo chamber effect. This is something we at Flip.to are very familiar with. It’s the core reason advocacy is an effective means to influence travelers. Let’s look at why.

Social Media sites like Facebook allow users to self-select friends and sites they find interesting. The result? We’re friends with and follow sites that have strong similarities with our own views and backgrounds. Naturally, we’re presented with content in our news feed from these sources that is very narrow in scope and tends to be in line with what we already believe.

This is not algorithmic witchcraft. It’s actually common sense. We collect friends along the way, and we’re friends with those people because of some like-minded similarities.

Unlike real life, social media allows us to stop following friends who post things we don’t like. People are more likely to do this on social sites than they are during live in-person interactions.

Why? The other person generally has no idea you stopped following them (so we don’t feel so bad doing it). So in our social media lives as least, this creates a laser-focused set of people with similar beliefs and interests continuously feeding related content to each other.

It falls into an ethical gray area to ask companies like Facebook or Google to intervene with content shared organically. This quickly gets into big-brother-type censorship that (left or right)—we all want to avoid.

It falls into an ethical gray area to ask companies like Facebook or Google to intervene with content shared organically. This quickly gets into big-brother-type censorship that (left or right)—we all want to avoid. We’re all responsible for understanding that just because something is on the internet, it’s not necessarily based on fact.

Now let’s switch gears to paid News Feed posts, or in other words—advertising.

Here is where companies like Facebook and Google can make an impact. They’ve created an environment where advertisers target audiences through very specific data points. (Say, things we’ve liked or searched for.) This puts content in front of us that we are likely to find relevant or positive.

This actually makes the bubble we live in even smaller since we’re only exposed to paid content that is based on our own self-selection and is likely to appeal to us. Coupled with the content we’re already seeing organically as explained above, and—well you get the picture.

Moderating these posts will not be an easy task. Any action in restricting advertisers due to content will be a challenging balancing act. Lets face it, most news these days has a strong amount of point of view or opinion interlaced with facts. So who is to judge what is real news and fake news?

You can actually see this firsthand by looking at this article by the Wall Street Journal. It illustrates the stark contrast of how information on the same topic is presented by different sources to different audiences. It’s easy to see the side-by-side difference between News Feed articles shared by different “blue” and “red” followers. Depicted posts are sorted based on if they are shared more by those with liberal or conservative behaviors.

Facebook has stepped up to the task, announcing several steps they’re testing to battle misinformation both to provide more accurate information as well as protect the integrity of the platform. Facebook’s CEO outlined a plan of stronger detection, news verification and user warnings in an announcement made on his personal Facebook page:

So what does all of this mean to a hotel? Opportunity!

For one thing, we’ve learned from the echo chamber effect that you should speak to the friends & family of your guests the same way you speak to your existing guests. They share similar social and economic status, making them a targeted audience who are likely to make similar decisions (like booking your hotel). Do this right and ultimately it will lead to higher conversion for your hotel.

The bottom line? Authenticity matters, as does relevancy and truth in advertising.

The bottom line? Authenticity matters, as does relevancy and truth in advertising. The best marketing combines the three and gets the right content in front of the right people. Do that and everyone wins (Facebook and Google will love you for it too).