In immediately’s digital panorama, stunning imagery alone isn’t sufficient to seize and preserve viewers consideration. Luxurious properties face growing strain to face out in overcrowded social feeds and to ship measurable outcomes.
The problem turns into much more complicated when you think about the subtle expectations of luxurious vacationers. They need to really feel related to the property, perceive its distinctive story, and picture themselves within the expertise. This leaves many social media managers asking, “How can we rework our social presence from a digital billboard into storytelling platforms that drives actual enterprise outcomes?”
Immediately’s visitor of Social Pulse: Hospitality Version with Agorapulse’s Chief Storyteller Mike Allton, is aware of precisely easy methods to thread that needle. As a luxurious lodge social media and advertising and marketing supervisor at Rosewood Miramar Seashore, a triple Forbes five-star resort, Kara Pearson has revolutionized how luxurious properties strategy social media.
[Listen to the full episode below, or read along for the transcript of the Social Pulse: Hospitality Edition, powered by Agorapulse. Try it for free today.]
Kara Pearson: After I got here on the group, I used to be simply absorbing the whole lot like a sponge and simply specializing in what they had been doing prior to now, which targeted on simply stunning static pictures, brief and candy captions, mild and vibrant palettes. It was one thing that was very visually thrilling to friends and really targeted on extra business pictures and product pictures.
And so after I took the reins as social media supervisor, I needed to begin with our visuals, and that targeted on our Instagram grid. In order you had been scrolling down beforehand, you’d see extra of a repetition with the colour palette.
After I got here in, I needed to shift that into extra of a seasonal movement as you’d movement down our Instagram feed. I needed it to really feel prefer it was the current and what you’re seeing with the pure colours of the encompassing vacation spot—then additionally taking part in round with how colours steadiness collectively. As you see a 9 grid, you’re going to see pops of colours in numerous elements of every publish that play off of one another.
That’s the place I deliver my expertise [with] working in editorial magazines into play in order that as you’re a whole 9 grid, it feels very balanced.
It seems like each piece of the puzzle matches collectively, but it surely’s additionally capable of stand alone and have this vibrancy, this seasonality that really simply invitations you in to proceed scrolling.
Inform us a bit of bit extra about Rosewood
Kara Pearson: Our resort is positioned in Montecito, California, and I’ve been fortunate sufficient to be on the group home, as a luxurious lodge social media supervisor for nearly about three years now. After I first got here on, our resort was dealt with primarily by a PR company for all social content material. So this was an incredible second.
I grew up in Santa Barbara. I’ve a real connection to the neighborhood right here the place the resort lives, and it was good to deliver form of that neighborhood perspective from a neighborhood’s perspective into that function to essentially showcase the vacation spot in ways in which friends or companies won’t get to see each single day.
Mike Allton: Love that. That’s the form of hands-on, native, in-person profit or nearly requirement a lot of our previous friends have talked about from Potter’s Resorts in England or MGM in Las Vegas. They usually speak in regards to the should be there on the property, having the ability to create content material and perceive what’s taking place. And I believe that’s going to lend itself to your reply to the following query, however I’m questioning the way you perceive this sort of a luxurious viewers.
Kara Pearson: My background is in luxurious style and editorial as I discussed earlier than. So I’ve been fairly near this viewers for many years. I first began in editorial work in 2011 and grew as a graphic designer after which additionally by editorial and print publications in LA.
And so I’ve had the posh of getting this shut relationship to this model of shopper for a few years prior, however I’ve finished a number of issues which have helped me principally analyze the viewers and perceive the kind of content material that’s making them need to cease and have interaction with it.
A kind of issues is simply really researching traits and happening Instagram, scrolling by content material, seeing what your opponents are doing, seeing how they’re doing it, and the why.
I believe the most important factor is the why for me after I’m creating content material is: What kind of content material goes to spark emotion? What’s going to be that one factor that makes somebody smile or one factor that makes somebody really feel impressed?
And as a artistic, having this previous expertise, I are likely to lean into discovering that creativity on social media.
So, it really is simply analyzing content material that you simply’re seeing after which additionally taking it a step additional and testing out your personal viewers and seeing what kind of content material they’re interacting with.
I all the time say, “Success leaves breadcrumbs,” and if you see one thing begin to achieve success, you’ll see that with likes, feedback, shares, and reposts. That’s when you may inform the patterns beginning to start. For me, it’s simply discovering these moments the place you’re analyzing the patterns, however you’re additionally analyzing these patterns on different opponents, Instagrams, or simply in luxurious lodge social media—simply being actually within the know of what’s happening with these particular demographics.
Kara Pearson: I believe the most important factor that any giant property would perceive is ensuring that the departments are aligned with content material and ensuring that they really feel like they’ve a voice within the content material creation.
Now we have a really passionate group, and I completely adore it as a result of it permits me to work intently with people who find themselves not simply creators, not simply photographers or videographers, however people who find themselves creating in their very own craft.
The primary problem was simply getting that line of communication and getting that group in order that we’re all on the identical web page—whether or not that’s earlier than a photograph shoot, whether or not that’s throughout a photoshoot, or after as we’re selling their occasion, or as we’re selling their activations.
The largest problem was uniting our departments and having them perceive the significant and thrilling work that we do for social media. As we began opening up these doorways and began opening up, let’s all sit on the desk collectively and speak about how we will create some unbelievable content material, they’d get excited. Having that pleasure simply fuels the storytelling all in
Share an instance of your social publish or marketing campaign in a standard luxurious lodge social media publish and the way you’ve turned that into a kind of storytelling alternatives that resonated together with your viewers.
Kara Pearson: The most effective ones to speak about, and it’s one of many months we’ve been essentially the most pleased with this 12 months, is our Triple Forbes 5 star.
It was going to be an unbelievable announcement. Sometimes, in resort worlds, lodge worlds, and hospitality, you may purpose to announce with only a easy publish. Whether or not it’s a photograph, or perhaps it’s the brand of the accolade—however we needed to take it one step additional.
I crafted and developed the Forbes Triple 5 Stars sequence, which was an interview-style sequence that we had been capable of companion on with all of our group members from completely different departments. They had been capable of sit in these moments of interview model and speak about not solely the tales that they’ve shared with friends, however their expertise being on the property and what it means to be on Staff Myanmar.
It was a kind of moments that introduced a lot pleasure to our neighborhood, seeing folks that they acknowledge each single day. After I speak about neighborhood, it’s not essentially local people however digital neighborhood. It’s folks that they’d come to the property and see and have these interactions with and so having the ability to spotlight the arduous work behind the accolade meant a lot to our group to really feel like they’ve bought to have this unbelievable second on a pedestal.
However it additionally allowed us to share our tales that you simply won’t essentially see from only a typical photograph.
How do you preserve model consistency if you do issues which can be a bit of bit completely different?
Kara Pearson: I believe that’s all the time the creator’s problem, proper? Of discovering their very own inspiration and discovering their very own voice inside a model.
For me, I simply needed to get rooted and perceive our model as an entire, not just for Rosewood Miramar Seashore however for Rosewood Motels nationally. And so having the ability to take that point to coach of their content material pillars and their visible pointers, their temper boards, it positively performs a significant factor in how I produce our content material, whether or not that’s photoshoots, video shoots, even iPhone shoots, of simply having their perspective being the overarching tone.
However what’s particular about me as a creator and the way in which I produce content material in a method that pushes the boundaries is by completely different angles of how we may create the content material. There are such a lot of instances when you may go to a seashore and see the seashore on this stunning method and seize it, however not everybody’s perspective goes to be the identical.
It’s discovering these distinctive views of what’s one thing that our viewers won’t be seeing that we get to see day-after-day as a result of we’re on property.
So I believe I deliver it in with the artistic angles, the modern new ideas, and that has to return to creating the storyline. Ensuring that every piece of content material, particularly if it’s excessive res video, it feels such as you’re hand-holding the visitor by a narrative.
I believe that’s what’s been essentially the most riveting for me to find out about, as a result of with video being now the most important, most necessary content material you’re seeing on social media, having that storyline and that potential to plan out precisely the way you need the content material to run—I believe that’s the place I’m capable of get a bit of bit extra artistic.
[Another] one of many examples, I do know it is a little foolish, however we’re an enormous dog-friendly property, and we love the concept of showcasing that we’re dog-friendly. One of many concepts we got here up with as a group—and one of many photograph shoots that I led—was bringing canine onto the property and having them run round and be in our lodging, in our rooms, in our bathtubs, and filming them having enjoyable. That was one thing so completely different that our model most likely has by no means finished earlier than, but it surely’s opened the door for different alternatives. We’ve finished that earlier than by bringing on bunnies for a Reel and having them run across the property for Easter. Let me let you know, reeling in bunnies isn’t the best, however we had been capable of create this. It’s a very enjoyable, energetic piece of content material that simply blew up as a result of everybody liked it. They only love seeing one thing that makes them smile. They love seeing pleasure showcased, and that’s not quite common to see a luxurious property having a canine within the mattress, but it surely’s one thing that pushes the boundaries. After we accomplished our Easter Reel, we seen a 12 months after that, that grew to become a bit of little bit of a development with different properties. We pushed the boundaries a bit of bit and led us to creating a bit of little bit of a social development.
Mike Allton: Okay, that’s hilarious. I’m pretty sure bunny wrangling was not in your bingo card for that day.
One of many issues that I picked up on was that you simply’re speaking about creating excessive res video, even with an iPhone. It’s attention-grabbing to me as a result of not too long ago I used to be interviewing considered one of TikTok’s product managers, they usually had been speaking about how, at the very least on their platform, the true development is in direction of UGC content material.
Even when the model is creating the content material, they nonetheless needed that UGC look of extra amateurish form of a factor. A number of the lodge chains that we talked to, they’re speaking about sharing photos and movies and that kind of factor with friends.
What function does UGC have in your technique?
Kara Pearson: We’ve been blessed to work with unbelievable influencers over time and opened our doorways to have the ability to create partnerships the place it showcases the resort. Prior to now, we’ve truly partnered very intently with a few of these influencers.
One instance was our most viral reel final 12 months was a collaboration with an influencer and one other firm that was native to Santa Barbara. It’s Mad Canine and Englishmen. We had this collaboration coming from all angles. We had our UGC influencer who’s targeted on creating in a method that may make sense for it to be feeling off the cuff however then additionally having this model partnership between us and Mad Canine. And so having all these cooks within the kitchen, we had been capable of come collectively and meet on this stunning synergy of placing collectively a storyline and supporting our influencer and simply speaking by concepts of what would make sense for the Rosewood Miramar Seashore Instagram, however then what would additionally make sense for her.
So, it was an incredible partnership that opened the door to essentially turning into extra aligned with the method. I believe that’s why that Reel grew to become so profitable, simply because it does give a perspective, it offers the creator’s perspective and showcases her expertise however permits us to nonetheless combine in our concepts of “what about this view” or this or that?
It was a really particular partnership that ended up being very profitable.
How are you speaking about all these facets [of the resort] whereas nonetheless making an attempt to take care of that cohesive narrative of the general expertise?
Kara Pearson: We’re fortunate sufficient the place we’ve 4 devoted Instagram accounts, and three of these are devoted to our eating places on property together with our Michelin Star and Michelin Inexperienced Star Restaurant so we’re capable of funnel a whole lot of the content material targeted on Meals and Beverage by these luxurious lodge social media accounts.
It’s going again to what I discussed earlier than with the Instagram grid and making it really feel balanced. I believe for our Rosewood Miramar Seashore account, I would like each single 9 grid that you simply’re seeing to really feel balanced. Like, you’re getting a bit of piece of the whole lot from our resort as a result of we’ve an unbelievable F&B program with our eating places, however we even have a Forbes five-star spa after which we’ve been implementing all these new boutique openings. There’s retail that you may go and store on property.
There are a whole lot of completely different facets as a result of we’re such a big resort. So going again to that grid and ensuring that my content material calendar feels very balanced, it feels prefer it flows with the model of the season. I believe that’s what retains all of it aligned however makes positive we’re not highlighting an excessive amount of of 1 outlet. We need to be sure that each piece of our puzzle is being showcased all through our Instagram grid.
Are there assets or influencers that you simply flip to to maintain up with all this?
Kara Pearson: Yeah, so I imply, for me, it’s all the time boots on the bottom with seeing what’s happening within the luxurious lodge social media business.
One of many issues that I’ve finished, which is—I don’t know if many individuals understand how to do that—however you may truly tailor the search bar of your Instagram account to particular key phrases and to particular content material that you simply need to be seeing. I did that with every of our 4 accounts. So, as I am going on to every account and go into our search bar, I’m going to see content material that’s relative to that business. Whether or not it’s trending audios, trending movies, principally any bars that we’re impressed by, any unbelievable creators which can be popping up, I discover a whole lot of it by the app. And after I say I flip by many tabs, it permits you to compartmentalize the initiative. So, after I go on to Rosewood Miramar Seashore, I do know I’m going to be seeing content material in my search bar that’s luxurious journey, coastal escapes, stunning five-star resorts, or inns.
That helps me keep on prime of what’s taking place with creators after which additionally what’s taking place within the business.
Thank all of you for studying the highlights of this episode about luxurious lodge social media immediately. Don’t neglect to search out the Social Pulse Podcast: Hospitality Version on Apple, and drop us a overview. We’d like to know what you assume. Don’t miss different editions of the Social Pulse Podcast just like the Retail Version, Company Version, and B2B Version.
