Putting together a social media program is a daunting task. You're navigating uncharted territory, and it feels like everyone is watching. Fortunately, there are a few sharp people out there who have published some great online resources to guide you through the clutter. Some of them even understand the hotel business. Here are a few I've found to be particularly helpful.

But first, a tip: These sites link to other sites, which in turn link to even more sites. Resist the urge to click until you've gotten through the links on this page. Otherwise it'll suddenly be three days later and you'll be more confused than when you started.

  1. Hotel Marketing Strategies. Blogger Josiah Mackenzie, a self-styled "social media pragmatist", provides hotel-savvy advice in a clear, practical manner, with lots of helpful links. Check out Beating Negative Hotel Reviews and his other site, Blogging for Guests.
  2. O'Rourke Hospitality. Wise words from an internet marketing company that works exclusively with the hospitality industry. See the interviews with social media guru Chris Brogan about hotels and social media and hotel websites.
  3. Hotel Internet Marketing. Some good advice from Worldwide Revenue, an internet marketing company. See the Tips for Hoteliers section.
  4. Hotelmarketing. A news aggregator for hospitality marketers. Check out The Time is Now and do a site search for "social media" articles.
  5. MileStone Internet Marketing. Another internet marketing company that specializes in the hospitality industry. See Social Media Strategies for Hotels.
  6. Hotel blogs. Guillaume Thevenot reports on what hotels are up to in the social media and blogging world. Scroll down for his list of hotel blogs and other blogs worth checking out.
  7. Sample blog 1: The Roger Smith Hotel. A great example of what a hotel blog can be. The two guys behind this New York hotel's social media program are so enthusiastic you want to stay there and meet them. See eConsultancy's interview.
  8. Sample blog 2: Opus Hotel. Okay, so I'm the author, but this was the first-ever blog written by a hotel manager and it continues today to provide an irreverent insider's look at the hotel business—even though I'm no longer the GM.

There are lots of great resources that are not hotel specific. They'll make your head spin, but they provide great how-to articles. My favorites include Chris Brogan, Social Media Examiner, Convince and Convert and Altitude Branding. For inspiration, I visit Seth Godin and Malcolm Gladwell.

Finally, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention a few of my own articles: Who is the Voice of Social Media in Your Hotel? and Online Reviews: the Bane of a Hotelier's Existence? And just for fun, check out Online Reviewers to Watch Out For.

Be choosy about what you read; otherwise you won't get anything else done. Follow your favorites on Twitter so you can scan their tweets and decide if you want to read more. Also, subscribe to a few of the hotel news aggregator sites, too numerous to list here.

This should keep you busy for a while. Good luck, and let me know if I can help. And if you know of any hotels that are doing a great job with social media, I'd love to hear about it.

Daniel Edward Craig is a hotel consultant and the author of the hotel-based Five-Star Mystery series. He is the former vice president and general manager of Opus Hotels in Vancouver and Montreal and its current blogger-at-large. For more information visit www.danieledwardcraig.com or email [email protected].

Daniel Edward Craig
Reknown Marketing