29 Tips for Getting More High-Value Bookings with Social-First Marketing

An advertising strategy that emphasizes print advertising, directories, billboards, and television ads doesn’t work for event venues anymore. Today’s event planners may look at hundreds of venues on social media to generate their shortlist. Here are some ways to capture their eyes, ears, hearts, minds, and wallets with social-first marketing:

1. Make sure you have a social media strategy in place.
2. Create a compelling brand story around your positioning, brand voice, visual cues, and business goals—and use it to guide the content in your posts.
3. Don’t try to edit or use brand advertising photos and videos for social media. Instead, create social-first content for each specific platform.
4. Shoot most photos and videos with your smartphone. It saves you money, and the content will have that first-person-point-of-view authenticity (also known as user-generated content) that couples look for in social media.
5. Speaking of authenticity, don’t overly stage your posts. Show real events at your property with real people. Show your venue as it looks. Let the design speak for itself and keep retouching to a minimum.
6. Be authentic in your language, too. Social media shoppers will dismiss any post that sounds like marketing hype or an ad.
7. Put most of your efforts into Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest. These are the most prominent social media channels that upscale couples use to check out venues, book and buy.
8. Create unique content for each channel that you use. Each has its own audience and expectations. Also, algorithms tend to de-prioritize posts they see on other channels.
9. Take advantage of all the formats available on each platform. For instance, on Instagram, you’ll want to use single feed posts, carousels, stories, and reels in your campaigns.
10. Post 5-7 times a week on each of your principal platforms. Prioritize fresh, original content. The platforms de-prioritize reposts in user feeds.
11. Post 1-2 times a day on TikTok for the first month that you’re on the platform. It will help the algorithm understand what you’re posting and who’s following you. It will also show that you have a serious commitment to the platform.
12. Look at what’s trending on your primary social media platforms. For instance, if there’s a song or editing style trending on TikTok that makes sense for your brand message, post videos that use them.
13. Lean on your differentiators. Show what makes your venue special—scenery, decor, ballrooms, venue façade—and regularly create fresh, relevant content for all your platforms in all its post formats.
14. Community management is key! Pay attention to comments on your social media posts and create content around what your followers are interested in.
15. Be especially attentive to your superfans. Interact with them daily. Regularly check DMs and comments. Ask them questions. Start a dialogue and use their feedback to help make content decisions.
16. Think in terms of campaigns—a series of posts designed around a single communication objective. Your posts will reinforce each other and the overall impact will be stronger.
17. Take viewers behind the scenes: before and after transformations of your space can be very popular. They also make great stories, reels, carousels, and videos.
18. Tag couples and vendor teams in your posts. They may reshare your content and their followers will see your posts, too.
19. Stay on top of cultural events and trends and work that into your strategy. For example, showcase mother-of-the-bride content around Mother’s Day.
20. Use language and imagery that connects with your users emotionally; avoid outpourings of information.
21. Create posts that inspire, not just inform. A beautifully decorated room, for instance, allows couples to imagine themselves in it.
22. De-emphasize selling. An “open dates in October” post will get more attention if people have been connecting to your more inspirational posts.
23. Wait at least 6 months before reposting content. That’s how long it takes a cycle of engaged couples to find venues and move on. Then you can appeal to the next.
24. Invest in video. It’s what the platforms are favoring, and it allows couples to get a 3D-look at your venue.
25. Help couples and planners find your posts with hashtags. These can be based on your location (#nyceventvenue), appeal (#beachcorporateretreat, #mountaintopwedding), or even your name (#venuename).
26. Use Pinterest boards to show the versatility of your event venue. Use your own best content, plus content curated from couples, vendors, and other people you work with.
27. Pivot quickly and experiment. Social media is constantly changing. Move fast and be open to trying new ideas.
28. Use the data. Study insights to see what is working and what’s not. Double down on creating content that drives engagement and growth.
29. Sign up for a ROH demo to learn more about how you can unlock exclusive social media marketing support (and much more) when you partner with us.

To learn about how ROH can help your property group or hospitality brand drive increased revenue, conversions, and collaboration, schedule a free demo.