I would say it depends a little bit on the content of your site. If you’re continually updating with fresh ideas and information (always a smart move) you’ll probably see better results from Twitter than if you have a static, never-changing site.

We had some good discussion regarding Facebook here – I’d love to hear a little bit more about your experience:

http://www.hotelmarketingstrategies.com/your-thoughts-on-hotels-using-facebook/

Lee

@Michael – Yelp does have a great user community, particularly in the Bay Area. You’ve written some great posts on that network, and I’m going over to re-read those now.

Regarding social bookmarking tools, I view it as something you build into the site’s architecture to allow people to share cool content with friends. Of course, this assumes you’re creating cool content, which not all small (or large!) hotels are doing.

I note FB isn’t even in there, and I am having trouble making it functional. I am using Yahoo pipes which seem inconsistent, as well as attempt to get twitter hooked up. It just has been frustrating to me.

And although I am not part of the cult, the sort of interaction and conversation that happens on yelp is amazing. Replying to guests, as well as public replies a la TripAdvisor that they just put together:
http://www.hrabaconsulting.com/blog/2009/04/09/yelp-to-allow-businesses-to-respond-to-reviews-publically/

I have converted off twitter, of course. But I am just starting to convert off tripadvisor (people seeing the manager response and contacting me) as well as off of yelp and the yelp talk threads.

I am also quite aware of this being a long term professional niche, and how worried I get not seeing viable ad models to sustain these social media sites long term.

There’s my afternoon ramble. Cheers!

Michael
@hhotelconsult

Another excelent post

Since I’ve began with Tiara Hotels & Resorts I’ve tried to implement a SocialMedia strategy based on 4 channels:

- Blog
- Twitter
- Facebook
- Flickr

as well as tried to improve Tripadvisor review comments by my hotels owners/managers, and starting to be part of their local/region forums.

After 8 months of usage, I would say that, along with Flickr (with great utility for our groups and sales departments, allowing them to send with just one link an entire set of pcitures of each hotel), Twitter is the channel that take most of time due to its simplicity and being the most direct channel of communication between partners, clients, companies as well as media, blog writers and others with us.

To be honest, my idea of our blog is to include it on our website, allowing our partners, affiliations and others to provide us contents to make the blog horizons a little bit more wider. At the moment, it’s quite on stand-by.

YouTube would be definetely a channel to consider pretty soon, as well as, in a near future, allowing clients to post upload directly on our website their photos and videos.

Regarding Facebook, I’ve started with a Group Page but with the updates on Facebook’s platform, I’ve turned to a Fan Page. I’m still checking some (good) examples, like Virgin Atlantic page, to see what could we do more, and better.

Digg and Delicius are still on my “to do list”

Cheers!