NOVOTEL Vines Resort in Swan Valley, Western Australia is running a campaign that gives out a discounted or free night’s stay to guests who have a certain amount of social capital online in a bid to boost its own online presence.
Guests who have a certain number of followers or likes on Instagram or Facebook will be entitled to participate in this deal that runs until March 31, 2016. For example, guests with 1,000 Instagram followers will receive a 10 per cent discount, and for 10,000 followers or more the room is free.
To qualify, guests need proof of their fan base upon booking and to post a minimum of two photos throughout their stay.
“We saw the impact the bloggers had with their social media throughout their stay and it made us think it was an area we could tap into a little better than we had been,” said Carly Odgers, marketing manager of Novotel Vines Resort.
Hosting a group of bloggers from Singapore in partnership with Scoot in February inspired Novotel Vines Resort to use social media as currency.
“It’s a more cost-effective way to market and use the social media influencers to gain traction for your property,” Odgers added.
Stockholm’s Nordic Light Hotel claims to be the world’s first hotel to have implemented this strategy. Over seven months ending December 2014, 194 guests traded their social media connections for a total of 423 free nights’ accommodation.
