,Contents
Acknowledgements.......................................................................................................4
Introduction...................................................................................................................5
Chapter I: The Social Media Marketing Plan..................................................................6
1.1 Segmentation..........................................................................................................6
1.2 Targeting..................................................................................................................8
Chapter 2. Branding & Identity......................................................................................9
2.1 Branding..................................................................................................................9
2.2 Identity..................................................................................................................10
Chapter 3 Social Media Marketing Objectives.............................................................10
Chapter 4 Current Situation.........................................................................................11
Chapter 5 Social Media Marketing Strategy................................................................14
Chapter 6 Integrated Promotional Mix........................................................................15
6.1 Platforms...............................................................................................................15
6.2 Posts in details.......................................................................................................16
6.3 Frequency, type of posting and time of day..........................................................18
6.4 Tone of Voice of X Hotel........................................................................................19
Chapter 7 Timescale and Resources............................................................................19
Chapter 8 Social Media Marketing Plan.......................................................................21
8.1 Introduction...........................................................................................................21
8.2 Management problem...........................................................................................22
8.3 Management question..........................................................................................22
8.4 Trends and Developments & PEST Analysis...........................................................23
Chapter 9 Solution strategies......................................................................................27
9.1 Use of knowledge..................................................................................................29
9.2 Required knowledge..............................................................................................29
9.3 Knowledge collection.............................................................................................30
9.4 Research Strategy..................................................................................................30
9.5 Data Collection Plan...............................................................................................31
9.6 Measurement instruments....................................................................................31
9.7 Population.............................................................................................................31
Chapter 10 Findings.....................................................................................................33
10.1 Management Question........................................................................................33
Chapter 11 Use of results............................................................................................38
11.1 Discussion............................................................................................................39
,11.2 Stakeholders........................................................................................................41
11.3 Budget Social Media Marketing Plan...................................................................45
Appendices: Social Media Marketing Plan...................................................................47
Appendix I Target Group Persona................................................................................47
Appendix II Layout Social Media Communication Mobile Phone................................47
Appenix III Post Visuals / Post Fonts............................................................................48
Appendix IV Gantt Chart: Posting Overview................................................................49
Appendix V Facebook and Instagram Reports.............................................................50
Appendices The Substantiation...................................................................................51
Appendix VI Literature Research.................................................................................51
Appendix VII Coding of Interview................................................................................56
Appendix: VIII Characteristics Target Group. Survey 1: Existing X Hotel
Guests.........................................................................................................................58
Appendix IX Existing Guests of X Hotel........................................................................65
References...................................................................................................................66
,Acknowledgements
Dear reader, I would like to start this paragraph differently than the
usual “cliché”. First of all, thank you for going to put a lot of time and
effort right now into reading my Young Professional Semester Project.
During the past 4 years of my Hotel Management studies at Saxion
University of Applied Sciences, I was thinking from time to time if I will
ever make it. If I will ever come to the point where I need to prepare to
finish my studies and write the (back then) Thesis report. Now that this
time finally came to me, I dare to say I feel scared and nervous.
I would like to express my gratefulness and appreciation for all the
people behind this project. My Saxion tutors and the management
team of X Hotel X . Without you, nothing would be the same. Your
endless help and motivation came to me in very difficult times for the
whole world- the COVID-19 crisis. Having you by my side made this
project a reality and my path to the professional field looking more real
and approachable.
This project means a lot to me, not only because I got to work on a very
interesting and engaging topic but because of the great team which
showed me a different perspective of the world.
For me this is another path which I had to cross, it wasn’t always easy
or pleasant but fully worth it. A path which developed me into the
Young Professional I want to be. Always learning and achieving!
X
Den Haag , 20th of October 2021
,Introduction
Nowadays, we live in a fully digital era where technology is everywhere
around us and sometimes, we all wonder: what is the best way to
integrate it in our businesses? And how can we earn and expand
through it? Social media is implemented in each aspect of our lives and
it grows each day. Many businesses found success through it using
different strategies. Therefore, the purpose of this social media
marketing project is to create the most feasible and effective strategy
for X Hotel located in X .
This project is built around different steps which aim to give a clear
solution to the management issue. The management question of this
professional product is: How can X Hotel increase the percentage of
leisure guests through online platforms and GDS channels and
influence the booking decision? This issue is derived from the
current situation at X Hotel. The project consists of 3 parts: The
professional product which is the social media marketing plan itself, the
substantiation of the marketing plan and the third chapter is the
Professional Performance which looks into the performance of the
young professional. The social media marketing plan gives clarity on
the target group of X Hotel based on which a social media strategy is
created. In the Substantiation part, you can read more about the
choices which were made to come with solutions for the client X Hotel .
, Chapter I: The Social Media Marketing Plan
1.1 Segmentation
For a social media marketing plan to be achievable and relevant it is
essential if the target group of X Hotel is known and made clear. For this
purpose, the Segmentation, Targeting Positioning model of (Kotler, Wong,
Saunders, & Armsrong, 2004) will be used. The model consists of major
variables for segmenting customer markets. Below you can find the
illustration of the model.
The target group of X Hotel was researched through 2 types of surveys.
The first Survey focused only on existing guests of X Hotel ; the second
survey focused only on potential guests of the hotel. The results from the
first survey will be represented below. Besides the surveys, interviews
with several experts were held. Through them, information about the
target group was obtained as well. Below you can find the analysis of the
target group and based on it a persona will be developed for better
representation.
DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS TARGET GROUP
When looking at the results from the first survey and two of the experts' interviews it can be concluded
that the target group of X Hotel are (91.43%) Female. They are between 25-34 and 35-49 years old
(37.14%). The income is from €0- €15 000 (50%). In the interview with the General Manager of X
Hotel she stated “most of our guests are Europeans. Mainly Europeans. We have small percentage
Asian guests, very small like 2-3%” (see 78-79). She also added, “They are mostly middle-aged
between 30, 30+-50 years old” (see 80-81). And their nationalities are “from the Netherlands,
Romania, United States, Italy and Germany” (see 82- 85).
The second interviewee, the Marketing Manager of X Hotel also contributed with information about
the demographics of the target group. She stated: “Our guests are mostly from Europe” see (2.73)
“They are between 25-55 years old, and their income is higher than the medium standard of X ” see
(2.79- 2.80).
BUSINESS AND LEISURE STAYS, RATE OF STAY
The second part of the research focused on the reason for the stay of the guests. Around 30.30% of
the respondents stayed at X Hotel for business. And 66.67% stated that they did not stay at X Hotel
for business purposes. 75.00% of the respondents stayed at X Hotel for leisure. Another 21.88% said
they did not stay at X Hotel for leisure purposes. 3.13% stayed for other purposes. 81.25% of the
guests rated their stay as Excellent, 18.75% rated it as good. The General Manager of the hotel
mentioned “mainly our guests are travelling for business, business in town” see (99) “They are mainly
the contemporary traveller type of guests, this means nowadays traveller, they demand good service,
sincere relationships and well authentic service” see (102- 104). The Marketing Manager added “the
guests are travelling for work for usually a short period of time let’s say one, two, three, four nights up
to seven. Also, a lot of companies send us guests that stay for sometimes from 90 to 100 days” see
(2.73- 2.77). Besides these two respondents, the Front Office manager was also interviewed and
contributed with “when there are events in the city, we have several reservations connected to them”
see (3.93- 3.94).
Acknowledgements.......................................................................................................4
Introduction...................................................................................................................5
Chapter I: The Social Media Marketing Plan..................................................................6
1.1 Segmentation..........................................................................................................6
1.2 Targeting..................................................................................................................8
Chapter 2. Branding & Identity......................................................................................9
2.1 Branding..................................................................................................................9
2.2 Identity..................................................................................................................10
Chapter 3 Social Media Marketing Objectives.............................................................10
Chapter 4 Current Situation.........................................................................................11
Chapter 5 Social Media Marketing Strategy................................................................14
Chapter 6 Integrated Promotional Mix........................................................................15
6.1 Platforms...............................................................................................................15
6.2 Posts in details.......................................................................................................16
6.3 Frequency, type of posting and time of day..........................................................18
6.4 Tone of Voice of X Hotel........................................................................................19
Chapter 7 Timescale and Resources............................................................................19
Chapter 8 Social Media Marketing Plan.......................................................................21
8.1 Introduction...........................................................................................................21
8.2 Management problem...........................................................................................22
8.3 Management question..........................................................................................22
8.4 Trends and Developments & PEST Analysis...........................................................23
Chapter 9 Solution strategies......................................................................................27
9.1 Use of knowledge..................................................................................................29
9.2 Required knowledge..............................................................................................29
9.3 Knowledge collection.............................................................................................30
9.4 Research Strategy..................................................................................................30
9.5 Data Collection Plan...............................................................................................31
9.6 Measurement instruments....................................................................................31
9.7 Population.............................................................................................................31
Chapter 10 Findings.....................................................................................................33
10.1 Management Question........................................................................................33
Chapter 11 Use of results............................................................................................38
11.1 Discussion............................................................................................................39
,11.2 Stakeholders........................................................................................................41
11.3 Budget Social Media Marketing Plan...................................................................45
Appendices: Social Media Marketing Plan...................................................................47
Appendix I Target Group Persona................................................................................47
Appendix II Layout Social Media Communication Mobile Phone................................47
Appenix III Post Visuals / Post Fonts............................................................................48
Appendix IV Gantt Chart: Posting Overview................................................................49
Appendix V Facebook and Instagram Reports.............................................................50
Appendices The Substantiation...................................................................................51
Appendix VI Literature Research.................................................................................51
Appendix VII Coding of Interview................................................................................56
Appendix: VIII Characteristics Target Group. Survey 1: Existing X Hotel
Guests.........................................................................................................................58
Appendix IX Existing Guests of X Hotel........................................................................65
References...................................................................................................................66
,Acknowledgements
Dear reader, I would like to start this paragraph differently than the
usual “cliché”. First of all, thank you for going to put a lot of time and
effort right now into reading my Young Professional Semester Project.
During the past 4 years of my Hotel Management studies at Saxion
University of Applied Sciences, I was thinking from time to time if I will
ever make it. If I will ever come to the point where I need to prepare to
finish my studies and write the (back then) Thesis report. Now that this
time finally came to me, I dare to say I feel scared and nervous.
I would like to express my gratefulness and appreciation for all the
people behind this project. My Saxion tutors and the management
team of X Hotel X . Without you, nothing would be the same. Your
endless help and motivation came to me in very difficult times for the
whole world- the COVID-19 crisis. Having you by my side made this
project a reality and my path to the professional field looking more real
and approachable.
This project means a lot to me, not only because I got to work on a very
interesting and engaging topic but because of the great team which
showed me a different perspective of the world.
For me this is another path which I had to cross, it wasn’t always easy
or pleasant but fully worth it. A path which developed me into the
Young Professional I want to be. Always learning and achieving!
X
Den Haag , 20th of October 2021
,Introduction
Nowadays, we live in a fully digital era where technology is everywhere
around us and sometimes, we all wonder: what is the best way to
integrate it in our businesses? And how can we earn and expand
through it? Social media is implemented in each aspect of our lives and
it grows each day. Many businesses found success through it using
different strategies. Therefore, the purpose of this social media
marketing project is to create the most feasible and effective strategy
for X Hotel located in X .
This project is built around different steps which aim to give a clear
solution to the management issue. The management question of this
professional product is: How can X Hotel increase the percentage of
leisure guests through online platforms and GDS channels and
influence the booking decision? This issue is derived from the
current situation at X Hotel. The project consists of 3 parts: The
professional product which is the social media marketing plan itself, the
substantiation of the marketing plan and the third chapter is the
Professional Performance which looks into the performance of the
young professional. The social media marketing plan gives clarity on
the target group of X Hotel based on which a social media strategy is
created. In the Substantiation part, you can read more about the
choices which were made to come with solutions for the client X Hotel .
, Chapter I: The Social Media Marketing Plan
1.1 Segmentation
For a social media marketing plan to be achievable and relevant it is
essential if the target group of X Hotel is known and made clear. For this
purpose, the Segmentation, Targeting Positioning model of (Kotler, Wong,
Saunders, & Armsrong, 2004) will be used. The model consists of major
variables for segmenting customer markets. Below you can find the
illustration of the model.
The target group of X Hotel was researched through 2 types of surveys.
The first Survey focused only on existing guests of X Hotel ; the second
survey focused only on potential guests of the hotel. The results from the
first survey will be represented below. Besides the surveys, interviews
with several experts were held. Through them, information about the
target group was obtained as well. Below you can find the analysis of the
target group and based on it a persona will be developed for better
representation.
DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS TARGET GROUP
When looking at the results from the first survey and two of the experts' interviews it can be concluded
that the target group of X Hotel are (91.43%) Female. They are between 25-34 and 35-49 years old
(37.14%). The income is from €0- €15 000 (50%). In the interview with the General Manager of X
Hotel she stated “most of our guests are Europeans. Mainly Europeans. We have small percentage
Asian guests, very small like 2-3%” (see 78-79). She also added, “They are mostly middle-aged
between 30, 30+-50 years old” (see 80-81). And their nationalities are “from the Netherlands,
Romania, United States, Italy and Germany” (see 82- 85).
The second interviewee, the Marketing Manager of X Hotel also contributed with information about
the demographics of the target group. She stated: “Our guests are mostly from Europe” see (2.73)
“They are between 25-55 years old, and their income is higher than the medium standard of X ” see
(2.79- 2.80).
BUSINESS AND LEISURE STAYS, RATE OF STAY
The second part of the research focused on the reason for the stay of the guests. Around 30.30% of
the respondents stayed at X Hotel for business. And 66.67% stated that they did not stay at X Hotel
for business purposes. 75.00% of the respondents stayed at X Hotel for leisure. Another 21.88% said
they did not stay at X Hotel for leisure purposes. 3.13% stayed for other purposes. 81.25% of the
guests rated their stay as Excellent, 18.75% rated it as good. The General Manager of the hotel
mentioned “mainly our guests are travelling for business, business in town” see (99) “They are mainly
the contemporary traveller type of guests, this means nowadays traveller, they demand good service,
sincere relationships and well authentic service” see (102- 104). The Marketing Manager added “the
guests are travelling for work for usually a short period of time let’s say one, two, three, four nights up
to seven. Also, a lot of companies send us guests that stay for sometimes from 90 to 100 days” see
(2.73- 2.77). Besides these two respondents, the Front Office manager was also interviewed and
contributed with “when there are events in the city, we have several reservations connected to them”
see (3.93- 3.94).
