“We were getting about 250 comments with each posting and people were inspired by the pictures they saw, by the content we were posting.
“For those who’ve not stayed at Shangri-La, a lot said they wished they could stay there, and some said they would like to work for us. Some who have stayed before said they wanted to return.
“You feel touched.”
Zhu added, “And these are true fans of Shangri-La, not Facebook.”
For instance, its latest posting is on the opening of the Kerry Hotel, Pudong, and the posting reads – Find Your Inner Triathlete at Kerry Sports. And a fan posted, “I will stay there.”
There were one or two looking for jobs – but that’s the nature of social media. You put it out there and what you get is randomness.
Zhu said the group was also engaging its Facebook fans (97,180 as of Tuesday morning, February 22) with special packages or deals from its hotels. And it seemed like a good opportunity, for its 40th birthday celebrations, to offers its fans a birthday treat to celebrate their birthdays with us, said Zhu, talking about the group’s latest promotion on its Facebook page.
He said the group has taken on a dedicated person in the digital marketing team to feed content on Facebook. The staff works with the public relations on content development.
It also helps individual hotels refine their messages and sources for information relevant to the brand and fans. In China, where the group has the bulk of its hotels, a different strategy is needed for the different social media platforms. On Weibo, China’s answer to Twitter, the group has 1,500 followers and “according to Sina.com, if you approach 3,000, you can reach 1 million”, said Zhu.
Most of the content is Shangri-La related but posts also include things like interesting quotes from famous people that could inspire anybody in any situation, said Zhu. It also posts content on wellness, spa treatments, recipes and art, all consistent with the Shangri-La brand experience.
Asked if it had been scary getting his toes wet in social media, Zhu laughed, “Not scary, exciting.”
“When I asked my team to look at social media, I did not have the full picture. Now we have started doing all these channels individually and it’s through engaging, you ultimately build a brand, a relationship and then ultimately turn it into business.”
He said he was now looking for a total approach on digital marketing. “Search is easy – but how to make search easier and faster so as to convert to bookings, how to make it more attractive and persuasive in converting to bookings – that’s what we want to tackle.”
He said a total digital approach was needed to bring together all elements, including search and social media, so that eventually, all would convert into business.
Meanwhile, the opening of the Kerry Hotel, Pudong, heralds the launch of a new brand by Shangri-La. General manager George Wee said the new brand was about “luxury in an informal setting”.
“We want to create a relaxed environment for our customers to enjoy luxury but be relaxed about it,” said Wee.
(Pictured left: The BREW at Kerry Hotel, Pudong – “creating a relaxed environment for customers”)
Zhu added, “It will come down to the people – the idea is to create an atmosphere which is energetic, which is reflected in the people – a more casual interaction that can be felt in its music, atmosphere, flowers, etc.
“Once we reach 70% occupancy, you will feel that.”
The next Kerry Hotel will be the Kerry Centre in Beijing which is being rebranded. Zhu said a few will come from rebranding from either the Shangri-La or Traders group of existing hotels.
