What it means for your business
Social media can be just as important for connecting with business partners as your customers. The air traffic disruption caused by last month’s snowfall and onboard updates from Carnival Splendour when it suffered a power failure proved how companies could reach thousands with official information in one hit. But despite its informalities and pitfalls, social media continues to host grounds to network and 56 percent of those surveyed agreed that having an active online presence was important. A further 55 percent used their profiles to meet new business contacts and maintain other relationships. It also seems to help form opinion, as 52 percent of people will check their business contact’s social networking before a meeting. Although you may need to take what you read with a pinch of salt, as 60 percent of Brits are likely to lie in postings.
What this means for your customers
Ready available access to WiFi or a computer is often ranked as one of the top five amenities required by travellers, particularly in the business sector. This should be taken into consideration when choosing a hotel for clients, as 78 percent of Brits find that social media use helps them meet people when travelling for work. Indeed Sheraton had admitted that it underestimated the importance of services such as its Link@Sheraton lounges. “Along with the bigger shift toward social media from other forms of communication, what the survey drove home for us was that an experience like Link@Sheraton isn’t a luxury for guests, but a necessity,” explained Hoyt Harper, senior vice president and global brand leader for Sheraton Hotels & Resorts. “They expect total connectivity.” More than 50 percent of the chain’s guests used the lounge during their stay, with 75 percent of users checking Facebook.
