How Social Media Drives Revenue in Real Time

My perspective on social media and influencer marketing in hospitality wasn't shaped by theory. It was shaped by watching them drive real business results.

That distinction matters because social media is still misunderstood in this industry. Many hotels either have little to no presence or treat it as a box to be checked. They post generic content a couple of times a week, remain technically active, and then act surprised when the results are underwhelming.

I've seen firsthand that when social is approached strategically, it can do much more than generate awareness. It can drive revenue, create momentum, and keep a property top of mind during a traveler's buying journey.

One of the clearest examples for me was our afternoon tea service. When we launched afternoon tea in our lobby bar in 2019, the goal was to create meaningful incremental revenue and put our own spin on the experience. It wasn't an overnight success. It started slowly, which is often the moment when people begin to lose faith and throw in the towel.

But instead of treating it like a limited-time activation, we kept building visibility around it. We consistently showcased the experience on social through carousels, reels, and paid ads. We partnered monthly with influencers to reach audiences beyond our own following. We also used PR to create additional exposure, including opportunities to be featured on local news.

My perspective wasn't shaped by a single viral moment or dramatic turning point. It was the consistency. Over time, the afternoon tea grew. The more we featured it, the more familiar it became. The more the right people saw it, the more demand it generated. That steady momentum dramatically changed the business outcome.

Today, that afternoon tea service generates more revenue than some hotel rooftops do. Social media and influencer marketing are not only useful for promoting what is new, but they can also maintain long-term demand for an experience when used consistently and intentionally. In hospitality, that matters because guests don't just book what is available. They book what captures their attention, what they remember, and what they want to be a part of.

Another example was our New Year's Eve event. Each year, we host a New Year's Eve party, and this past year, we organically posted an Instagram reel in advance of the event, highlighting the view of the river and the fireworks display at midnight, which is a major draw in the city. Within 24 hours, we sold 40 tickets. The reel ultimately reached 2.2 million views and the event sold out.

What stood out to me wasn't that the content performed well. At this point, we have strong momentum on social and our team understands the platform's value. What stood out was how directly the right content translated into immediate action.

That experience reinforced something I already believe. In hospitality, social media is more than just a channel for building long-term brand awareness. It can also drive measurable demand when the content is timely, relevant, and tied to something people actually care about. Sometimes the distance between a reel and a revenue result is much shorter than you'd think.

What still puzzles me is how some hotels approach social media. Too often, it's either neglected entirely or handed off to agencies that produce undifferentiated content simply to maintain a booking cadence. The hotel is "on social," but the presence is so generic that it does little to build interest, differentiate the property, or inspire someone to stay there. Activity instead of effectiveness. A feed exists. The box is checked.

Hospitality deserves a more serious approach than that. Hotels are visual, experiential businesses. They rely on emotion, aspiration, trust, and timing. Social media and influencer marketing sit directly at the intersection of all four. They help potential guests picture the experience before they ever visit the website. They help validate the property through consistent storytelling and third-party credibility. Considering people spend over 2 hours a day on social, it's an opportunity for a hotel to stay visible while travelers are deciding where to stay, where to dine, and which experiences are worth their time and money.

I view social media as a revenue-driving function, not just a communications channel. For hospitality leaders, that means investing in the right partners and the right strategy. Posting for the sake of posting isn't a strategy, it's a waste of money. Effective social media requires content that reflects a property's strengths, partnerships that reach the right audience, and a clear understanding of how visibility translates into demand over time. It also creates an opportunity to market more intentionally to the audiences most likely to deliver a revenue lift where the business needs it most.

If there is one takeaway, it's this: investing in social media and influencer marketing can drive revenue and keep a hotel top of mind throughout the traveler's buying journey. In a category as competitive as hospitality, that is a meaningful advantage.