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arketing is a high-stakes business for DMOs, hotels, and resorts—the battle for visibility and engagement is relentless. With ever-increasing tactics vying for a spot in your marketing mix and algorithms that constantly move the goalposts, even choosing between two staples — SEO and social media — can feel like a tug-of-war. While both are critical to success, understanding their unique strengths and demands can help you optimize your marketing mix for maximum ROI.
Let’s take a deep dive into two very different worlds: the high-effort, ongoing demands of social media and the foundational, long-term benefits of SEO. We’ll break down how their approaches differ, the type of results you can expect from each, and a look at why quality content still reigns supreme for both.
Social Media: Dynamic, Immediate, and Engaging
Social media platforms are the powerhouses of real-time engagement. For hotels, resorts, and DMOs, platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook can serve as virtual storefronts where stunning visuals, engaging captions, and timely interactions can captivate prospective guests.
The benefits of social media are based on its immediacy and flexibility. For example, social campaigns can drive instant traffic, engagement, and bookings with just a click or two. In addition, content like livestreams, polls, and direct messages offer a real-time way to foster one-on-one connections and build customer loyalty. Social platforms are also the only channels that allow brands to jump on trend bandwagons and produce viral content, especially when targeting capabilities enable precise audience segmentation.
Conversely, social media’s immediacy is also one of its downfalls. Because algorithms prioritize fresh, frequent content, accounts require constant posting and reacting. That content also has a short shelf life — days at most — which means that relevancy becomes even more difficult to maintain. Those dreaded algorithms are also frustrating simply because they can be confusing to understand.
As you develop your social strategy, keep these things in mind:
- Post consistently.
- Experiment with different content types like videos, stories, and carousel posts.
- Invest in paid advertising to boost your content’s visibility.
- Engage with your audience through comments and messages to build loyalty.
SEO: A Long-Term Investment
Where social media is the sprinter of digital marketing, SEO is the marathoner. Successful SEO rests on a strong foundation of keyword research, optimized meta descriptions, and high-quality content that helps grow an evergreen digital presence. SEO efforts, once implemented, can yield consistent traffic over time with minimal ongoing input.
The pros of SEO can be tracked by how your content rises through the rankings of your various keywords. When properly optimized, SEO leads to sustained growth that can drive traffic for years. (Appearing high on the search rankings builds authority and trustworthiness, too!) Although initiating SEO can be an initial investment, the long-term ROI can be substantial because it captures potential guests actively searching for the specific services or destinations you offer.
SEO is the opposite of social media in that it takes a significant initial effort to set up, followed by months to start producing results. In a world of instant gratification, this can cause frustration. SEO can also fall victim to Google’s algorithm, which likes to introduce updates and disrupt the rankings. And, since the advent of Google AI Overview, many marketers are scrambling to understand how that changes their strategy and how they can get their links to appear as part of this new section.
These actions can help you develop a strong SEO strategy:
- Conduct keyword research to target phrases your audience searches for.
- Optimize your website’s loading speed and mobile-friendliness.
- Regularly update older content to maintain its relevance and rankings.
Choosing Between Social Media and SEO
For marketing managers at DMOs, hotels, and resorts, the decision between SEO and social media isn’t about choosing one tactic over the other — it’s about aligning each strategy with your goals and resources:
1. Goals: If your goal is immediate visibility and engagement, prioritize social media. For long-term traffic and increased bookings, SEO is your best bet.
2. Resources: Social media requires a dedicated team to produce, post, and monitor content daily. SEO requires an upfront investment in expertise, tools, and content creation but less day-to-day management once established.
3. Audience Behavior: Understanding where your audience hangs out online can determine whether to prioritize social or SEO, so research where your audience spends their digital time. Are they browsing Instagram for travel inspiration or searching Google for specific destinations?
4. Competitor Activity: Analyze your competitors’ digital presence. A strong social media game might mean they’re weak on SEO, giving you an opportunity to dominate search rankings.
Combine Forces for a Hybrid Strategy
For some organizations, a hybrid approach can yield the best results. Consider this strategy, for example:
1. Leverage SEO for foundational growth: Build optimized landing pages, publish evergreen blog content, and ensure your website ranks for critical keywords.
2. Use social media for engagement and amplification: Share your blog posts, showcase destination highlights, and run campaigns to direct traffic back to your website.
3. Monitor and adjust: Use analytics to identify what’s working and adapt your strategy accordingly.
Content is the Common Ground
Whether you prioritize social media or SEO, one truth remains constant: content is king. Both strategies thrive on high-quality, engaging, and relevant content that resonates with your target audience. On social media, that means eye-catching visuals, compelling stories, and user-generated content to keep your audience engaged and coming back for more. For SEO, strong content means informative blog posts, detailed guides, and keyword-rich web pages that make your site visible to search engines and valuable to users.
At Hawthorn Creative, we have an experienced staff of marketers who are well-versed in both social media and SEO strategies. If you’d like help perfecting your marketing mix, let’s talk.