Owning and running a small accommodation business usually means that you are required to fill many roles. Although we are all aware of the importance of Social Media in marketing a property, time constraints may hinder the upkeep of channels such as Twitter and Facebook.

The following is my personal 5-point checklist for property owners and marketers who also manage their own Facebook Page for their boutique hotel, guesthouse, bed-and-breakfast or holiday rental.

So, here we go…

1. Check your Page Info

This is where you need to update your website URL, your email and telephone numbers. This is also where your address is very important as it powers the little map on your Page. This information can be critical for a potential (or lost) guest trying to get in touch.

2. Check for Duplicate Pages

Duplicates exist when people try to check-in to an accommodation and can’t find the official page. In this case Facebook creates a new page on your behalf. It could also be that along the years, different people from your end would have opened multiple Facebook pages. The latter is easier to fix, as Facebook offers the option to merge the 2 (or more) pages. Careful that the name of the pages must be almost identical, if not you can change the name of either page, but only if you have less than 200 Likes.

3. Check your Branding

Logos, pictures, email addresses – these all should be consistent throughout all your channels. Do not confuse your prospective guests with different logos or logo colours. Choose one and stick to it!

4. Check your Messages and Timeline

Guests or prospective guests may be asking questions or forwarding complaints through your Facebook page. Ensure you provide a professional and prompt response to these as failing to do so may be very damaging to your business.

5. Make it Bookable

It is useless to make your Facebook page as popular as possible and then not being able to make the best out of such efforts. Check with your booking engine provider if they have a Facebook App, or else just add a Tab in your Facebook page that redirects to the booking page on your website.