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More and more, hotels and hospitality providers are turning to social media to create low-cost contests and other promotions. How can you get in on the trend that’s increasing fan engagement? Read on for a few ideas.

First, think about your target customer. Who’s the one booking reservations? At most hotels, this will be Mom.  So start your brainstorm with her in mind, and tailor your promotions to her desires, expectations and family role.

Then think about what your hotel has to offer. What’s its strongest selling point? In New Orleans, the huge variety of hotels leaves plenty of room to stand out–so use what makes your hotel special.

Now consider which social media tools you’re already using, and which will correspond best to your budget. The sky is the creative limit with Twitter–and it’s the lowest-cost channel for a social media promotion. Consider asking followers to submit the reason they deserve a vacation, with prizes or package stays going to the most creative 140-word submissions (and make sure to have participants tag everything with a custom #hashtag so your staff can follow the conversation).

Time-sensitive Twitter contests can be a great way to minimize unbooked inventory. Just think of tweeting something like, “The first person to retweet this message will receive a two-night stay for the price of one this weekend!” Twitter moves so fast, you’ll have those rooms filled in no time.

Foursquare is another free tool, and you can use its location-based function to your advantage by offering incentives to Mayors, or to those who visit specified locations (say, Jackson Square).

Mid-sized budgets can find success with a Facebook contest, which must be administered through a third-party application like Wildfire in order to conform to the site’s terms of service. Create a special landing page for your promotion, and be creative. For example, Hotel Jupiter in Portland, Oregon created a dressed-up mannequin named Jupiter Lily and asked guests to take pictures with her. Then, when guests tagged Jupiter Lily on Facebook, they were entered to win a free stay!

Hotel 1000, a luxury hotel in Seattle, went a step further. With custom Facebook tabs for its contest, the 1000 asked Facebook users to participate in a scavenger hunt for clues hidden throughout the hotel’s new website. Users had to “like” the Hotel 1000 before they could participate, and each click through to the new site was tracked.

When considering a social media promotion, don’t forget your neighbors, either! Try teaming up with nearby restaurants, bars or other attractions to create an inclusive package.  And always make sure to let everyone on staff know about your social media promotion, in case a guest asks about it!

We hope this helps!