Atlanta, March 29, 2011 - Following a comprehensive study by PhoCusWright, the travel industry's esteemed research authority, Sofitel Luxury Hotels, in partnership with Travel Spike is proud to announce the details of their successful social media strategy for their nine properties in North America. The report focuses on the best practices for hoteliers to build a quality and relevant following on important social media sites like Facebook and Twitter.  While many companies focus solely on numbers, Sofitel has implemented a plan that drives targeted repeat customers to their social media sites on a daily basis.

The following are several Facebook/Twitter- tips for hoteliers to consider, that have been proven effective by Travel Spike, on behalf of Sofitel building a strong presence within the social media realm:

Tip #1 – Appoint a social media coordinator for each property. This person will be the eyes and ears to what is happening on the property level, including sharing specials at the spa or menu changes at the restaurant.   They will coordinate with sales, marketing, weddings, meetings & events and the concierge to share the updates so their social media team can get the message out.

Tip #2 – Be authentic! Customers don’t want to read updates that sound like a robot has written them. Sofitel is a unique upscale brand known for its stellar service and French style, so the social media updates stay true to the product.

Tip #3 – Target your demographics.  For Sofitel, targeting discerning travelers and gourmet diners remains a top priority.

Tip #4 – Sprinkle in local events.  Show off your concierge skills by becoming the local inside source for events, parties and festivals. Sofitel Los Angeles, for example, tweeted live from their recent Golden Globe Gifting Suite.

Tip #5 –Engage with your audience, don’t just sell. The quickest way to lose a consumer is to ‘bang them over the head’ with product information.  Sofitel Washington DC, for example, asked their Facebook fans what DC tips they would like to receive – consumers responded that they wanted to hear more about museums, family travel, luxury dining & romantic tips for couples.

The results speak for themselves as within a year, Sofitel went from 1,000 'random' followers on Twitter to over 28,000 ‘quality’ travelers.

“We are honored to be recognized by such a prestigious travel research firm such as PhoCusWright," said Director of Marketing," Gabriela Navejas, "Sofitel looks forward to strengthening our social media platforms with our travel partner, Travel Spike, by providing fresh content and exclusive offers to our growing online audience."

About Sofitel:
Sofitel is the only French luxury hotel brand with a presence on five continents with 130 addresses, in almost 40 countries (more than 30,000 rooms). Sofitel offers contemporary hotels and resorts adapted to today’s more demanding and more versatile consumers who expect and appreciate beauty, quality and excellence. Whether situated in the heart of a major city like Paris, London, New York or Beijing, or nestled away in a country landscape in Morocco, Egypt, Fiji Islands or Thailand, each Sofitel property offers a genuine experience of the French “art de vivre”. Visit: http://www.sofitel.com .

About Travel Spike:
Founded in 2001, Travel Spike is the interactive leader in the travel, tourism and hospitality marketplace, with core competencies in destination marketing, digital strategy, travel advertising and social media marketing.  The company also provides email marketing, travel search engine optimization and digital pr services exclusively to destinations, hotels, tour operators, and other travel organizations. For more information on the company's expertise in travel, technology, Internet and media, visit: http://www.travelspike.com.

For more expert social media research and insight, purchase “Sofitel’s Social Approach Favors Quality Over Quantity” from PhoCusWright.