Rod Larman is the marketing manager at The Grove Hotel in London. He discusses how social media and review sites like TripAdvisor have changed how hotels market themselves and interact with customers over the past 15 years. TripAdvisor is now the world's most influential travel site with over 260 million monthly visitors. While user reviews provide free feedback, responding can be time-consuming and scores take time to improve. However, actively working with TripAdvisor through tools like Review Express has helped The Grove's online reputation and ratings become more in line with competitors. Larman provides advice on effectively utilizing TripAdvisor to both engage customers and address any issues.

1. ROD LARMAN
MARKETING MANAGER
@TheGroveHotel

2. THE GROVE | LONDON’S COUNTRY ESTATE
BUSINESS CATEGORIES
TARGET AUDIENCE
• HOTEL
• MEETINGS & EVENTS
• WEDDINGS & SPECIAL OCCASIONS
• GOLF
• SPA
• RESTAURANTS
• COUPLES
• FAMILES
• INDIVIDUALS
• CORPORATE

3. FROM 2003 TO TODAY...
THE GROVE - SEPTEMBER 2003
• LOTS OF AWARDS
• SOCIAL MEDIA WAS IN ITS EARLY DAYS
• BRANDS COULD DOMINATE OPINION
• UGC SITES LIKE TRIPADVISOR WERE SEEN
AS A WAY TOATTACK
THE GROVE - TODAY
• SOCIAL MEDIA IS FRONT OF MIND
• BRANDS NO LONGER HAVE CONTROL
• PEOPLE ARE TALKING ABOUT YOU,
SHARING EXPERIENCES
• PEOPLE USE SOCIAL MEDIA TO MAKE
INFORMED DECISIONS

4. TRIPADVISOR
THE WORLD’S MOST INFLUENTIAL TRAVEL SITE
• 260 million unique monthly visitors
• 125 million reviews and opinions
• 3.1 million accommodations, restaurants and attractions
• 17 million traveller photos
• 80 new contributions are posted every minute
• 69 million people have downloaded the TripAdvisor app (28/min)

5. WORKING WITH TRIPADVISOR
IT CAN NOT BE IGNORED!
• Engaged Management Centre
• Invested in a TripAdvisor Business Listing
• Respond to all reviews
• Promote TripAdvisor logo across all collateral
• Integrated with Facebook
• Add Rave Review widget
• Proactively seek new reviews

6. REVIEW EXPRESS
ONE OF FREE MARKETING TOOLS ON TRIPADVISOR
• COLLECT GUEST DATA
• SEGMENTATION
• SET UP TEMPLATE
• CUSTOMISE
• TIMING

7. REVIEW EXPRESS
600
92.3
%
530
Vol.
400
200
0
76.8
%
80.2
%
25
2010
156
86
40
2009
2013
83.9
%
90.2
%
2011
2012

8. POPULARITY INDEX
62%
80%
2012
2014
1% increase in online reputation led to a
0.89% increase in Average Daily Rate (ADR)
Cornell University

9. THE GOOD & THE BAD!
THE GOOD
• USER GENERATED CONTENT
• BALANCED OPINION
• FREE FEEDBACK
• GREATER POSITIVITY
• EXTREME REVIEWS CAN BE REMOVED
THE BAD
• RESPONDING CAN BE TIME CONSUMING
• NO DIRECT CONTACT WITH TRIPADVISOR
• SCORES TAKE TIME TO ADJUST
• OPEN TO ABUSE, NO IDENTITY

10. GOOD FOR BUSINESS?
HOW IT HAS HELPED THE GROVE...
• DIFFICULT TO MEASURE DIRECT REVENUE
• GUEST ENGAGEMENT, ALL FEEDBACK WELCOMED
• REVIEWS SHARED INTERNALLY
• NEGATIVE REVIEWS IN DECLINE
• THE GROVE’S REPUTATION HAS IMPROVED
• SCORE IN-LINE WITH COMPETITORS
...STILL MORE TO BE DONE!

11. ADVICE TO WORKING
WITH TRIPADVISOR
• DON’T EXPECT A PERSONAL SERVICE
• CONSIDER IF BUSINESS LISTING IS RIGHT FOR YOU
• INTEGRATE ACROSS ALL COMMUNICATIONS
• TREAT IT NORMALLY
• USE REVIEW EXPRESS
• CHALLENGE UNFAIR REVIEWS
Most of your guests will have
had a good time, if they didn’t,
you should be out of business!

12. Tak!
T: +44 (0)1923 296038 | E: rod.larman@thegrove.co.uk
@TheGroveHotel
WWW.THEGROVE.CO.UK