Leveraging Social Media Across the Guest Cycle

Lesson Content

• Lesson Plan Template:

  CTE Lesson Plan

• CTE Course Info and Benchmark Notes

  
  

  Course Title: Introduction to Hospitality and Tourism

  Course Number: 8850110

  Career Cluster: Hospitality & Tourism

  CIP Number: 0252090101

  Course Type: High School Career Prep

  CTE Standard: CTE-HOSP.912.8850110.5.2

• Unit Outline

  
  

  This lesson is designed to be used with the case study, "Leveraging Social Media Across the Guest Cycle." See CPALMS Resource ID# 218813.

• Career Connection

  
  

  By analyzing real-world applications and engaging in interactive activities, students will gain industry-specific knowledge and develop essential career skills related to customer engagement, digital marketing, and strategic planning. Students will practice the durable skill of critical thinking by demonstrating the ability to analyze and evaluate information about each step in the guest cycle in order to make objective and informed decisions for an engagement plan.

• Learning Objectives

  
  

  Students will be able to:

  - Identify the stages of the guest cycle and the role social media plays in each stage.

  - Evaluate how social media integration and strategies impact guest satisfaction, loyalty, and brand reputation

  - Present a social media engagement strategy to the class

• Prior Knowledge

  
  

  Students should have a basic understanding of social media platforms and their functions. Familiarity with the hospitality industry or customer service principles is helpful but not required.

• Guiding Questions

  
  
  1. What are the benefits of engaging with guests on social media during the pre-arrival stage?
  2. How can prompt responses to social media inquiries enhance guest experiences?
  3. In what ways can hospitality businesses encourage guests to share their experiences online?
  4. How does collecting guest feedback through social media surveys impact loyalty and satisfaction?

• Procedure

  
  

  Introduction:

  1. Start with a game of "Two Truths and a Lie" to grab students' attention and introduce the topic. Teacher can hold a class poll, or students can discuss/debate. Sample:
     1. "Over 50% of travelers use social media to plan their vacations." (Truth)
     2. "A single negative review on social media reduces a hotel's bookings by 50%." (Lie)
     3. "Guests are more likely to post about negative experiences than positive ones on social media." (Truth)

  Integrated Activity:

  1. First, divide students into small groups. Assign each group one stage of the guest cycle (pre-arrival, arrival, stay, departure). Then provide each group with a copy of the case study, "Leveraging Social Media Across the Guest Cycle" (see CPALMS resoruce ID# 218813) and guided questions:
     • What are the benefits of engaging with guests on social media during the pre-arrival stage?
     • How can prompt responses to social media inquiries enhance guest experiences?
     • In what ways can hospitality businesses encourage guests to share their experiences online?
     • How does collecting guest feedback through social media surveys impact loyalty and satisfaction?
  2. Next, provide students with the Leveraging Social Media Student Handout. Using the case study, each group will:
     • Identify social media strategies Pedro used during their assigned stage.
     • Brainstorm additional strategies Pedro could implement.
  3. Groups will then create a mock social media post or engagement plan for their guest cycle stage, including:
     • Content idea (e.g., video, post, or story).
     • Hashtags and call-to-action.
     • How it connects to enhancing guest satisfaction or loyalty.
  4. Last, groups will present their strategies/deliverables to the class using logical sequence and justificaiton for their choices. Classmates can provide feedback.

  Closing:

  1. Close the lesson by having a guided discussion that will build connections to students future careers and reflect on their learning:
     • How can social media be used to enhance customer experiences in industries beyond hospitality?
     • How might you approach building an online presence for a business you work for in the future?
     • What role do you think feedback and engagement play in building long-term customer loyalty?

• Teacher Notes

  
  
  • Students may need additional time to complete presentation.