GuestCentric has unveiled a series of social media tools to help smaller independent hotels participate in and extend their reach through social networking channels.

The customer engagement platform enables properties to monitor and aggregate what is being said about them in discussions on social media platforms such as Twitter, TripAdvisor and Facebook as well as attract potential customers with promotions and deals.

Using the service hotels can target their fans on social networks with specific deals as well as provide customers with direct booking links on the channels or via customised e-mails.

The tool also enables consumers to share their trip information with friends.

GuestCentric president and chief executive Pedro Colaco said: “There is a big trend towards leveraging social media to promote all sorts of brands. Our vision is to level the playing for small properties.

“The idea is to take customer engagement into what we now call social commerce. The technology is ready to take e-commerce to social media and start monetising it.”

GuestCentric has just partnered with a US-based consultancy to offer hotels a package of services including property management tools and the customer engagement platform.

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