Community is something everyone in the social space is looking to build and, personally, I think that’s extremely hard. When clients approach me to work with them on building community and loyalty, I always tell them to be prepared – as it’s an exercise that requires patience, dedication and, most of all, engagement. There are some shining examples of folks who are doing a terrific job at community building – like my friends at The Roger Smith Hotel aka @RSHotel in New York City.
I got to know Adam J Wallace aka @adwal and Brian Simpson aka @Bsimi (private) on Twitter long before I knew anything about The Roger Smith Hotels. But, as our relationships developed, I began to pay more attention to what they were doing, how they were engaging and what kind of influence and loyalty they were building as a result of their genuine interest in and effort towards building community on behalf of the hotel. They work together to ensure that the social outreach for the hotel runs smoothly and are always coming up with new and innovative ideas, which makes them interesting, exciting and worthy of attention. Here’s an interview I did recently with @adwal that tells more about their philosophy:
Now, since I’m often in New York, I find myself stopping whenever I can, whether it’s to have a drink, attend an event or even when I need a room for one of my many overnight stays. These guys – and this brand – totally get it when comes to community building. And, not only are they involved in the social community, they also are an integral part of the hospitality business, regularly sharing and contributing to online conversations as they relate to the industry as a whole. This is just good business and shows that their intentions are true. This is a brand that isn’t just interested in pushing a message simultaneously through as many different channels as possible, they really understand the value of contributing, adding value, making connections and being real.
I’m more so impressed with upper management of The Roger Smith Hotels for not only finding the right people to build the brand, but for also giving them the power to reach out, engage openly and speak freely about what they do and how they do it. Empowering others and entrusting your team to do the right thing is a great start to community building.
What is your favorite hotel?
Written by Owen JJ Stone
I run Inquiring Mindz Media, enjoy being a dad, building brands, designing, making videos, and meeting people. For more info, check out OwenJJStone.com, @Ohdoctah or IQMZ.
Tags: brand, caring, community, development, event, networking, People, responsiblity, Roger Smith, Social, tips
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