This first ran on Dec. 28, but we didn’t want you to miss it with the holiday time off. And it’s written for the hospitality industry, but we think the tips work well for any industry.

Guest post by Didi Lutz, an award-winning public relations professional specializing in the travel and hospitality industry.

I believe social media can help the hospitality industry through the Great Recession and give it a much needed communications makeover in the process.

The hospitality industry adopts late on most things new – especially technology. However, throughout 2010, we have seen a tremendous increase in hotels, both brand chains and independent properties, that have, at the very least, built Facebook and Twitter pages. Other hotels have chosen to join Foursquare and other rich media that make sense to them.

The publishing shakeout during the past couple of years that was fueled by the rise of social media provided hoteliers the opportunity to identify new areas where key messages can be shared and discussed in real time. From a PR perspective, the feedback gained from guests is priceless, but like any other communications vehicle, social media’s power must be harnessed to yield the most effective results.

Following are some tips for hotels to keep in mind in 2011 for social media PR: (more…)