ATLANTA, Softscribe Inc., a 10-year-old technology Internet public relations firm that drives sales for companies targeting the green tourism and hospitality, green government and related markets, held its first hospitality industry Users Group meeting last month during HITEC in Anaheim, CA. The Users Group educational session, titled “Client Engagement: Networking and the Social Media Outlook for the Next 12 Months,” drew 30 attendees from nine companies —100% of Softscribe’s hospitality clients.

“Our clients made it clear there is keen interest in social media in the tech vendor community,” said Michael Squires, president and CEO of Softscribe Inc. “Everyone recognizes it is a reality in today’s marketing environment, but putting social media to work and deriving ROI are still distinct challenges. This was the motivation behind the event, to answer our clients’ questions and help them understand what it takes to thrive in this business environment.”

Group surfaces five essential social media wants, problems, concerns

During the two-hour session at Anaheim’s Anabella Hotel, Softscribe’s Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Julie Keyser-Squires gave an overview of how social media will impact hospitality and other industries over the next 12 months. She also instructed clients on the hub-and-spoke model of social media, and facilitated a discussion during which the group surfaced their five key wants, problems and concerns about using social media successfully.

eNewsletters, blogs, videos and Twitter are top tactical choices

“There are big changes in the world today and many of them affect our businesses,” Keyser-Squires told the Users Group. “In PR and marketing, the shrinking news hole combined with a proliferation of online venues for dialoging with stakeholders means we are all on a learning curve.” She said that eNewsletters, Softscribe’s Blogger Link blog-commenting program, video news releases with optimized distribution in video channels, and experiments with Twitter and Facebook are currently top social media tactics among Softscribe’s client base.

Some concerns voiced by Users Group participants regarding implementation of a social media program included:

  • how to address resource constraints
  • how to discover customer presence in various social media channels
  • how to manage the risk of micro-branded employees— twitter celebrities and blog authors, for example—leaving the company


Julie Keyser-Squires, Softscribe VP and CFO, addresses the company’s Users Group during HITEC in the poolside Magnolia Room at the Spanish mission-style Anabella Hotel, known as “the most beautiful property in Anaheim.”


Softscribe Inc. debuts private Users Group Facebook page

In addition, the Users Group session gave Softscribe’s hospitality clients an opportunity to get to know each other and share ideas. “There was a desire to keep the connection going with each other so we set up a private Softscribe Users Group Facebook page this month. We will be introducing each client to that resource during our regularly scheduled meetings,” said Keyser-Squires. She added “We are privileged and delighted to spend our days with not only an A-list of companies but an A-list of people as well. Our clients are the best in their class: the best business people, the best parents, the best entrepreneurs and the best human beings we know. And now they have a greater understanding of how we can help them evolve a social media program that is right for both their unique cultures and specific business goals.”

About Softscribe Inc.

Softscribe Inc. is an award-winning Hotel Tech PR agency that specializes in B2B public relations, branding and market consulting. We are the best in the industry at achieving significant business growth for technology companies. Our clients deliver enterprise solutions to the global hotel market and related industries.

Julie Keyser-Squires
CEO
+1-404-256-5512