Lee McCabe - Facebook's recently hired head of travel, global vertical marketing - says his mission is to demonstrate that the social network is not just for branding but also can drive hotel bookings. "Hotels want something they can measure straightaway for bookings," McCabe says. "We have products for that." While speculation that Facebook may leverage its ocean of user data to enter the online travel agency space continues among tech industry experts, the company's current offerings for hotels beyond branding are centered on using that data for targeted advertising. Custom Audiences allows hotel companies to find customers, prospects and loyalty-club members it would like to engage with targeted ads on Facebook. Offers, Facebook's answer to Groupon, facilitates offering special deals via a hotel's Facebook page. Mobile App Install puts ads on Facebook's mobile app Timeline, while Facebook Exchange allows targeted advertising based on users' browsing history.
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