Max Starkov, HeBS Digital's President and CEO, was interviewed recently by Michelle Renn, Managing Editor of "Inside Hotel Online Today (Hotel Online)" on this year's hottest topic: mobile marketing and mobile distribution channel in hospitality. The mobile channel as a legitimate distribution source for hospitality is currently exploding.How does it differ from social media as a distribution channel? Michelle Renn: The mobile channel as a legitimate distribution source for hospitality is currently exploding. How does it differ from social media as a distribution channel? Max Starkov: For over 5 years now I have been arguing that social media is not a distribution channel in hospitality. Social media is a customer engagement channel and a customer service channel. It is an important component of any hotel"s marketing mix and part of the comprehensive direct online channel strategy for any hotel company. The mobile channel is a legitimate hotel distribution channel. In 2011 alone, 2.4 percent of all U.S. online travel bookings ($2.6 billion) were made via the mobile Web. This is at least 100 times more than all travel bookings ever made from social media worldwide. In 2011 over 4.7 percent of hotel website visits and over 3 percent of online bookings came from mobile devices across HeBS Digital"s hotel client portfolio. Recently IHG reported that in 2011 the brand generated $148 million in mobile bookings, ten times more than in 2010. Just look at the staggering projections in growth rates of U.S. Mobile Travel Bookings (leisure and unmanaged business travel):
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