According to the World Travel Market 2011 Industry Report, social media will evolve into the key revenue generating channel for the global travel industry over the next five years at the expense of pay-per-click advertising. Then, if you own or manage a hotel or resort and you have not accepted the importance of social media marketing as an integral part of your marketing strategy, it's time you do. Social media marketing is not tomorrow, it is now and it affects all aspects of your business. Not to get ahead of myself, but your time is money and it is important. Social media is about your hotel's online reputation or how your hotel is perceived and how you want it to be perceived when you touch the consumer. It's not about what your franchise brand can do for you. The brands will set policies and standards to protect the brand and some will provide advice. But to reap the benefits it is a social relationship between your hotel management and the consumer