In recent years, Instagram has become one of the most popular social media platforms with over 1 billion monthly active users. And with 80% of users following a business on Instagram, it's no surprise that hoteliers are using this platform to increase bookings.
You may already be using Instagram to post photos of your hotel and local beauty spots across Torbay and Devon. But did you know that you can also use the platform to actively market your property and increase bookings? We’ll show you how to drive bookings from your Instagram profile.
Map out your Marketing Strategy
Before you start posting, it's important to take some time to map out your strategy. What kind of content do you want to post? What are your goals? Who is your target audience? Answering these questions will help you create content that is both effective and aligned with your overall marketing goals.
Use High-Quality Images and Videos
The first step is to make sure your profile looks professional by using high-quality images and videos. Potential guests want to see what your hotel looks like before they book a stay. So make sure to showcase your property in the best light possible. You can do this by posting beautiful photos and videos of your rooms, common areas, and surroundings. You can also use Instagram Stories to give potential guests a behind-the-scenes look at your hotel.
Filming in 4K resolution is essential
4k video is a type of video that has a resolution of 4096x2160 pixels. That’s four times the number of pixels as 1080p HD video, which means four times the detail and clarity. In other words, 4k video is incredibly sharp and realistic, making it the perfect way to showcase your hotel and all it has to offer potential guests.
Why Is 4k Video so important for Hotel Businesses on Instagram?
Instagram is one of the most popular social media platforms among travellers, which makes it the perfect place to share your hotel’s 4k videos. Travelers are always looking for new and unique places to stay, and by sharing 4k videos of your hotel on Instagram, you can give them a better idea of what your property has to offer. Not to mention, 4k videos are more likely to catch someone’s eye as they scroll through their feed. If you want to grab the attention of potential guests, 4k video is the way to go.
Use hashtags strategically
First things first: if you want to increase bookings through Instagram, you need to be using hashtags. Hashtags are essentially keywords that allow users to find content that's relevant to their interests. By including relevant hashtags in your posts, you can ensure that your content comes up when users search for terms related to your hotel or destination.
For example, let's say you run a beachfront B&B in Paignton. Some relevant hashtags you might use could be #PaigntonHotel, #BeachfrontHotel, #EnglishRiviera or even simply #Devon. By using these hashtags, you can make it easy for potential guests who are searching for Devon hotels or Paignton holiday destinations to find your property.
Tip: #EnglishRiviera is used by the ERBidCo, and they will see all your posts using the #EnglishRiviera hashtag.
Partner with Micro-Influencers
Micro-influencers are everyday people with a large following on social media. They typically have between 5,000 and 50,000 followers and are more trusted by their followers than celebrities or big brands. Because of this trust, micro-influencers can be very effective in promoting your hotel on Instagram.
Collaborating with influencers in your niche, whether you are catering to walkers, bikers, theatre-goers or foodies. Influencer marketing is an incredibly effective way to reach new audiences and promote your brand. And luckily, it's relatively easy to find influencers who would be interested in promoting your hotel on their account.
Tip: To begin negotiating with an influencer, be prepared by setting out what you are looking for and prepare your budget as you will need to pay for posts, stories and reels (or provide equivalent services free).
Chances are, they'll be thrilled at the opportunity to work with your property. Not only will they get free accommodations at your hotel, but they'll also get some great content for their followers. And of course, you'll get some exposure for your property as well.
Finding influencers
One great way to find relevant influencers is by using a tool like BuzzSumo. Just enter a relevant keyword (like "travel blogger") into the platform and BuzzSumo will show you a list of popular influencers in that space. Once you've found a few influencers who would be a good fit for your hotel, reach out and see if they'd be interested in doing a collaboration post featuring your property. They offer a 30-day free trial here.
Offer Discounts and Deals
Of course, one of the best ways to increase bookings is simply by offering discounts and deals on your rooms. And what better place to promote those discounts than on Instagram? After all, everyone loves a good deal.
To take advantage of this tactic, simply post about any special offers or discounts you're currently running on your rooms. Be sure to include relevant hashtags so that users searching for deals can easily find your post. You could even team up with other businesses in the area (like restaurants or tour companies) to offer package deals.
Not only will this help increase bookings at your hotel, but it will also help boost business for other local businesses as well. Promote a coupon code or a promo code so you can track the source of the booking effectively and measure the success of your campaign.
NB: In 2023, Instagram opened up boosting for Reels, and video now posts to Reels by default.
Instagram Reels are popular
Instagram Reels is a new feature that allows users to create and share short portrait orientation videos set to music. As a hotel owner, you can use Instagram Reels to showcase your property, promote special offers, and drive bookings.
The secret to driving bookings with Instagram Reels is to create engaging content that will appeal to your target audience. Keep your videos short, sweet, and to the point. Highlight what makes your hotel unique and why someone should book a stay with you. Be creative with your content and don't be afraid to have some fun!
Use hashtags and location tagging
Hashtags and location tagging are essential for getting your content seen by potential guests. When creating a reel, be sure to include relevant hashtags in the caption. This will help users find your content when searching for specific topics. You can also share your reel in your Stories and tag your location so that users who view Stories from that location will see your video.
Promote special offers on Reels
Use Instagram Reels to promote any special offers or discounts you may be running at your hotel. This is a great way to drive bookings from people who are looking for a deal. Be sure to include all the relevant details in the caption of your reel so that potential guests know exactly what they're getting.
Tip: Because Reels are so popular, they are promoted by the Instagram algorithm, so they are seen by a wider audience and not just your followers.
Drive Traffic to Your Website with Reels
Include a call-to-action at the end of each reel directing viewers to your website where they can learn more about your hotel and book a stay. You can also include a link in your bio so that users can easily access your website from anywhere on Instagram.
Share your reels to your Instagram and Facebook stories
Once your reel is shared as a story, it unlocks a range of stickers, including locations, links, quizzes, polls and more. These will drive further engagement with your community of fans.
Instagram Stories are a great way to give potential guests a behind-the-scenes look at your hotel. Whether it's a day in the life of a employee or a sneak peek of a new suite, stories are an engaging way to show off what makes your hotel special. And because they disappear after 24 hours, they have a sense of urgency that can encourage people to act fast.
Leverage User-Generated Content (UGC)
One of the best ways to promote your hotel on social media is to let your guests do the talking for you. UGC is incredibly powerful—not only because it's free, but also because it's more trustworthy than traditional advertising. Make sure to encourage guests to tag your hotel in their posts and use relevant hashtags so you can keep track of all the amazing things people are saying about you. Watch your DMs for people that tag your property in their posts, so you can reshare it.
Meta makes it easy to share content
Not only does Meta make it easy to post your content to both Facebook and Instagram, but it also allows you to track your performance on each platform so that you can see what's working and what isn't.
Read the 3-part series on Instagram Growth, Engagement and Sales
New for 2023! Instagram lead forms and hyperlink options
Instagram now offers lead forms for professional accounts, and the ability to add up to 5 hyperlinks in your Instagram profile.
What is Linktree?
Linktree is a free platform that allows users to create a single link that leads to multiple destination pages. This can be useful for businesses and individuals who want to drive traffic from their social media profile (such as Instagram) to their website, blog, or other online platforms.
How Does it Work?
Linktree works by creating a personalised URL for each user. This URL is then added to the user's social media profile (such as Instagram) in the bio section. When someone clicks on the Linktree URL, they are taken to a landing page that contains links to your various destination pages such as deals, area guides, and booking pages.
Linktree also offers some additional features that allow users to track clicks, customize their landing page, add branding elements, and more. These features are available with a paid subscription.
Read all the guides in the Hospitality series:
Instagram simply works
Instagram is a powerful tool that you can use to drive bookings at your hotel. By creating engaging content, using hashtags and location tagging, promoting special offers, and driving traffic to your website, you can reach potential guests and encourage them to book a stay at your property.
Interested to learn more?
We are Instagram experts and can help guide you to the most cost-effective way to leverage this platform to increase your hospitality bookings. Drop us a line at hello@treattorbay.co.uk or book in some time in our diary below. We are always here to help with your digital marketing.