Instagram has really grown in the last 24 months. It was about 18 months ago that many people were concerned that the social media platform would succumb to the growing popularity of Snapchat.
But, a little over a year ago, IG introduced their Stories feature, and they’ve been growing ever since.
Small businesses, in all industries, would love to get involved in Instagram but find it hard to come up with content. And some businesses still don’t see the value in the platform for their business.
One such industry is the hotel and hospitality industry. I sit down with hotel owners from time to time and they’re just unsure how to use the Instagram platform for their business, and how to really maximize its potential.
So today, let’s discuss a few ways that hotels can really kill it on Instagram, and start creating a real following that turns into ROI for their hotels…
Using a Hashtag
Instagram is well known for it’s use of the hashtag. You might even say that they’ve used this feature a little bit better than Twitter, who was the originator of the hashtag feature.
One of the reasons for this is that users on Instagram can actually just follow a hashtag rather than a particular account if they choose to do so. So anytime that hashtag is used, it shows up in their home feed.
For hotel chains and even boutique hotels, it opens the door to an opportunity to solicit your guests to add content to your strategy.
Use a hashtag like #YourHotel2018 or #HotelNameSummer18 and encourage your guests to post photos to IG using the hashtag. You could entice them by offering framed up copies or printed our photos of their shared posts, which would only cost you a few bucks down at the local print shop.
What you’d see is your guests providing an inside look at what they are experiencing while staying at your hotel or resort. And it’s content that you can share and use on your social accounts, website, blog, or even TripAdvisor account.
You’re basically creating potentially viral content without doing much of the heavy lifting.
Event Posting
Using Instagram to promote your events is always a good idea. But you could also use it to promote an event that’s in your local town.
The idea here is to show your potential future guests the things that they can expect to experience when staying at your hotel.
So, maybe it’s a local live music show, or a good tasting event. Whatever it is, show it off, and tag the accounts that are associated with the events.
Sights & Scenes
Okay so this one might be more for businesses near the beach or something tropical. Here in Sarasota, there’s a ton of hotels out on the popular Siesta Key beach, and there’s no doubt beautiful photos that can be shared from the scenes in areas like that.
But that’s not to say you can’t show off the scenery if your hotel is in the city or away from the beach. Find beautiful imagery in your area or share photos of local popular places that your guests will enjoy visiting when they stay with you.
Obviously you want to showcase your main attractions as much as possible and with Instagram you can make them look even more amazing.
The range of filters and layouts allow you to craft the perfect image in every case. Be sure to portray your highlights in an interesting and entertaining way.
This might include your hotel restaurant or pool – and if there’s one thing that’s popular on Instagram, it’s beautiful pictures of travel!
Live video is always going to be King, and if you’re able to capture an awesome moment it’s going to make for great content. Use it to showcase the moments that set your hotel apart. And since the brand logo is clearly visible over the video, it’s a great way to generate awareness for your hotel.
Get Involved Locally
If you follow me on Twitter/Instagram then you already know that I’m all about getting involved in your local community. Giving back to your community is great for tons of reasons, no matter who you are. But especially for business owners, it’s a great way to give back to the community that is supporting you.
And, including some of the work you’re doing the community is great content to add to your Instagram account. Show people that you’re excited to give back to your community, especially if it’s an event that the staff is joining in on.
Consumers want to do business with people that they like, and that can relate to on a personal level. Give them the opportunity to see who you are as a business owner.
Conclusion
For hotels and boutique resorts, Instagram can be a powerful tool for your digital marketing strategy when used correctly. And the best part is, it can be free or at little cost to you to get your posts to take off.What strategies have you used for your hotel to maximize Instagram? What tactics have you found successful, or not less successful? Let us know in the comments below!
Instagram has really grown in the last 24 months. It was about 18 months ago that many people were concerned that the social media platform would succumb to the growing popularity of Snapchat.
But, a little over a year ago, IG introduced their Stories feature, and they’ve been growing ever since.
Small businesses, in all industries, would love to get involved in Instagram but find it hard to come up with content. And some businesses still don’t see the value in the platform for their business.
One such industry is the hotel and hospitality industry. I sit down with hotel owners from time to time and they’re just unsure how to use the Instagram platform for their business, and how to really maximize its potential.
So today, let’s discuss a few ways that hotels can really kill it on Instagram, and start creating a real following that turns into ROI for their hotels…
Using a Hashtag
Instagram is well known for it’s use of the hashtag. You might even say that they’ve used this feature a little bit better than Twitter, who was the originator of the hashtag feature.
One of the reasons for this is that users on Instagram can actually just follow a hashtag rather than a particular account if they choose to do so. So anytime that hashtag is used, it shows up in their home feed.
For hotel chains and even boutique hotels, it opens the door to an opportunity to solicit your guests to add content to your strategy.
Use a hashtag like #YourHotel2018 or #HotelNameSummer18 and encourage your guests to post photos to IG using the hashtag. You could entice them by offering framed up copies or printed our photos of their shared posts, which would only cost you a few bucks down at the local print shop.
What you’d see is your guests providing an inside look at what they are experiencing while staying at your hotel or resort. And it’s content that you can share and use on your social accounts, website, blog, or even TripAdvisor account.
You’re basically creating potentially viral content without doing much of the heavy lifting.
Event Posting
Using Instagram to promote your events is always a good idea. But you could also use it to promote an event that’s in your local town.
The idea here is to show your potential future guests the things that they can expect to experience when staying at your hotel.
So, maybe it’s a local live music show, or a good tasting event. Whatever it is, show it off, and tag the accounts that are associated with the events.
Sights & Scenes
Okay so this one might be more for businesses near the beach or something tropical. Here in Sarasota, there’s a ton of hotels out on the popular Siesta Key beach, and there’s no doubt beautiful photos that can be shared from the scenes in areas like that.
But that’s not to say you can’t show off the scenery if your hotel is in the city or away from the beach. Find beautiful imagery in your area or share photos of local popular places that your guests will enjoy visiting when they stay with you.
Obviously you want to showcase your main attractions as much as possible and with Instagram you can make them look even more amazing.
The range of filters and layouts allow you to craft the perfect image in every case. Be sure to portray your highlights in an interesting and entertaining way.
This might include your hotel restaurant or pool – and if there’s one thing that’s popular on Instagram, it’s beautiful pictures of travel!
Live video is always going to be King, and if you’re able to capture an awesome moment it’s going to make for great content. Use it to showcase the moments that set your hotel apart. And since the brand logo is clearly visible over the video, it’s a great way to generate awareness for your hotel.
Get Involved Locally
If you follow me on Twitter/Instagram then you already know that I’m all about getting involved in your local community. Giving back to your community is great for tons of reasons, no matter who you are. But especially for business owners, it’s a great way to give back to the community that is supporting you.
And, including some of the work you’re doing the community is great content to add to your Instagram account. Show people that you’re excited to give back to your community, especially if it’s an event that the staff is joining in on.
Consumers want to do business with people that they like, and that can relate to on a personal level. Give them the opportunity to see who you are as a business owner.
Conclusion
For hotels and boutique resorts, Instagram can be a powerful tool for your digital marketing strategy when used correctly. And the best part is, it can be free or at little cost to you to get your posts to take off.What strategies have you used for your hotel to maximize Instagram? What tactics have you found successful, or not less successful? Let us know in the comments below!