Instagram has 2.5 billion monthly active users with 80% searching for products and services. - Source: EmbedSocial
Instagram has become a powerhouse in digital marketing. Given its 2.5 billion active monthly users, this is a real treasure trove for travel businesses!
If you are still not on Instagram, here are solid reasons why you should. If you are already on this platform but not getting results, you might need some tweaks, so we're also laying down foolproof strategies you shouldn't miss.
Don't miss out on this, operators!
Let's begin with the reasons why.
Highly visual platform, best for showcasing travel
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Among social media platforms, Instagram stands out with its focus on high-quality images and videos.
65% of Instagram posts are photo-based, while 17.8% are videos, and the other 17.3% are carousel-based. -Source
For travel agencies and tour operators, this is an ideal space to showcase destinations in a visually appealing profile, inspiring travelers with stunning travel photos.
A space to build brand awareness
Instagram's environment is perfect for engaging followers and building brand awareness.
In fact, 9 out of 10 Instagram users follow business profiles, making this social platform a goldmine for organic followers.
Free market-savvy features
Features like Instagram Reels, Stories, and Carousel Ads make travel advertising super effective at engaging travelers.
Added to that are location tags and branded hashtags that brands use to attract targeted followers.
- Take location tags as an example. With this feature alone, HubSpot says it boosts engagement by up to 79%.
- Another Instagram feature is the story link/swipe-up. In the same HubSpot report, it has been proven that up to 67% of users click on links.
Posting regularly leads to 50% more engagement
When you post content regularly and use Instagram ads (sponsored posts and paid ads), you boost customer engagement by up to 50%.
As more people see you on their feeds, the more they recognize you as a brand, the more trust builds up. In the end, an intrigue-driven customer journey ends in a happy one.
93% of brands use Instagram for influencer marketing
If you're not on Instagram, you are missing out! 9 out of 10 brands use Instagram to market to influencers.
Especially when it comes to tours and activities, travel influencers are followed by millions to billions of people. Working with them means having access to that audience.
How to Use Instagram for Travel Business: Comprehensive 12-Point Strategy Guide
Maximizing your travel agency's Instagram impact requires strategy.
Here's a revamped guide to elevating your Instagram marketing strategy:
- Optimize Your Instagram Bio - Craft an Instagram bio that represents your travel niche. This is your first step in differentiating from other social media platforms.
- High-Quality Visuals in Your Feed - Ensure your Instagram feed is filled with high-quality photos that inspire travelers and attract potential customers. This visual appeal sets you apart in the travel industry.
- Consistency in Posting - Post content consistently to keep followers interested and engaged. This helps build a stronger Instagram presence.
- Engage Actively with Your Audience - Engage followers by responding to comments and encouraging users to share their experiences. This interaction is crucial for gathering customer feedback and maintaining a connection with your audience.
- Utilize Hashtags Effectively - Use relevant and popular hashtags wisely to target specific demographics and attract potential travelers. Hashtags are a powerful tool in Instagram marketing to reach new customers.
- Embrace Stories and Reels - Leverage Instagram Stories and Reels to share travel tips, showcase holiday destinations, and highlight customer experiences.
- Promote User-generated Content - Feature user-generated content from your previous customers and travel bloggers. This showcases real customer experiences and helps gain more followers.
- Collaborate and Cross-Promote - Collaborate with influencers and other businesses in the travel industry. This strategy enhances your Instagram marketing strategy by tapping into their significant following.
- Contests and Giveaways - Host contests or giveaways to engage potential travelers and reward loyal customers. A very effective way to boost your Instagram presence.
- Leverage Instagram Shopping and Insights - Use Instagram shopping to showcase your offerings and analyze Instagram statistics to understand what resonates with your audience.
- Build a Strong Profile - Your Instagram profile picture, page design, and content should reflect your travel agency. This helps attract travel enthusiasts and keep followers engaged.
- Share Insights and Encourage Interaction - Post photos and content that encourage users to engage, share travel tips, and inspire travelers with stunning visuals of holiday destinations.
By integrating these strategies, your travel agency can effectively use Instagram to attract and retain customers. This will enable you to build a loyal customer base and stand out in the competitive travel industry.
Free and Paid Digital Tools that Can Help You
All of these strategies may be overwhelming! It also takes tons of time.
But the good news is, you don't have to do it alone!
So we have compiled a list of free and paid digital tools you can use to maximize your time while leveraging Instagram for business.
1. Buffer: Buffer is a user-friendly social media management tool that offers a range of features. It helps you schedule posts, monitor campaigns, and respond to comments and DMs on Instagram. You can also get customized growth recommendations. Buffer even provides a "Start Page" feature for creating a mobile-friendly link-in-bio experience, which can be valuable for businesses without a website or rebranding.
2. Later: Later is a visual-oriented social media management platform. It comes with an Instagram scheduler featuring a drag-and-drop visual planner, an analytics dashboard, and hashtag tools. Later excels at content management and provides insights into profile growth and engagement metrics.
3. Meta Ads Manager: This tool is crucial for creating and tracking Instagram ad campaigns. It grants access to Facebook's robust targeting capabilities, enabling you to run campaigns across both Facebook and Instagram. You can easily adjust campaigns, respond to comments, and track performance.
4. Keyhole: Trusted by major brands, Keyhole is ideal for tracking brand mentions and hashtags. It offers Instagram analytics tools to measure campaign impact. You'll also benefit from features such as live dashboards, custom reports, and Instagram Stories analytics.
5. Hootsuite: Hootsuite allows scheduling and publishing Instagram content across other social media platforms concurrently. It also includes tools for monitoring competitors and relevant hashtags. Hootsuite’s boosting features and Social Advertising tools help run both paid and organic campaigns harmoniously.
6. Gleam: This marketing app is designed for managing contests and giveaways online, an excellent way to boost Instagram engagement. Gleam offers a free plan that allows you to host unlimited contests, making it accessible to businesses of all sizes.
7. Kicksta: If you're aiming for organic growth through genuine engagement, Kicksta is the way to go. It's an Instagram growth service that automates following, liking, and commenting. It utilizes AI for precision targeting based on hashtags, gender, location, and following influencers.
8. Heepsy: For influencer collaboration, Heepsy is a powerful platform. It offers detailed analytics on influencer profiles, including engagement rates, posting frequency, and collaboration history. It's effective at managing influencer campaigns and tracking their impact.
Using these tools will help you streamline content planning, audience engagement, influencer partnerships, and ad campaigns. Then you can showcase your holiday destinations, happy customers, and great content consistently on Instagram.
Learn from Excelling Travel Business on Instagram
Look at these superb travel business accounts that you can follow for inspiration.
1. National Geographic Travel
Known for its stunning imagery, National Geographic Travel showcases breathtaking landscapes, wildlife, and cultural experiences from around the world.
2. Airbnb
Airbnb uses Instagram to feature unique and inspiring accommodations and experiences, often accompanied by user stories.
3. Lonely Planet
The well-known travel guide company shares travel inspiration, tips, and user-generated content to engage with its global audience.
4. The Points Guy
Focused on travel rewards and points, this account educates and informs followers about maximizing travel benefits.
5. Travel Noire
Travel Noire highlights diverse travel experiences and promotes cultural exploration, making it an inclusive and inspiring platform.
Conclusie
With billions of users monthly, Instagram is sure to offer a wealth of tour and activity opportunities.
- As you sell travel, this visual platform is ideal for displaying your tours.
- An ideal space for building brand awareness.
- Provides free and paid market-savvy features for businesses of all sizes.
- Customer engagement can increase by 50% through consistency.
- Get in on the travel marketing action and join the 93% of brands marketing on the platform.
It's not enough to just be on the platform, use its features wisely. Be strategic! Take advantage of the digital tools available, and keep learning from competitors.
FAQ
How do you attract tourists on Instagram?
Travel brands have proven the effectiveness of these posting strategies and practices:
- Post stunning visuals of travel destinations.
- Use relevant hashtags for discoverability.
- Engage with your audience through comments and stories.
- Share behind-the-scenes content and testimonials.
- Collaborate with influencers and local businesses.
- Run contests and giveaways.
- Maintain a consistent posting schedule.
- Enable Instagram Shopping for bookings and sales.
Why is Instagram important for business?
93% of brands use Instagram, and here's why:
- Access to 2.5 billion monthly active users.
- Showcase your business visually.
- Increase engagement through likes and comments.
- Utilize hashtags for discoverability.
- Tell compelling stories through Stories and Reels.
- Analyze performance with Instagram Insights.
- Explore paid advertising options.
- Gain a competitive advantage in the travel industry.
How can I effectively use Instagram hashtags to promote my travel business?
Start by researching popular travel-related hashtags and selecting a mix of niche and trending ones.
Additionally, create a branded hashtag unique to your business, making it easier for your target audience to find your content. Don't forget to use these hashtags in your captions and stories to increase discoverability and engagement.
What are some creative ways to engage my Instagram audience, especially with Stories and Reels?
Overweeg deze:
- For Stories, consider sharing behind-the-scenes glimpses of your tours and activities, conducting Q&A sessions, and featuring user-generated content from happy customers.
- When it comes to Reels, create short and captivating videos showcasing your travel offerings, sharing travel tips, or hosting challenges to encourage participation.
You'll get more fans and boost your holiday destination's appeal with these interactive features.
Are there any tools or apps that can help me schedule posts and manage my Instagram business account more efficiently?
Absolutely, there are several tools and apps available to streamline your Instagram efforts. Platforms like Buffer, Hootsuite, and Later offer post-scheduling performance analysis, and account management.
With these tools, you can share high-quality content on your Instagram page, manage direct messages and interactions with your travel blogger community, and maintain a consistent posting schedule.
It saves you time and increases your Instagram account business' effectiveness in promoting your vacation destinations and travel business.
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