In today‘s digital age, social media marketing is essential for hotels looking to connect with travelers and promote their properties online. Platforms like Instagram and Facebook offer a wealth of opportunities to showcase your hotel, engage with potential guests, and drive bookings.
With over 4 billion social media users globally, 65% of travelers deciding where to stay based on social media, and Instagram being one of the most influential channels, developing an effective social media strategy is crucial for hospitality success.
In this extensive guide, we‘ll dive into 19 smart tactics and proven ideas to create engaging Instagram and Facebook content that attracts travelers, sparks interest, and promotes your hotel brand.
I‘ll provide actionable suggestions, real-world examples, statistics, and tips so you can start planning captivating social media posts tailored to your unique property and ideal guests.
Let‘s get started with the top social media marketing tips for your hotel‘s Instagram and Facebook presence!
Contents
- Show Off Your Property‘s Best Features
- Capture Drone & Aerial Views
- Repost Great Reviews & Testimonials
- Run Spotlight Campaigns Showcasing Employees
- Promote Awards, Accolades & Press Features
- Recruit Relevant Influencers for Takeovers
- Curate Local Sightseeing & Activity Recommendations
- Showcase Your Food & Beverage Outlets
- Capture Candid Lifestyle & Experiential Shots
- Post Detailed Room Tours Showcasing Layouts
- Share Timelapses of Construction & Renovations
- Go Behind-the-Scenes with Employees
- Build Rich Media Galleries with Linkin.Bio
- Announce Strategic Partnerships & Collaborations
- Crowdsource UGC & Guest Photos
- Live Stream Property Events & Happenings
- Highlight Current Promotions & Offers
- Preview New Renovations & Expansions
- Respond To Every Comment, Question & Review
- Monitor Reviews & Sentiment
- Key Takeaways for Your Social Media Marketing:
Show Off Your Property‘s Best Features
Your content should entice potential guests by highlighting the most appealing parts of your hotel. Share high-quality photos and videos that showcase amenities, rooms, views, architecture, restaurants, the lobby, the pool, event venues, and anything else that exhibits your property‘s offerings.
Focus on details that make you stand out – this could be plush bedding, private balconies, a rooftop bar, swim-up pool access, or even something quirky like a complimentary goldfish for your room.
Align captions to describe the experiences and comforts guests can enjoy. Report by Social Tables found 79% of hoteliers said visual content attracts the most engagement on social media.
For example, the Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan incorporates stunning photography of their jungle surroundings, infinity pools, spa sanctuaries, and unique suspension bridge, setting their lush property apart from competitors.
Capture Drone & Aerial Views
Drone photography and aerial videography provide breathtaking bird‘s-eye perspectives that will mesmerize followers. Use sweeping cinematic shots to showcase your exterior, landscaping, beachfront, marina, golf course, pools, and any other photogenic spots worth highlighting from above.
Soaring overhead vantage points allow you to display the full scale of your property in a visually striking way that remains crisp, clear, and high-quality. Just be sure to comply with drone regulations for your area.
Check out how the Intercontinental San Juan Hotel immerses viewers with a sweeping drone tour of their beachfront location and palm tree-lined pools situated right along the oceanfront.
Repost Great Reviews & Testimonials
When travelers are researching hotels online, validation from other customers holds tremendous influence. Social proof builds trust and confidence in the quality of your property.
Repost great feedback left on major review sites like TripAdvisor to give prospects a sense of what past guests enjoyed most. According to BrightLocal, 88% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations.
You can also ask satisfied visitors if you can share their positive testimonials from post-stay surveys on your social channels. User-generated content directly from former guests carries more authenticity than claims from the hotel.
For instance, Pendry San Diego curates rave TripAdvisor reviews from visitors praising their service, rooms, and on-site dining experiences as part of their Instagram content grid.
Run Spotlight Campaigns Showcasing Employees
Give your audience a peek behind-the-scenes by featuring different employees across departments. Short interviews allow staff to share their roles, industry insight, and favorite aspects of the property and its service culture.
This not only provides a more personalized connection with your brand, but it also gives you creative content variety beyond static images alone. Putting a face to the fantastic service makes a lasting impression on prospective guests.
The Beekman Hotel in New York City masterfully blends gorgeous property photography with spirited videos of their lively front desk agents, knowledgeable concierges, and meticulous housekeeping members.
Promote Awards, Accolades & Press Features
Being recognized through prestigious industry awards or featured in leading travel publications reassures potential guests they‘re booking a top-tier property. Don‘t be shy about proudly announcing your merits!
Share news of nominations, award announcements, hotel rankings, and press features across social channels. According to SocialTables, 64% of hotel marketers say promoting awards is an impactful social strategy.
For example, Waldorf Astoria Las Vegas created polished graphics displaying their recent accolades, while the Four Seasons Hualalai commemorated their #1 Resort in Hawaii awards with a celebratory employee video that humanized the achievement.
Recruit Relevant Influencers for Takeovers
Collaborating with travel influencers who genuinely match your location and target demographic is a smart way to expand your reach. Invite them for sponsored stays where they take over your Instagram Stories for a day.
Give influencers VIP access to share their authentic experience at your property with their own substantial follower base. The right partnerships amplify your brand‘s visibility through trusted voices in an organic way.
The iconic Caesars Palace Las Vegas has hosted several mega-influencers like blogger Daniela Ramirez (@danielaramirez) who gave her one million followers an exclusive tour of the luxurious strip-side suites and world-class dining.
Curate Local Sightseeing & Activity Recommendations
Help potential guests discover the very best things to do near your hotel by curating area guides highlighting top tourist attractions, hidden gems, entertainment, tours, outdoor adventures, seasonal events, and local flavor.
Position your property as the ultimate hub for exploring the surrounding region by showcasing insider knowledge of what makes your destination special. Tailor packages around signature experiences that bundle stays with popular local activities.
For instance, the beachfront 1 Hotel South Beach provides customized recommendations through their "Experience Miami" story highlights – from paddleboarding locations to street art tours of Wynwood.
Showcase Your Food & Beverage Outlets
Entice potential diners by giving them a preview of mouth-watering menu items, signature cocktails, and ambiance from your on-site restaurants, pool bars, lounges, nightclubs, and other dining outlets.
Tempt followers with close-up food photography, behind-the-scenes kitchen views, and insights into preparations, ingredients, and flavors. Enlist your executive chefs or mixologists to share pro-tips and recipes.
Caesars Atlantic City promotes their extensive dining options through industry accolades and tempting POV footage of chocolate-making classes, sushi preparation, and leveling up Caesar salads tableside.
Capture Candid Lifestyle & Experiential Shots
Lifestyle photography focuses on candid moments of actual travelers interacting with your property and amenities. Instead of vacant spaces, show real people enjoying your hotel.
Photograph guests relaxing at the spa, working comfortably in the lobby, celebrating in event venues, swimming in pools, dining, playing yard games – anything that organically captures the guest experience. Ensure you have proper photo permission.
For example, the beachfront Le Blanc Spa Resort Cancun masterfully blends stunning property photography with joyful shots of couples getting married on-site, friends toasting cocktails at sunset, and travelers lounging happily in cabanas.
Post Detailed Room Tours Showcasing Layouts
Allow potential guests to digitally explore room and suite options by posting detailed walkthroughs of categories, views, floorplans, amenities, tech features, and unique characteristics.
In-depth room tours help travelers select the best accommodations for their needs, group size, and budget. For variety, cover entry-level rooms, multi-bed suites, premier options with views, accessible choices, and more.
The Four Seasons Nevis incorporates extensive room tours on their Instagram grid, highlighting amenities and view differences across their Oceanview Villa, Beachfront Suite, and Presidential Luxury Villa.
Give followers a fascinating inside look at ongoing projects through accelerated time-lapse videos condensing weeks or months of progress into just minutes. These easily digestible clips efficiently capture major milestones like groundbreakings, topping out ceremonies, and pre-openings.
Posting periodic construction updates keeps guests informed of changes and builds anticipation for fresh additions like new towers, water slides, event venues, restaurants, or renovations.
The Venetian Las Vegas creatively leveraged time lapses to showcase their elaborate floral displays for seasonal openings and exhibits throughout their property.
Go Behind-the-Scenes with Employees
Pull back the curtain to showcase day-to-day operations that happen outside of guest view. Let employees share their stories through interviews about roles, responsibilities, service passion, and favorite aspects of the property.
Backstage access reveals the people who make the hotel so special while creating a connection through engaging storytelling. Just beware of revealing anything too private or inappropriate.
For example, the luxury Faena Hotel Miami Beach produced an inspiring behind-the-scenes series highlighting the craftsmanship of their flower shop, dedication of housekeeping, and artistry of the culinary team.
Build Rich Media Galleries with Linkin.Bio
Tools like Linkin.Bio allow you to organize vast collections of images, videos, PDFs, and other files into neatly categorized online galleries. You can offer extensive assets that go beyond Instagram‘s limited post capacities.
Nested galleries and menus give viewers the flexibility to dive as deep as they want into your archives based on interests like room views, venue spaces, menus, area guides, press kits, and more.
For instance, Caesars Atlantic City uses Linkin.Bio to house an expansive collection of high-res photos spanning all their venues, outlets, and latest happenings. Their grid serves as a gateway into 100+ image albums.
Announce Strategic Partnerships & Collaborations
Audiences appreciate learning about valuable partnerships that enhance their on-property experience. Collaborations also expand reach when jointly promoted.
Announce co-branding initiatives, cross-promotions, joint loyalty programs, packaging deals with airlines and rental cars, integrated app features resulting from technology collaborations, and other benefits for guests.
Marriott Bonvoy leverages their partnerships through omnipresent co-branding in posts and Stories promoting benefits with American Airlines, Hertz, Uber, and exclusive entertainment like the TV series "The Job."
Crowdsource UGC & Guest Photos
User-generated content from visitors carries an authentic point of view distinct from branded content. Always ask permission before reposting guests‘ photos and properly credit them.
Incentivize UGC by running rights-free hashtag campaigns, photo contests, or simply inviting travelers to share their property experiences on social media and tag you. This builds credence and community.
Nobu Hotel Los Cabos creatively sources UGC by asking newly married couples at their venue to share wedding photos using their custom hashtag. This provides real social proof.
Live Stream Property Events & Happenings
Streaming concerts, conferences, weddings, holiday events, performances, DJ sets, and other on-site happenings in real-time lets remote viewers feel part of the action.
Promote live streams in advance across social channels and pre-schedule them when possible so followers can tune in on time. According to Wyng, live video gets 6X more engagement than regular posts.
For example, the storied Beverly Hills Hotel live streamed a Q&A with their executive pastry chef about holiday treats and cake decorating from their iconic Polo Lounge.
Highlight Current Promotions & Offers
Limited-time deals, seasonal discounts, room upgrade incentives, multi-night packages, and contest giveaways entice potential guests ready to book their stay. Driving urgency works.
Promotional content performs best when you make offers shoppable by including booking links,landing pages with details, special codes, and redemption instructions directly in captions.
The SLS Las Vegas promotes their seasonal offers like discounted summer room rates and value-added amenities to incentivize peak season stays when occupancy is high.
Preview New Renovations & Expansions
If you have major enhancements on the horizon, start building anticipation early by announcing upgrade plans across social channels. Share renders, models, animations, and concept art envisioning future additions.
Sneak peeks allow guests to get excited about expansions like new towers, venues, restaurants, pools, spas, room renovations, or other transformative projects in the works at your evolving property.
The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas revealed renders of their in-progress living room-style suites with expansive strip views, building buzz for the forthcoming room overhaul among their audience.
Respond To Every Comment, Question & Review
Actively engage with your followers instead of just broadcasting content without conversations. Respond promptly to all comments, tags, DMs, and reviews.
Being helpful and highly responsive reassures travelers you care and are readily available to address inquiries regarding reservations, planning, facilities, or guest services. Provide recommendations whenever possible.
According to Social Tables, 79% of hotel marketers say actively listening and responding to social conversations with travelers is highly valuable. Don‘t underestimate the impact of thorough engagement.
Monitor Reviews & Sentiment
While generating your own social content is crucial, actively listening to what guests say about your property online is equally important. Monitor reviews and social conversations across travel sites, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, blogs, and forums.
Look out for recurring themes in feedback, both good and bad, so you can identify strengths to promote and areas needing improvement. This helps guide your reputation management.
Utilize a social media monitoring tool like Hootsuite to track mentions, keywords, hashtags, geotags, and sentiment surrounding your hotel. Tap into this intel to enhance service and social content.
Key Takeaways for Your Social Media Marketing:
- Showcase your property‘s highlights through engaging photos and videos
- Leverage drone footage to display sweeping aerial views
- Repost great reviews and testimonials from satisfied guests
- Run employee spotlights to showcase your outstanding service
- Promote awards, rankings, and press features
- Recruit relevant influencers for sponsored collaborations
- Curate guides to local sights, activities, and hidden gems
- Tempt followers with mouth-watering food and beverage photos
- Capture candid lifestyle shots of guests enjoying your property
- Produce detailed room tours highlighting layouts and amenities
- Share timelapses documenting the progress of renovations
- Produce behind-the-scenes interviews with staff
- Build extensive media galleries using Linkin.Bio
- Announce co-branding partnerships and collaborations
- Crowdsource and repost great UGC from visitors
- Live stream events, celebrations, and happenings
- Highlight current promotional offers and seasonal deals
- Preview expansion plans and renovations in the works
- Actively respond to all questions, requests, and reviews
- Monitor guest feedback and reviews across the web
By leveraging these tips for social media marketing tailored to hotels, you can showcase the very best parts of your distinctive property, connect with potential guests, strengthen brand image, drive bookings, and deliver remarkable experiences.
Remember that consistent, high-quality, and engaging storytelling on Instagram and Facebook invites travelers into your world, not just as passive viewers, but as eager participants ready to plan their memorable visit.
