Ahhhh the dark and mysterious magic of social media. This article is coming to you from a Social Media Newbie! Don’t be afraid! We got this!
Instagram has a significant impact on the travel industry: 70% of travel enthusiasts use Instagram to share their travel plans, 67% use this platform to find inspiration for new journeys, and 61% find things to do on Instagram while they’re traveling. source
Two-thirds of 18 to 34-year-olds admit that the ‘Instagrammability’ of a location is the single most important factor when booking a holiday. source
Here’s a few easy tips that can help
- Use highly visual content
Nat Geo Travel and Crooked Compass show beautiful, inspiring, and high-quality imagery. Mix it up between photos, video and sometimes a good old fashioned infographic is the way to go. The 2 photos above are courtesy of Lisa Pagotto, Owner, Crooked Compass
- Create an Identity
Build a constant presence by consistent and regular posting. Market your destination, your product, and your values so that people know what you are about.
- Highlight Your Niche
Lisa Pagotto, owner of Crooked Compass, posts about “Exploring the lesser known side of our world through perspective shifting journeys”. #followadifferentpath
- Use Social Proof to Build Loyalty
User-generated content can yield amazing results because when your customers post/tag you it’s essentially the best form of marketing ever: word of mouth. Always remember the obvious: The single most critical marketing strategy is to deliver an experience so exceptional that your customers won’t stop talking about it.
- Get a little help
Add a pro to your marketing budget – at least to get you started. It could save so much wasted time on figuring out ‘how to’s’ and on poor posts that lack impact. The trends change constantly. It’s hard to keep up and a consultant/specialist can help. Ida Stanton, Owner, Business Reach Marketing, is not only knowledgeable but affordable and authentic. Most consultants will offer an initial strategic exploration session at no charge to get the ball rolling and customize a program suited to your budget and, of course, your target market.
Connect with a Social Influencer – Lilach Bullock writes that Influence marketing is pretty much word of mouth on steroids. Influencers are great for earning likes and connecting with people who treat the words of their favourite Instagrammers as gospel. Influencers, by their very nature, have huge fanbases and can thus help you get the word out and create a viral effect. Click here to read her full article on influencers.
Lilach Bullock is highly regarded on the world speaker circuit and a hugely connected and highly influential entrepreneur. She is listed in Forbes as one of the top 20 women social media power influencers and a recipient of a Global Women Champions Award for her outstanding contribution and leadership in business.