Instagram is a must do in the world of marketing, but there's a dark side to it that could be wrecking your hotel's marketing efforts if you are allocating the majority of your resources there. These are 3 things to consider when thinking about Instagram:
Battling Fierce Competition: Like @garyvee says, attention is the new oil and everyone and their grandmas are posting on Instagram like there’s no tomorrow. It's like a crowded party with a million beautiful people vying for the spotlight. Standing out among the stunning travel pics and influencer posts can feel like an uphill battle. Plus, the pressure to produce drool-worthy content can drain your marketing team's time and resources faster than a margarita at happy hour.
Conversion Conundrum: Instagram is great for showing off your hotel's beauty, but when it comes to converting followers into actual bookings, it's a whole different story. Without a proper sales funnel and direct links to decrease the purchasing friction, it becomes a maze for potential guests. So if you do decide to go all in, make sure there is a solid overarching marketing strategy that ties in optimised landing pages and url links so that you can provide a seamless omnichannel approach.
Missing Out on the Right Crowd: Sure, Instagram has tons of users, but are they the right crowd for your hotel? It skews younger, and not every hotel caters to the Insta-addicted generation. Relying solely on Instagram for marketing means you might be missing out on older demographics or those who prefer different platforms.
Instagram may seem like a heaven-sent platform for hotel marketing, and we agree, it is one of the essential platforms that you need to build a brand presence on to stay relevant. But the reality of it is that is a oversaturated platform, with an algorithm that makes it hard for you to be seen organically catered to a younger demographic. Do we advise still utilising it and creating and posting content there? Absolutely, but focusing on 3 points:
Understand your content strategy goals If the goal is purely brand awareness, just posting and letting the post do its thing through organic reach is sufficient. From that data you can see if the content itself is working for the platform. Remember, the market is the market, just because your GM thinks its a great content idea, doesn’t mean that it actually is. The market never lies.
Test & Repeat. It's all about unlocking the algorithm's secrets, maximising engagement and reach by replicating successful content, refining your brand voice and aesthetic through experimentation, adapting to audience preferences, and leveraging real-time feedback to optimise your strategy.
Let it be part of the plan, not the only plan. Instagram isn’t the only platform available, and it definitely isn’t the most organic content friendly platform. Repurpose and reuse your content for different platforms where you can potentially attract a different demographic but make sure its contextual to the platform itself. Our suggestions? Linkedin & youtube shorts.
Remember, marketing is all about allocation of resources, planning and overarching strategy. Don’t neglect other platforms to favour what is seemingly popular, look beyond just the vanity metrics and create content worth sharing.
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