How can tourism businesses use social media to increase bookings?

One of the most effective tools for marketing on social media is using events, awareness days, anniversaries, and successful promotions of others, particularly in tourism. Industry leaders use event calendars to research ideas, increase the relevance of posts, elevate reach, and play on curiosity. Use event calendars to 1) Identify conflicts or opportunities with religious holidays—create timely, sought-after information. 2) Increase Engagement and Results—piggyback on an existing event's marketing momentum. 3) Stimulate Creativity—emulate successful events. Event calendars like LEEP Calendar allow you to design campaigns around existing events, explore ideas, stretch marketing budgets, and personalize messaging.

Understanding your target audience is crucial for effective social media marketing in the tourism industry. Let's say you run a boutique eco-tourism lodge in a remote natural reserve. Your target audience is environmentally-conscious travelers who value sustainable and immersive experiences. You've conducted surveys and social listening, and you've created a buyer persona named "Eco-Adventure Emily."

And be sure you make content that appeals to the audience on each platform. This can be accomplished by working with influencers or partners with people who have experienced your country.

Choosing the right social media platforms for your tourism business is a crucial step in your marketing strategy. Imagine you own a luxury resort in a popular beach destination. Your target audience consists of well-off travelers looking for a lavish beachfront experience. After conducting market research, you've identified that these travelers spend a significant amount of time on Instagram and Pinterest, where they seek inspiration for their dream vacations. In this case: Instagram and Pinterest would be your primary social media platforms for showcasing stunning images of your resort.

I would also like to highlight the importance of audience rapport, especially within the tourism industry. Building strong brand loyalty and engagement is critical to maintaining a healthy exchange with customers despite the myriad of outside forces that inevitably affect the industry.

Partner up with creators to showcase your place from the perspective of your customer. Polished super professional pictures are a good asset but at the end of the day people want to know how they will experience your hotel or destination not how you want to present it. Partnering with creators that can make relatable content while inspiring people to select your destination is a great way to make your place THE place to be.

Social media users want authentic, real content. Always remember that your brand should be open, honest and always truthful - never mislead social media users to try and drive a visit/sale, it is never worth it in the long-term. My #1 tip would be to focus on your community engagement and proactive outreach - actively engage with people talking about your business or looking for new experiences.

In my experience, creating social content for a tourism based business meant creating 3 different types of content. 1. Content for people in the area. 2. Content for people coming to the area. 3. Content for people who have not yet decided to visit the area. The mixture of these content types will change at different points of the year based on your busy season.

There are so many communities you can tap into as tourism business - Solo travellers, Foodies, Digital Nomads, the list goes on. They usually with use specific hashtags per platform. Nowadays, lots of people are going directly to TikTok when looking for new places to try. Collaborating with creators from different niches is an excellent way to tap into wider audiences and build brand awareness.

Social media allows for open communication between potential visitors and travel representatives in a much more natural manner. People rely on social media to learn more about a given destination before making a final decision, so it's essential to be present when someone raises a question. Something as simple as recommending the best burger in town can make a difference.

Keep a close eye on the data - so often I see accounts continue with a format or strategy that just isn't performing. Set a reminder for a monthly check-in to assess what's working so you can double down and create more of that (that format, that topic, that theme/pillar - whatever "it" is). Make sure the KPIs you review each month tie back to your initial goals but don't be afraid to recalibrate and change your objectives to align with your business needs.

From a basic starting point; consider building a spreadsheet/tracker of the different 'themes' and 'content types' that you are publishing across social media platforms. For example, video .vs. still imagery or food photography .vs. lifestyle photography. By keeping a close eye on the results of these content types you can better tweak your editorial calendar in the future to include more of the better-performing content to ensure that your social media communities continue to grow.

I recently spoke with a manager at a new hotel. He told me they saw a huge surge in their café since a TikTok someone shared went viral. Funnily enough, that same TikTok was the reason I was there. But I couldn't help but feel like they missed a trick. That could have been the perfect opportunity to form a collaboration. Especially since they benefitted from increased brand awareness, patrons and sales. A key thing to note is that the TikTok creator had a very small following. When considering collabs, the smaller influencers can sometimes go further!

Dipping your toes in paid social media management could be game-changing for your business; always consider partnering with a social media manager if you are unsure before you start committing budget. By experimenting with paid social you can significantly increase awareness of your company, what you are offering and where you are located via targeted and optimised advertisements.

I would say that reviews are one of the most underestimated form of marketing. Especially since we all know that the most trusted source of planning a vacation or stay is your friends words. You would trust their reviews in a flash. Therefore a strangers review is second best. And highly converting.

For a tourism brand, it is important to tap into the minds of the consumer and create content according to their needs. Create festive campaigns when people go on trips, clearly lay out your offers and deals and collaborate with travel influencers to market your hotels and travel packages.