If your bed and breakfast isn’t on Instagram yet, you’re missing out. Boasting more than 400 million users, Instagram is quickly becoming one of the most popular platforms for social interaction on the web.
The idea is simple: Post one photo, give it a great filter and share what you’re doing with your friends and followers.
It quickly captured the hearts and minds of young people, who have been using Instagram for years, but now older demographics are signing onto the site.
Here are the best ways to promote your bed and breakfast to potential travelers on this photo-centric social networking platform:
Post your hotel features but let them tell your property’s story
Instagram isn’t the place to post a simple photo of a generic room at your bed and breakfast. Save these informative pictures for your hotel website.
Instead, post a picture of the welcome sign that greets guests as they enter your property. Explain why it’s there or tell the story of why you chose that sign.
Highlight the details, and share the features that you offer at your hotel, but do it in a way that tells a story and shows people what the experience is like at your bed and breakfast.
Here’s a great example of a B&B using signage and telling a story at the same time.
Cabin Life in Brooklyn? ? @samalive of the lovely @claudunia
A photo posted by Urban Cowboy Bed & Breakfast (@urbancowboybnb) on Sep 19, 2015 at 6:48am PDT
Offer a glimpse behind-the-scenes
People love the fact that social media gives them an insight they would not otherwise have. Use your Instagram page to share more about what it’s like to operate a bed and breakfast.
Take photos of your delicious breakfasts and let your followers know what you are serving that day.
A photo posted by bell in the woods (@bellinthewoods) on May 23, 2016 at 11:46am PDT
Let the gardener show off the latest blooms and the tools they use to keep everything looking fresh and beautiful.
If you get their permission first, you might even snap a few photos of your guests enjoying themselves. Ask them more about their stay, and share their story with the world.
Here’s an example where guests are mingling with each other in the common area.
That Rug Really Tied the Room Together @essysruggallerytn ? @emilywinikerphotography
A photo posted by Urban Cowboy Bed & Breakfast (@urbancowboybnb) on Apr 10, 2016 at 12:27pm PDT
Use hashtags, and use them often
Hashtags are an Instagram staple, as they make your posts searchable on the platform.
Through hashtags, you and your guests can find each other. Consider creating a hashtag specifically for your small hotel, and encourage your guests to use it.
Be sure to search your own hashtag regularly, and engage with customers who are talking about you.
Brag about the local area
While you will be using Instagram to promote your property the majority of the time, remember that people are booking your rooms in order to explore the region around you.
Post about a great dish that you can find at a local restaurant that’s within walking distance of your bed and breakfast. Share a shot of the sunset from a gorgeous lookout point.
By promoting the local area, you’ll encourage guests to travel to your region and stay at your hotel.
The hooligans have brought the eagles…we counted over 50 on the drive #sewardhighway #alaska #wanderlust #bellinthewoods
A photo posted by bell in the woods (@bellinthewoods) on May 11, 2016 at 7:05pm PDT
For more ideas on how to use social media to build your brand identity and increase your bookings, download our ebook on how to master your online presence.
The post How to Use Instagram to Promote Your Bed and Breakfast appeared first on Front Desk & Reservation System for Small Hotels – Little Hotelier.
