While it’s the start of a new decade, one thing remains true in the world of vacation rentals- social media is here to stay. And beyond that, it’s super important. Millennials are a huge sector of the travel market, and they use social media religiously. Specifically, they love Instagram. With that being said, Instagram is becoming increasingly important when it comes to travel. Millennials turn to Instagram to plan adventures and see content from a vacation rental Instagram before booking it. And of course, it better be Instagrammable or the vacation didn’t even happen. So, how can you use Instagram for your vacation rental without spending hours on the app?
Download Your Instagram Checklist
Post Regularly
People follow your vacation rental Instagram account for a reason, they want to see your posts! It’s important to be consistent with posting, because like the old saying goes, out of sight out of mind. For best engagement results, post at least three times a week (a minimum of once a week). This gives your potential guests an idea of what your vacation rental is all about! Use a scheduling tool like Later to keep the task of posting consistently stress-free. According to this article by Later, between 9am and 11am is the best time to post to Instagram. Play around with different times of the day to post to see which one brings in the best engagement rates for you.
Pick a Theme and Stick to It
Let’s go back to what Millennials (your biggest target market) want to see on Instagram. It’s important to find a theme and voice for your vacation rental’s Instagram. It’s even more important to stick to that theme so you can give your followers a sense of consistency and familiarity with your brand. A color scheme for your photos is always a good idea because it is attractive to the eyes of Instagram scrollers. For example, light and brightly filtered photos all flow nicely together and would be interrupted by a dark photo on your feed. If your vacation rental is decorated in a certain color scheme, take advantage of that! Showcase it on your vacation rental Instagram feed. Along with your theme, decide what content you want to fill your page with. Do you only want to post photos of your vacation rental? Or, do you want to share photos of your city/surrounding landscape too? It’s a great idea to map out a handful of categories you’d like to post about. Do you have a blog that is relevant to your rental? Are there typically lots of events that draw people to your city throughout the year? Post about them in rotation!
Engagement is Key
Instagram’s algorithm is complicated but we do know that engagement plays a big role in getting your posts seen by your followers. It’s not enough to just post, you have to get your followers to engage back! Asking questions and incorporating a call to action in your captions help with engagement. For example, captions like “We love a day in the sand under the sun at our happy place. Where’s your happy place?” encourages your followers to comment on your posts. Therefore boosting engagement, which then puts you on their timeline and gets your posts in front of people. The higher on followers’ timelines you get, the more likely they are to view your vacation rental’s Instagram page and book a stay!
Take Advantage of Instagram Stories
Since its humble beginning, Instagram has continued to evolve. And just when we think they can’t add anything else, they do. Instagram Stories are a great way to show potential guests fun snippets of your vacation rental. Stories only live for 24 hours (unless you add them to highlights) so post at least one story a day for consistent exposure to your followers. Walkthroughs of your property, fun shots of what goes on in your city, and behind the scenes of your property show travelers how fun your place is! Stories are a great way to get your followers engaged (see the previous point on engagement). There are so many fun buttons and add ons like polls, questions, and more that you can take advantage of to boost engagement. Stories allow followers to get a taste of your personality as a host, which is very important to many travelers, so why not use it to your advantage?
Little Details Matter for Your Vacation Rental Instagram
When it comes to your vacation rental Instagram profile, posts aren’t the only thing social media scrollers see when they land on your page. The little details of your profile mean a lot! Make sure the link to your website or listing is in your bio so booking your vacation rental is easier. When potential guests fall in love with beautiful photos on your feed, this link allows them to book a stay in a few moments! Add emojis to your captions to draw attention to what you’re saying and make your posts fun. This visual addition will attract the eyes of mindless scrollers on the newsfeed, which gets people to click on your page! Anything you can do to add the personality of your vacation rental to what followers and potential guests see on your page will only help get you more bookings!
With Millennials in control of the travel industry, it’s super important to keep up with their likes and habits. Instagram is a major part of their world, so it’s time you start taking advantage of it! Download this checklist to help you keep up with today’s travelers on Instagram and get more bookings than ever!
