Storytelling and Instagram for Hotel Marketing
Your Story Path
Compelling stories connect your business with people on a personal level. If you haven’t already started on your story path, or need some inspiration on your current one, here are some suggestions.
Instagram Stories is a powerful marketing tool that allows you to showcase your facilities, create your unique visual identity, and reach a larger audience.
Engaging content that includes video, voiceovers, music, and graphics, helps build customer relationships, create buzz, and increase interest in your hotel.
Follow and get followed. Stronger storytelling on social media enables you to make friends and find ‘influential’ partners.
Know your audience. Does your hotel appeal to the classic or the traditional, the romantic or the whimsical, the serious or the edgy, the luxury or the budget travelers? If you don’t have a particular design style, maybe you have stellar customer service, a great location, or very pet-friendly policies. Understand what motivates potential travelers to your location. There’s a good story in all of these.
Some of the Basics
Take your followers on a guided tour of your facilities. On Instagram, professional photography or videography is not always required. The personal perspective is often more intimate and can be more compelling.
Post engaging and interesting content geared to your target audience. Include photos and videos of your hotel’s rooms, amenities, and upcoming events. Announce a new menu, Happy Hour, or Live Music Performance.
Use vivid and sensory imagery language, voiceover, or music describing sights, sounds, smells, colors and texture, making your story an immersive experience.
Share behind-the-scenes stories about your guests and your staff such as food being prepared in your kitchen, beds being made, or special occasions being celebrated. Tour the gardens of your organic food provider, or the facility of your craft beer supplier. Highlight things to see and do in your area. Run contests and giveaways.
Events
Event promotion plus Instagram is a productive pairing. Many hotel marketers consider this their go-to combo. Stories are easy to share and they help create buzz and generate excitement. Buzz may generate media coverage, raise awareness, and attract new guests and possible influencers. Events differentiate your hotel from the competition, build customer relationships, and create a sense of loyalty.
Of course, events can generate revenue for the hotel through ticket sales, food and beverage sales, and other sources. (Also, tickets can be sold or pre-sold directly through Instagram).
Instagram Specific
Create a strong profile: Your Instagram profile should reflect your hotel’s personality. Strive to create consistency with your visuals and messaging. While stories can be inviting and memorable, they can be brief. Your profile is your home base. Here’s where you should use high-quality photos and videos that showcase your hotel’s unique features and amenities.
Use relevant hashtags: Hashtags help people find you based on hashtag content relevant to their search. Use hashtags in your Instagram posts so that your content can be found by people exploring hotels in your area.
(Instagram has a built-in hashtag sticker that you can use to add hashtags to your post. Once you’ve created a post, tap the “Sticker” button, then select the “Hashtag” sticker).
Add graphic elements to your stories like filters, emojis, geo-location stickers, and text.
Engage with your followers: Respond regularly to comments and messages from your followers. Run polls or quizzes, and host Q&A sessions with your followers about your hotel, services, and area.
Partner with influencers. Identify potential influencers who might create their own Instagram Stories about your hotel. Find ways to incentivize this valuable user-generated content. Follow and get followed.
Use Instagram Live: Instagram Live is a great way to connect with your followers in real-time. Host Q&A sessions, give tours of your hotel, or share live events.
Consider Instagram Ads: Use Instagram Ads to reach a wider audience and promote your hotel to people not already following you.
Consistency
There are many other storytelling channels to include beyond Instagram. Add blog posts, articles, and videos to your website. Use email campaigns to continue your stories.
Seek out press opportunities. But be consistent with your messaging, tone, and visuals. Know your audience and share your story with them as you know them well.
Tips
There are many pre-existing Instagram story templates, some designed especially for hotels.
Add a location sticker. If you create an Instagram Story about your venue you can add a Location Sticker for your venue or somewhere nearby. Instagram collates stories by location and this offers you more exposure.
Tag your providers and suppliers if they are on Instagram. It’s not only a sign of goodwill, but a ‘cross-pollination’ that helps promote both of your stories.
Keep content accessible, including using alt text to describe content, use readable fonts and transcripts for videos. (To add alt text on Instagram, click Accessibility on desktop or tap Advanced Settings > Write Alt Text on mobile).
References:
Hotels with a Great Story to Tell: Crafting Your Brand’s Narrative
Instagram hotel marketing: A complete guide
8 Easy Ways to Use Instagram Stories for Hotels, Easil
Hotels with a Great Story to Tell: Crafting Your Brand’s Narrative, Longitudeº