Think about this: what do you do when you visit Niagara Falls, Palm Springs or New York City’s Times Square? Snap a picture? Tourism is all about photos. Years ago, travelers would share photos and slideshows with their friends. Social media today makes the sharing of such images much easier. While marketers are always seeking the best social media platform for specific industries, when it comes to tourism marketing, Instagram is one of the best ways to engage followers.
Instagram statistics show success
One needs only to look at the statistics to understand why Instagram for tourism marketing makes sense. Six out of 10 adults have an Instagram account with 500 million using it every day.
Instagram users are heavily engaged with content on the site and blow other social media platforms away. Instagram has a 2.3% engagement rate per follower. Facebook (which owns Instagram) has only 0.2 percent and Twitter is at 0.3 percent.
Instagram users also like, comment, and share at a much higher rate. And they are not just interacting with photos. Videos on Instagram get two times higher engagement than any other social media platform.
Tag, tourists will find you on Instagram
Instagram has a geo-tag feature that allows users to simply search to see all the photos shared from a particular location. Where hotels and tourist destinations once used guidebooks or brochures with handfuls of images to showcase their locations, Instagram provides hundreds of additional photos.
In a National Geographic article about how Instagram is changing travel, one user remarked, “I guess following photographers on Instagram gives a more genuine expression than looking for inspiration in a tourism brochure.” Indeed, research shows 35% of Instagram users discover new places through the platform and 48 percent use it to help with the selection of their next vacation destination.
Like it? Book it! via Instagram
Possibly one of the best benefits of Instagram for tourism marketing is not just about the ability to look at and like photos. It’s the booking button. That’s right. Instagram isn’t just a pleasing visual experience where people can dream about the locations they see. It’s incredibly simple to take the next step on the platform and click “book now” to make a trip a reality. Thus, Instagram isn’t just about sharing the experiences of others, it enables users to create their own experience with a convenient click.
Does the thought of using Instagram for tourism marketing spark your interest, but you don’t know to apply it to your destination? At T.E. Digital, we understand Instagram and how it can benefit your overall business strategy. If you need any help creating compelling content, just give us a call so we can assist.
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