So you have been tasked with being responsible for running your hotel’s Facebook and Instagram (aka Meta) accounts, you have a social media plan and have read the brand guidelines, but you’re just not sure if you’re doing this right. What’s the secret sauce? Here are some strategies for both Facebook and Instagram:
Facebook Strategies
Personal vs Professional Profile: Set up a business page which is for brands.
Username: Claim a customised username, which will also impact your Facebook page’s URL. This ensures consistency in your business name across all channels.
Profile Picture: Upload your business or hotel-specific logo in a square format. Ensure that it’s not blurry when previewing. Tip: standard mobile view is only 36×36 pixels.
Cover Photos/Video: Highlight your best images or use a video that’s less than 60 seconds in length to showcase your unique offerings.
Completeness in Details: An unfinished profile signals as “untrustworthy” to both users and Meta’s algorithm, so ensure every field is filled out, such as the category, contact info, specialities & services, websites, social links, and Intro section.
Photos/Videos: While images from posts get automatically saved, use Albums to upload and categorise your best images, similar to how your Gallery is set up on the website. Tip: Categorise images into main buckets such as “Food & Drink,” “Hotel Amenities,” and “Events.”
Events: Promote upcoming events for free and share them with your followers. Tip: If you have a recurring event like “Wine Wednesdays,” you can set up the event to repeat weekly.
Account Syncing: Sync your Meta business account to your Instagram. This will help when you’re considering running Meta Ads. Tip: Avoid posting the same content on Facebook and Instagram since Facebook is more for the “Why” and Instagram is more for the “Wow.” Instagram doesn’t allow clickable links in captions, while Facebook does.
Grow Followers: Start posting and keep it consistent. Utilising Meta Ads can help with growing followers as it helps to increase visibility based on budget and ad objectives. You can set up audience targeting and a daily and total budget. You can also try following groups or partners and commenting on their posts.
Content Strategy: The days of posting an image with a link are over. Prioritise short-form video reels as this is the fastest way to grow organically. Tip: Aim for “thumb-stopping” hooks and keep them under 30 seconds with on-screen captions in case the user’s phone is on mute.
Instagram Strategies
Personal vs Business Account: Setting up the account with all relevant information from the get-go will help. Is your account a business account? A business account will allow you to view insights on your audience and content performance, run ads or boost posts, feature contact buttons with CTA, and help to optimise for growth. Tip: Utilise Linktree to showcase multiple links to your website, other social media profiles, specific landing pages, and more in one centralised place.
Post Captions: When posting, have a little fun with the captions. Keep them short and sweet. You can use AI for some ideas, but definitely keep usage at a minimum because it can read very robotic or too descriptive. Instagram also truncates captions after approximately 125 characters or around 2-3 lines of text, so prioritise the first 125 characters, which is especially important for feed posts. Incorporate emojis if it fits your brand guidelines.
Location Tagging: Always tag the location you’re in, as it makes the post visible on that location’s dedicated page within Instagram (ie, Los Angeles, Hotel Name X LA, etc.). Also, Instagram’s algorithm uses location data to suggest relevant content to users, so this increases the chances of your post appearing on the Explore page. Tip: Create an “Instagrammable” spot and encourage people to tag your location.
Content: A mixture of professional photography and user-generated content (UGC) keeps your feed fresh for followers, as well as helps to stay relevant. To promote your brand voice or hotel culture, post photos of team outings, team members in action, etc. Tip: Give your camera lens a quick wipe before shooting. It’s a common culprit for blurry photos!
Hashtags: Utilise hashtags as they become clickable links within the platform. It allows users to search directly for hashtags using Instagram’s search bar, so posts with relevant hashtags can be discovered even if the user is not following your account. Some examples: #travelincalifornia #vacationspot #hotelphotographer #hotelphotography #travelphotos #getawayideas #hilton #marriott #(whatever sub-brand you’re a part of) #hotelroom. Once you start thinking of hashtags, other ideas will come to mind. Tip: Avoid excessive and irrelevant hashtag use; Instagram might detect it as a spammy behaviour and even place a “shadow ban” (which makes your content undiscoverable). It’s best to select 3-5 hashtags that accurately describe your post.
Grow Followers: Before jumping straight to Paid efforts, you can start by following someone you know in the industry and interacting with their content. Then follow industry-related pages such as AAHOA, Baywood, Peach Tree, etc. Also, follow your competitors’ followers. Tip: Remember, there are limits to what is considered “normal social media behaviour.” Especially for new accounts, you should aim to follow no more than 30-50 accounts per day and spread them out throughout the day. The same goes for content interactions; don’t become a bot, and leave relevant comments on people’s posts.
In Summary
Facebook and Instagram are essential social media platforms, and many hotels and businesses benefit from a dual strategy, leveraging both platforms. Both platforms are excellent for B2C marketing.
Facebook focuses on dialogue and utility. It acts like a mini-website where people can find information, join groups, and participate in discussions, whereas Instagram focuses on aspiration and aesthetics. It’s a visual-first platform where users can be inspired, discover new trends, and shop through high-quality photography.
While Paid Meta Ads are the most effective way to expand your audience, it’s important to lay the foundation first and spend time on your organic strategy as well. This will only increase your success with ad campaigns.
