Expedia recognised that people today spend around 150 minutes per day on social sites. Forty-two percent say they base their next holiday destination on what they see while scrolling through social media.
- Know Which Hashtags to Use and How Many
- Make It Your Own
- Latch on to Local Hashtags
- Don’t Be Too Broad
- Competing for Custom
- Avoid the Spam
Some hashtags are definitely more popular than others, but popular doesn’t always equal results. Here are the hashtags you should be using to increase engagement, those you should avoid and helpful tips along the way to make sure you’re using the best free social media tool correctly.
To use:
- #Travelgram
- #TravelBlogger
- #TravelTuesday
- Your own unique hotel hashtag
- Local hashtags
To avoid:
- Spam hashtags
- Overpopulated hashtags like #travel
- The exact same as your competitors
So, now you know what hashtags you should be using, here are some tips to help you discover more hashtags and improve your online presence.
Know Which Hashtags to Use and How Many
It’s not just a case of adding some hashtags. It’s important that you know the right ones to use that maximise reach and engagement.
Sites like Instagram don’t allow more than 30 on a regular post, so be wary of overusing them. Nine hashtags have been proven to be the sweet spot for most interaction. Do some digging to find out the sort of things your clientele are looking for when they’re online.
Knowing your target audience is a great start. Whether you’re a family-oriented B&B or looking to attract a more niche traveller, you have lots to gain by taking an interest in their social activity.
You’ll have a better understanding every day of your guests and their requirements, not to mention that you’ll be well on your way to achieving five-star reviews.
Make It Your Own
With all the noise on social media, it’s often hard to be unique and staying at the top of search results is a battle. Try creating your own.
For example, the hashtag #bellagio has been used an astounding 2,536,331 times by guests staying at the Bellagio Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.
Get the ball rolling by adding your own hashtags to your posts. Guests who have booked can see what you have to offer before arriving and hopefully tag their pictures with it too. Encourage guests to post on their social media by using your hashtag on promotional materials such as brochures and even consider putting it on the room cards.
When people chose to use your hashtag, they’re usually sharing it with their followers in a positive way. That might even be enough for them to make a booking themselves. This sort of valuable content can be repurposed into testimonials and used on your own social media channels.
Latch on to Local Hashtags
By positioning yourself locally with hashtags and geotagging, you immediately filter out a lot of the noise – making it a lot easier to stand out. When you start using local hashtags, you’ll make more connections within your community which is a good place to start with engagement.
Events unique to your town that people come to visit are a goldmine. After all, they’ll need somewhere to stay if they’ve travelled out of town. Have a look at the hashtags local businesses are using and check if there’s any you can use too.
Don’t Be Too Broad
The hashtag #hotel has been used nearly 25 million times so your post might just be a fleeting moment in the wonderful world of social media. It’s best practice to customise your hashtag to be more specific. You can include things like location, date or, as mentioned previously, create your own.
The more tailored the hashtag, the more targeted your audience will be. A targeted audience means a higher chance of quality engagement.
Competing for Custom
Browse your competitors' social media. Maybe you’ll discover new hashtags to add to your arsenal or you could go for a completely different route with your marketing if you don’t want to compete for the same eyeballs.
However, don’t copy a successful hotel’s Instagram post for post. It’s okay to take some inspiration here and there, but it's important to stay true to your branding and keep content unique to your establishment.
For example, you don’t want to base your feed on a family-friendly hotel if you specialise in couples retreats.
Avoid the Spam
You want to create brand awareness but in a way that builds trust. You should avoid hashtags that unashamedly solicit likes and followers. Tags like #like4like and #follow4follow will attract bots, spammers and users who have no real intention of engaging with you in any meaningful way.
This will also deter any real people interested in following your feed and to possible guests, your hotel may seem deceptive.
Learn More About How to Be Engaging and Enticing
Getting your guests to post about your hotel starts with creating an experience they want to share. Download our eBook on how you can delight your guests below for more ways to ensure guest satisfaction from check in to check out.
Click the link below to get your free copy.