We asked hosts if they used Instagram for vacation rentals. 41% said that they did have a dedicated Instagram page for their rental, and of those hosts, 43% said that they felt that their Instagram page was bringing them more bookings!
When used correctly, Instagram is a great tool that may be used to stay in contact with previous guests, and to attract new ones. Below, you will find tips on how to best use Instagram for vacation rentals.
General Tips
- Select a name that will be easy for users to find and is consistent with your website and listing title. For example, @theyellowstonehaus.
- Change your account from a personal to a business account so you can use Instagram's analytics features. (Find instructions here.)
- Post only high-quality or professionally taken images. Grainy iPhone 4 photos won't do the trick anymore! There are millions of accounts on Instagram and to stand out, the photos of your vacation rental or local attractions must be original and high resolution. Hire a local photographer if necessary to create content for your page.
- Post 1-3 times per week to continually engage with your followers.
- Use hashtags! Instagram allows up to 30 hashtags per photo, (but the best practice is to stick to 10-20). Make sure your hashtags are relevant to the image and use some location-specific tags as well such as #VisitNewYork, #NewYorkVacationRental or #NewYork. This will ensure that your images and profile come up when users are doing research when traveling to the area.
How to Find Followers
- Remind guests to follow your Instagram page by either having a sign in any vacation rentals, or sending out an email after their stay. This will allow them to stay in touch, book directly next time (yay!) and stay in the loop for future promotions.
- Engage with other accounts by liking and commenting on their photos. As a vacation rental, your target audience is people who are visiting your city. Find accounts that those people would likely be looking at such as popular restaurants and bloggers in the area, and engage with them!
- Giveaways are a great way to gain followers. For example, you can run a contest for a free stay at your rental and in order for users to enter, they must follow your account and tag 3 friends they would bring with them. A great way to increase the success of such a contest is to partner with another account that already has a lot of followers and do a combined giveaway. For example, you could partner with a local restaurant and give away a gift card as well as a free stay to your rental. When both you and the restaurant post about the contest, more people see it!
4 Ideas for Posts
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Photos of the rental
Let users see what your space looks like! This is your platform to post unlimited angles and details, so go crazy.
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Promotions
During slow season, you can post promotions on Instagram to incentivize users to book with you. Make sure to mention that the deals are only available if they book directly with you to save you from paying third-party fees!
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Things to do in the area
A good host knows their city, and shares tips on how to enjoy it best! Post about your favorite restaurants, cafes, or live music venues in the area to help guests discover your city.
- Reviews
It's okay to gloat! Posting a review that a guest has left is a great way to build trust with your followers.