27,000 new followers in 30 days (and what actually matters more)

February 13th, 2025

Read time: ~7 minutes

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Now, back to today’s topic…

I procrastinated on my personal Instagram for years.

I knew it mattered. I knew personal brand was important. But between running Onera, building Oasi, developing Baya, and everything else, it just felt like one more thing on an already overwhelming list.

So I’d post occasionally. Maybe once a month. No real strategy. No consistency. Just checking a box.

But last year, I finally committed. Started posting high-quality content consistently. Built a content team and system. Treated it like the business development tool it actually is.

At Oasi we specialize in engaging, viral content and video storytelling for hotels. We have a proven content system to grow a hotel’s awareness and direct bookings via social media.

It was finally time to put our expertise to good use for my personal brand.

The results have been pretty wild.

In the last 30 days alone on Instagram: 4.3 million views. 27,000 new followers.

But here’s what actually matters...

The results behind the metrics

In the end, impressions and followers are mostly vanity.

But the true test is if any of those are converting into business opportunities.

So I went back through my last seven posts on my main grid on Instagram.

6 out of 7 posts turned into conversations (even more now since I last looked).

Six led to direct conversations with the property I featured. Not just a like or a follow. Actual DMs or LinkedIn messages from decision-makers.

It’s worth mentioning that these are some of the best properties in the world.

Literally from our dream client list (and dream stays list).

World’s top 50 hotels, Michelin rated, Forbes Five Star, etc.

Here’s the breakdown:

Nayara (Costa Rica): Direct message from their marketing team.

The Newt (England): Connected with their PR firm.

Babylonstoren (South Africa): Reached out after our post (which got 1.2M views).

Southall (Tennessee): Owner saw my IG post and sent it to their CEO who then scheduled a call with me.

NIHI Sumba (Indonesia): The CEO sent a message asking for my WhatsApp.

Desert Rock Resort: Connected on LinkedIn after I posted the reel.

São Lourenço do Borrocal: GM reached out already likely after seeing other top farm hotels we were posting about. We actually hadn’t even posted the spotlight on them yet but had one already filmed.

Finca La Donaira: Head of Comms/PR reached out on IG and GM connected on LinkedIn

Borgo Santo Pietro: owner got in touch directly on IG and their PR firm emailed me

This list doesn’t even include all the other properties we’ve yet to do highlight posts on who have reached out. My DMs have been completely overwhelming.

The conversations range from owners to GMs to marketing directors to whoever runs their social. But they’re engaged conversations.

And to be clear, I’m not saying all of these will convert to clients – the reality is that most won’t.

But the door is open, with new ones constantly opening.

And that’s the power of content.

What I’m learning about content and personal brand

I’ve always intellectually understood that building personal brand matters.

We build content strategies for our Oasi clients and have achieved mind blowing results for clients by leveraging content – we’ve known about the power of content intimately for years.

But experiencing the leverage of growing a personal brand on Instagram has been new.

A few things have become really clear:

The modern buyer journey starts with trust, not a pitch. Nobody wants to hop on a discovery call with a stranger. But if they’ve been seeing your content for months, watching you break down properties they respect, hearing your take on the industry? You’re not a stranger anymore. And the difference this makes is night and day.

Consistency beats perfection. I’m not doing anything revolutionary. Green screen. B-roll. Simple but effective hooks. But I’m consistent now and keeping a high standard. That repetition builds familiarity.

The leverage is insane. I spend a few hours a week filming content and running through strategy. That all leads to direct conversation with ideal clients and invitations to visit some of the coolest properties in the world. What would it have taken to get those conversations and opportunities cold?

One of the biggest takeaways is that content collapses so many bottlenecks into one singular process:

Consistently make high quality content, learn from the results, and repeat.

The broader lesson for hotel operators

I’m sharing this not because I think every hotel GM should become an influencer.

But because I think most hotels are underinvesting in content by an order of magnitude.

You’re spending five figures a month on Google Ads. You’re paying an OTA 20% commission. You’re hiring a PR firm for $50K to get you a few placements in travel magazines.

How much are you spending on actual content creation? On building an engaged audience and community for your property?

For most hotels, the answer is basically zero. Maybe you have someone on staff posting occasionally. Maybe your PR firm “handles social” as an afterthought.

But content is the most leveraged investment you can make right now. It’s the only thing that builds relationships at scale. It’s the only thing that makes your paid ads actually work (because creative is what drives performance). It’s the only thing that turns strangers into people who trust you enough to book direct.

I’ve seen this from both sides now. As the hotel developer and operator of Onera, which achieved market-leading hotel performance largely through content. As an agency owner helping clients do the same thing. And now as someone growing a personal brand in real-time.

It works. But only if you actually commit to it.

What’s next for me

I’m not stopping at 60K. The goal is 100K by March. Maybe ambitious, maybe not.

As many of the content creators I look up to say, if you want to really blow up, you have to be posting 10 to 20 times a day. That’s what it requires.

I’m not there yet. But we’re increasing volume. We’re getting better at systems. We’re doubling down on what works.

Every property I feature, I want that to turn into a relationship. Some will become Oasi clients. Some will become Baya partners. Some will just be valuable connections.

All of it compounds.

If you’re running a hotel and you’ve been procrastinating on content the way I did for years, this is your sign to actually commit.

Not posting once a month and hoping for the best. Actually committing to it.

You have two options:

Build an in-house team. Hire a videographer, editor, social media manager, and strategist. Build the systems from scratch. Test, iterate, and figure out what works over the next 6-12 months.

Or work with a content agency that already has the team, systems, and proven playbook built out today.

The reality is that building your own team is a lot of work and will take longer to see results. You’re starting from zero.

Working with experts who’ve already dialed in the content formats, hooks, posting cadence, and distribution strategy means you skip the trial-and-error phase entirely.

Either way, the ROI will surprise you. But one path gets you there a lot faster.

If you’re ready to treat content like the revenue growth tool it actually is, let’s talk. At Oasi, we specialize in viral video storytelling for hotels and resorts. We have a proven content system that increases your social views, engagement, web traffic and direct bookings by 10x.

Fill out an inquiry here and let’s explore how we can work together.

See you next week.

— Ben Wolff

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