Good Morning! Welcome back to our weekly dive into the future of travel. Where I ironically caught myself reminiscing about the past while writing this week.
Remember the days before Instagram where we’d get home, throw on MTV and have no option but to indulge in the 8 minutes of commercials each episode?
The commercials were so ingrained into our minds that we could recite them 20 years later. (I know you remember the Bop It ads…)
Fast-forward to today, you’re fighting 95 million Instagram posts going out each day for even a second of attention from future guests.
That’s why this week, I dove through 100’s of pieces of content to show you exactly what content works (and what doesn’t) when trying to drive direct bookings.
Even the most Instagrammable, well-known properties in the world waste hundreds of thousands of dollars creating content that doesn’t cut through the noise.
This is how you can beat them, with a fraction of the spend.
Let’s get you some bookings…
4 Types of Content That WON’T Drive Bookings
Starting things off here with an “anti-checklist” of the common content and tactics you will want to avoid if you want to actually convert your viewers into guests.
1. Static Posts
I’m not sure what it is about static images, but the big brands LOVE them. Search any hotel brand on IG and you’ll see a flood of images with 75 likes and 5 comments.
The reality is, Instagram just isn’t pushing people to discover static images anymore. You’ll likely just end up reaching a small fraction of your audience compared to the organic reach of videos.
2. B-Roll Posts
Are we trying to look pretty or get guests to book? It seems like some hotels don’t understand that these are not one and the same.
9/10 times a potential guest will just scroll by these posts because it doesn’t offer any value to them. It’s just too similar to an ad (and we aren’t forced to watch ads anymore).
Here is a great example, minimal engagement with 197k followers…
3. Posts With ZERO Context
The amount of accounts posting videos of the surrounding area and experiences (ATVs, surfing, rainforests, etc), without any context that you can stay with them, was shocking.
When a guest finds you organically, they are not going to deep dive into your profile. They need to be made aware of your stay, this might be the only time they come across your posts.
I’d bet half the views on this post were people scrolling by without even realizing it was a resort.
4. Posts Giving No Thought to Their Ideal Guest
Broad, sweeping marketing content only works for Four Seasons; our resorts do not have that kind of brand power.
Most small resorts' content is so broad that you get a gist of what they offer, yet have no idea who their ideal guest is.
Before we dive into winning posts, here are 5 other mistakes to avoid:
🗞️ News-type posts: Future guests don’t care about hospitality news.
🥱 Long captions: They disengage the guests, it is not an educational video.
🗣️ No captions on talking videos: Not everyone has sound on (or wants it on).
📉 Under-utilized Influencers: Static photos, not running giveaways, no stories, …
💸 Countless discounts: Relying on discounts to drive bookings instead of guest connection.
4 Post Types & Strategies That Drive Bookings
1. Make It Clear Who Your Ideal Guest Is
Highlight amenities and experiences that make it obvious who your stay is for. But, not just once, this has to be a constant reinforcement in order to really solidify your niche.
There is no better example than Chalet Al Foss, catering to romantic escapes.
2. Fully Utilize Influencers
Don’t waste a free stay or even worse, a paid influencer, on content that won’t convert.
Here are our favorite ways to maximize influencer value at Onera:
- Giveaways
- NO Static posts
- Engaging Reels (not just B-roll posts)
- Getting “raw content” that we can use for our own marketing
3. Storytelling is Your Superpower
What's the fastest path to guests, without having to compete with marketing budgets in the tens of millions in order to build a brand? Storytelling.
- A look behind the scenes
- Funny or informative employee stories
- Before-after posts of the build or renovations
The best part– you will likely build an organic brand much faster this way. All without having to rely on discounts to try and “force” bookings.
4. On-Screen Text
Trying to hook a viewer without on screen text is like trying a flop shot with a 60 degree wedge off a tight, downhill lie–good luck…probably not going to work out.
You need on-screen text that engages your audience, gets them to watch, and more importantly gets them to share.
Some great examples:
4 more quick tips for content that drives bookings:
📸 Ditch the static photos
🎥 Avoid cinematic b-roll posts with no context
✍️ Add captions or text that encourage sharing
🗣️ All storytelling or talking videos should have on screen captions
You don’t need 20k+ followers to start driving direct bookings, we started with zero at Onera, got to 30% direct in our first year and are now at 80%+.
You can do the same without millions of marketing spend. These brands have millions to spend yet are still dropping the ball with minimal engagement.
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Discouraged by your property's social media presence? Getting minimal direct bookings?
That’s our wheelhouse, we can help you drive 80%+ direct bookings and maximize the best booking engine in the world– social media.
Fill out an inquiry here and let’s see how we can work together.
See you guys next week!
-Ben
📸 Looking to Learn More? Check Out My Daily Content on Instagram
🎥 Watch My Podcast on the Future of Unique Stays with Jamie Lane from AirDNA
Ben Wolff
Find me on X or LinkedIn
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