Are you looking to reach a larger audience?
Do you want to publish more dynamic content?
Do you want to engage more with your customers?
Are you ready to hear how to kick ass and get more bookings?
If you answered ‘yes’ to all these questions then you’ll want to learn how to use Instagram to boost your tour business.
Instagram Statistics
Before reading on, it’s important to see who is using Instagram so that you can determine if it’s the right platform to reach your target audience.
Monthly Active Users
According to Statista, Instagram has 600 million monthly active users (MAU).
Gender
According to the Pew Research Center’s 2016 Social Media Update:
- 38% of Instagram users are female
- 26% of Instagram users are male
What does this mean for your tour business? Both women and men are active on Instagram but the platform is a particularly great place to reach women.
Age
According to the Pew Research Center, out of these 600 MAU’s:
- 59% are between the ages of 18-29 (Millennials)
- 33% are between the ages of 30-49 (Generation X)
- 18% are between the ages of 50-64 (Baby Boomers)
What does this mean for your tour business? If your target audience is Baby Boomers, then Instagram may not be as effective of a tool than if your target audience was Millennials.
Income
According to the Pew Research Center, Instagram users earn:
- 38% earn less than $30,000/year
- 32% earn between $30,000 – 49,999/year
- 32% earn between $50,000-$74,999/year
- 31% earn more than $75,000/year
What does this mean for your tour business? Income demographics are fairly even on Instagram which means that there is definitely money to be made from users.
Location
According to the Pew Research Center, Instagram users live:
- 39% live in an urban area
- 28% live in a suburban area
- 31% live in a rural area
What does this mean for your tour business? Campaigns targeted for those who live in the city will do well on Instagram.
Overall
Overall, the most common Instagram user profile is 18-29-year-old females who live in the city and make between $30,000 – $75,000/year.
Does this sound like an ideal demographic for your tour business? Then Instagram is right for you! Read on to see how to use Instagram to boost your tour business.
1. Set Up an Instagram For Business Account
Over 1.5 million brands use Instagram for business to optimize their Instagram efforts.
To set up a business account:
- Click settings.
- Tap Switch to a Business Profile.
- Connect any relevant Facebook pages you are currently an admin on.
- Add any necessary information about your business (i.e., phone number, location, etc.).
- Tap Done.
Here’s what you can do with a business account:
- Measure and analyze your Instagram efforts.
- Understand how your followers are interacting with your posts.
- Add information about your business.
2. Optimize Your Instagram Account
Optimize the available space you have to inform users about your business.
Profile
Profile Picture: Consistency is important to your customers, so use your tour business’ logo for your Instagram profile picture.
Name: Use your business’ name so users can easily find you on Instagram.
Chukka Caribbean uses their own logo, name and slogan for their Instagram account.
Bio
You have a 150-character limit on your Instagram bio so make sure you use your space wisely!
- Description: Give your followers an idea of what services your tour or activity business offers. Stuck on what to write? Use this bio writing formula by Jenn’s Trends.
- Link: Your bio is one of the only spots on Instagram that is clickable so make sure to include your website’s link.
Scandic Hotels give their followers an idea of what they’re about in a creative and engaging way. They also include their website link in their bio. 
3. Create Eye-Catching Instagram Posts
In a world where consumers are flooded with content, an eye-catching picture really is worth 1000 words.
Instagram is not necessarily about selling your tour service, but about showing your followers the experience they can have if they book a tour with your brand.
High-Quality Images
Being a service-based industry, your followers can’t touch or feel what you’re selling. Instead, you have to show them what you’re selling.
Either hire a professional photographer or get yourself a high-quality camera that will really capture the tour experiences that your brand offers.
Format
Instagram posts should be sharp, clear, and professional.
Editing: Instagram offers a myriad of editing tools including a grid that helps make your photos perfectly straight. Play with all of Instagram’s tools to get the perfect look that will sell your tour experiences.
Size: When taking your photos, consider how Instagram automatically crops photos to fit inside a 612 x 612 pixel frame.
To get your photos to stay clear on Instagram, edit them in photoshop to be 1024 x 1024 pixels so that they quality remains the same in the smaller frame.
Creativity
You want to create images that will stand out amongst your competitors and keep your followers coming back for more.
Lifestyle: Post ‘lifestyle’ photos that will increase your brand’s equity. What is brand equity? It’s the relationship you create with your customers by evoking emotions via pictures.
Chai Lai Orchid, an elephant sanctuary and a safe haven for women at risk for sex trafficking in Thailand, post photos of girl bosses posing with the rescued elephants to show what life is like at the sanctuary.
View this post on Instagram
#girlboss Nukul and #chailaisister rescued #elephant Mr Putay #chiangmai #Thailand
Colours: Use colour to your advantage to catch your followers attention.
Videos: Give your Instagram account some dimension by including videos in your posts.
This is a great way to give your followers and even deeper look inside what an experience with your company looks like.
4. Optimize Your Instagram Posts
Get the most out of your Instagram posts by being strategic with your descriptions, hashtags, etc.
Contests/Promotions/Events
Contests: Create contests on Instagram to increase customer engagement.
Promotions: Let your followers know when you’re offering discounts and deals via Instagram. It’s a great way to entice customers to visit your website!
Events: Post any events that you are hosting or participating in with a relevant hashtag that will draw new followers to your account.
DreamCheaper showed their participation in World Tourism Day by posting this inspirational photo with the hashtag #worldtourismday.
Descriptions
Hashtags: Google scans Instagram for SEO. Using popular hashtags that are relevant to your business will help increase your search engine ranking.
Questions: Ask your followers questions to get them to engage with your post.
Tags: Ask your followers to tag their friends to increase engagement and reach a new audience.
Influencers
Influencers: Using an influencer to promote your tour business will do two things for your tour business:
- Increase Trust: Influencers strike a high emotional chord with their followers. Their followers will likely trust whatever the influencer has to say.
- Increase reach: Influencers generally have a high number of followers who, without them, your business would not have access.
British Airways gave influencer Luanna90 a free flight from London to NYC in exchange for a shoutout. Her 2.1 million followers now know about British Airways!
5. Measure Your Instagram Posts
Last but certainly not least, take the time to review and measure your Instagram posts!
You can use different tools to determine which posts received the most engagement, which hashtags are the most popular, how many new followers you gained because of your campaign efforts, and much more.
Check out our free list of Instagram tools that measure and analyze your Instagram posts.
Case Study: Travel Noire Experiences – A Great Example Of Optimizing Instagram Efforts
Travel Noire, a company that plans authentic, local trips targeted for millennials, has a killer Instagram page.
Bio:
Description: Travel Noire’s bio gives Instagram users an idea of what they’re about: “We equip [travelers] with a roadmap to design the journey of their dreams.”
Profile Picture: Travel Norie’s profile picture is the same as their company logo so that they are easily recognizable, searchable and consistent.
Link: Travel Noire includes their website’s URL for easy user access and to increase website traffic.
Posts
High-quality Images: Travel Noire hires a professional photographer to capture their customers special moments. They prove that their photographers are exceptional with their high-quality Instagram posts.
Lifestyle: Travel Noire showcases a lifestyle photo of previous customers having fun during their trip to Brazil.
Travel Noire evokes emotion and inspiration with their description: “Imagine yourself here. Cruising off the coast of Brazil leaving the mundane behind & getting ready for a cultural explosion.”
Colour: Travel Noire uses color to capture their audience’s attention.
Videos: Travel Noire uses photographs and videos to add dimension to their account and give their audience a closer look at what a travel experience with their brand looks like.
Optimized Content
Promotions: Travel Noire announces their giveaways via Instagram.
Tag: Travel Noire asks their followers to tag someone they would want to travel to Jamaica with to increase customer engagement and reach new followers.
Questions: Travel Noire asks their audience a question to increase customer engagement.
Wrap It Up
Instagram is a great way to help your business increase conversions, customer engagement, and most importantly, bookings!
Don’t wait to get started…Start killing it on Instagram today!
Written By | Nissa Campbell
