How Destinations Should Use Instagram: Think Like A Traveler

By Bethany, Social Media Strategist | October 12, 2018

User-generated travel content is one of the newest and best tools to promote your destination or tourism business. Instagram, in particular, with its never-ending stream of landscape and food images, is the perfect platform. To use it to its best advantage, you need to think like a traveler.

Let’s face it, when we travel, it’s all about posting the best photos to show off to our friends.

So, how do I ‘gram when I travel? Here are my tips, based on the way I use it.

1. Share your best food

Food photos and videos dominate Instagram. Any time you order food while traveling is the perfect opportunity to snap a drool-worthy pic. Look for moments where you can video a good cheese pull, or get the sun glistening on that beautiful ice cream cone. When I use my food instagram, @hungryhv, I like to try and get photos of dishes that look appetizing right before I dig in.

2. Landscapes are worth 1,000 words

When you arrive at the Grand Canyon and see a iMac wallpaper-esque view, how can you NOT grab a photo of that? (Yes, I was that person on my recent trip to Arizona.) Within your destination, there are SO many opportunities to grab photos of the gorgeous landscapes around you. Keep an eye out for unique moments, angles, and points of view.

3. Hotel art may surprise you

Trust me, photographing hotel art is booming right now! Think about where visitors can take a selfie with statues, paintings and unique sculptures. My followers get a kick out of it. Even just highlighting architecture and architectural details works.

4. Tell stories with Stories

People like to tell a story when traveling. Luckily, Instagram makes that very easy with the Instagram Stories feature, allowing you to highlight and document step-by-step adventures. You can show off a hike to the top of a mountain, or a three-course meal at a fabulous restaurant. Think outside of the box and show your destination in a way that others may not see it!

5. Show off the seasons and holiday celebrations

This is the perfect time for “fall” destinations to show off their magnificent colors and views. What are the main fall activities people post on Instagram? Pumpkin and apple picking. Feature those sites and use the appropriate hashtags. If your historic sites decorate for the winter holidays, show them off. Last year, I went to Staatsburgh State Historic Site and I snapped tons of pics of the decorations.

Increase engagement on your photos by making sure you tag locations, use hashtags that are specific for the post, and include emojis. Create branded hashtags and develop contests to encourage social sharing. And if you see great photos posted by travelers like me, feel free to reach out and ask me if you can use them in your feed. Chances are, I’ll be flattered and say yes!