5 Things For Tour Operators to Post on Social Media

Social media can sometimes feel like such a time suck. One of the main reasons that is, is because we often spend so much time wondering what to post. Sound like something you’ve experienced? Keep reading for our 5 types of posts every tour and activity operator can mix into their content calendar.

1) Sights from your city/location

While images from your tour are great, be sure to also include shots from your location outside of the tour itself. For example, if you’re a walking tour in Charleston, SC, you’re not just promoting your walking tour, but you’re also promoting the rest of the beauty that Charleson has to offer. When you show guests what else they may see if they travel to your city, you’ll benefit from the overall jump tourism to your area and it also makes you look like you have a city-wide presence, rather than being isolated to your specific operation.

2) non-competing businesses nearby

By posting about other businesses near you, you accomplish a couple of things…

You build relationships with strategic partners like restaurants, bars, hotels, tourist destinations, etc. When you form these relationships, they’re likely to help market and refer business right back to you. And similar to #1 above, if your guests are traveling to your area, they’re not there just for you. They’re also there to visit the surrounding area and your activity likely won’t be the only thing they do while they’re there. If you can give them inspiration on other things to do nearby, you’ll be giving off the impression that you’re well-connected in the area, that the other businesses you’re posting about would recommend you in return, and that they can get more information on the area from you. Be an expert on your city, not just your tour.

3) Guests on tour

If this seems obvious then you’d be surprised how many Instagram profiles I see that don’t utilize this nearly enough. Potential guests want to be able to picture themselves on your tour. If you’re a food tour operator and all you have is pictures of food, it doesn’t show me what the experience is like, only that the dishes are probably delicious. Use past guests to demonstrate what a future guest may feel, where they’ll stand, what they’ll see, etc.

5) You! and The operators behind the tour

That’s right, post yourself! Including the people behind the operation is a great way to add a human element to your profile and that’s becoming more and more common because people connect emotionally with other people. We don’t naturally connect with brands.

A way to make followers feel more emotionally invested in your company is to open the door to allow them to feel like they know you on a more personal level. It also helps give them an insight into what the experience will be like by seeing the person who might be leading it, the one who they talk to on the phone, the one to greet them when they arrive, and the one sending them emails. Emotional connections are stronger than an affinity for a brand. Make it easy for them to build those connections by allowing them to get to know you.

And those are our top 5 things every tour and activity operator can mix into their content strategy on social media right away! By including these, you make yourself look more like an expert on your respective field as well as your city, you build connections with surrounding partners, you engage followers in a fun way, you help potential guests see themselves on your tour, and you allow them to connect with you emotionally.

Let us know how you plan to or already are incorporating these into your lineup!