Social Media Strategy Guide for Tour Operators

Welcome to this Social Media Strategy Guide for Tour Operators!

As you might know, social media has become a crucial tool for tour operators like yourself to connect with your audience, build brand awareness, and drive engagement. Whether you currently have a presence on social media and post consistently, don’t have social channels at all and don’t know where to begin, or are somewhere in the middle, this guide will offer valuable insights for you!

This guide is designed to be your go-to resource for just about anything social media-related. If we’ve missed something, let me know! But let’s not waste any time—let’s get right into it! Here’s what we’re going to cover:

Table of Contents

1. Purpose of Social Media
2. Social Channels Tour Operators Should Focus On
3. Post Formatting and Optimization
4. How Often to Post and When 
5. Top 9 Styles of Posts
6. Ideas on How to Get Content
7. How to Find Influencers
8. Best Practices for Engaging on Social Media
9. Time Management Solutions
10. Does Social Media Impact SEO?
11. Metrics to Consider
12. The Dos and Don’ts of Social Media

The Purpose of Social Media

We're going to dive straight into the meat and potatoes! Social media serves many purposes, from building a community to entertaining and fostering relationships—the list goes on. But we’re here to tell you that the main purpose of social media is pretty simple: to create brand awareness. 

You’ve probably scrolled through social media and noticed a business’s post. Well, the likelihood of you opening your phone, going on Instagram, and seeing every post that a business made is slim. This is why they are probably posting several times a week, if not daily or multiple times a day. 

So, the question is: How do you create brand awareness? By consistently posting valuable content repeatedly.

Increasing your brand impressions will, in turn, increase your visibility. However, it’s essential to get the right content in front of the right people. The key to effective social media marketing lies in understanding your audience and delivering content that resonates with them. 



This approach not only increases your tour operations presence but also cultivates a deeper connection with your target market.

One of the amazing things about social media is its ability to allow you to portray your company’s mission, values, vision, and everything in between through simple pictures and videos.

Showcase the tour operation you’ve built or aspire to become. However, always be authentic and true to what the company stands for; don’t try to be something you're not. Use social media to showcase your brand image and present your tour operation as you want it to be seen by the world.

For example, if you’ve built a tour operation that values the environment, make this known on social media repeatedly. It’s remarkable how your images, videos, and captions can make people associate "sustainability" with your brand. Take Patagonia, the American retailer of outdoor recreation clothing, for example. Through their social media and other marketing channels, they’ve effectively communicated their brand image to the world.

Although social media can serve many purposes, it’s important to realize that the key objective is to create brand awareness, which involves consistently posting valuable content to engage your audience and build a strong, recognizable presence.

Social Channels Tour Operators Should Focus On

With so many social media channels available, you might be thinking, ‘Which channel do I even post on?!’

All social media channels have their purpose: TikTok, LinkedIn, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, Threads, Facebook, YouTube, etc. We’d love to tell you to focus on all of them, but it might not really be an efficient use of your time.

If you have the time and capacity, we encourage you to post on as many channels as you can. However, to manage your time effectively as a tour operator, we recommend focusing on channels like Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and Facebook, which emphasize visual content and are ideal for capturing your audience's attention and driving engagement.

Instagram and Facebook allow for seamless cross-posting, making it super efficient for your time. However, each channel has different objectives, meaning posts should be tailored to the platform (which we’ll discuss formatting in another section). To be honest, if your time is limited and you simply want to post, cross-posting is a great way to kill two birds with one stone.

The four social channels mentioned earlier (Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and Facebook) are particularly effective for visually driven content, and your tours are likely to be extremely captivating. You can easily draw attention by showcasing customers navigating rapids, hiking in beautiful mountains, or sipping wine in breathtaking vineyards.



Also, another advantage of using social media channels that require video content is that you can repurpose your videos. For example, you can take a 5-minute YouTube video and cut it into smaller segments for use on other platforms.

Social Media Channel Differences

You may already be familiar with the differences between platforms like YouTube and Facebook. But what about the differences between Instagram and TikTok, specifically Instagram Reels and TikTok videos?

First, let’s review some similarities between Instagram Reels and TikTok: 

• Short-Form Video: Both platforms focus on engaging videos that are typically 15 to 60 seconds long.
• Music and Effects: They offer extensive libraries of music, sound effects, and creative tools like filters. 
• Viral Content: Both are geared towards promoting trending and engaging videos. 

Here are the main differences: 

• Platform Integration:
• Instagram Reels: Part of Instagram, integrated into the broader feed and Explore page, alongside other content types.
• TikTok: A standalone app focused solely on short-form videos.
  
• Audience and Discoverability:
• Instagram Reels: Discovered through Instagram’s Explore page and main feed, with a more diverse audience.
• TikTok: Features a highly personalized "For You" page and attracts a younger audience focused on trends.
  
• Video Creation and Editing:
• Instagram Reels: Provides a more streamlined set of editing features, integrated with Instagram’s visual style.
• TikTok: Offers advanced editing tools and effects for quick, creative videos.
• Content Style:
• Instagram Reels: Content is generally more polished and aligns with Instagram’s broader aesthetic.
• TikTok: Promotes informal, experimental content with a focus on trends.

The question probably arises: “Do I need to focus on all the mentioned platforms?”

Short answer: If possible, Yes!

We hear all the time, “I really don’t want to post on TikTok, but I’ll do Instagram.” If you want to reach a broader audience, be present on TikTok and as many platforms as you can. Even if TikTok's main demographic is younger and might not be your ‘ideal target audience,’ it doesn’t mean you won’t get in front of the right people and create brand exposure. In the past, when we were limited on time, we’d simply cross-post the same video on TikTok and Instagram. 

That said, something is better than nothing, so do what you can.

Post Formatting and Optimization

This is a bit more black and white, as each social media platform has a somewhat defined format for how their posts should look. Does this mean you have to follow it to a tee? Absolutely not. It’s just a guideline, and if you want your posts to be as optimized as possible, it’s something you should consider following.

If you’re a one-person show with limited capacity, you can post similar content on multiple channels—just tweak it a bit for each one. It’s super easy to do this when using a scheduling platform, which we’ll discuss later.

Let’s dive into post formats for optimization on some of the major channels:

Instagram Formatting
Dimensions: We don’t want to bore you with photo and video dimensions, but if you're interested, there's an Instagram format guide that details the exact sizes your photos and videos should be. 

Overall, make sure your photos and videos aren't cut off or resized when you post them. For instance, we often see people upload reels that are not in vertical format, which results in the video appearing small and leaving margins at the top and bottom. 

Instagram prefers videos that fill the entire screen. We use a free mobile app called VN, which allows us to adjust the video format to a 9:16 ratio. When creating content, consider this: if you shoot close-up and then use a program to convert the video to a 9:16 format, it may end up too zoomed in and cropped. Shoot with a wider frame to give yourself more flexibility for editing and reformatting.

Captions: Let’s discuss captions. Do they matter? Yes! Captions on Instagram are crucial for providing context and helping people understand the story or message behind your posts. They convey your brand's voice and personality while also improving discoverability through keywords and hashtags. Now, we’re not saying you MUST spend hours crafting the perfect caption, but some effort goes a long way.

A good Instagram caption typically explains the photo or video and includes a call to action (CTA). Since captions get cut off in the feed, it’s important to grab attention with a strong hook right at the beginning. Save hashtags and mentions for the end, ask questions, invite people to tag friends and family, use creative emojis (but not too many), and use relevant keywords. You get the gist.

A Hootsuite study shows that short Instagram captions, under 100 characters, often attract more likes. However, for deeper engagement, such as comments and discussions, longer captions of 400 characters or more are more effective.

Hashtags: Lastly, let’s talk about hashtags. A few years back, people used hashtags excessively, but now it's clear that moderation and quality is key. Use hashtags across images, reels, and stories. Aim for 3-7 hashtags per post, even though you can use up to 30.

Facebook Formatting
Length: Facebook offers the flexibility to create longer text posts, allowing you to provide more detailed information and context. This is great for posts regarding tour details, itineraries, or more in-depth information you need to share. While shorter posts tend to get more engagement, don’t shy away from creating longer, informative posts when necessary. People who are truly interested in your tours and company will likely want to read the details.

Writing Style: Although you can still use emojis, we’d recommend using fewer on Facebook. Utilize more paragraphs and bullet points or a numbered list to organize information clearly.

Links: One of the biggest differences between Facebook and Instagram is the ability to share clickable links in your caption! This is particularly useful for driving traffic back to your website, blog, or other online content.

Additional Formats: Similar to Instagram, Facebook allows multiple formats. Facebook supports images, videos, carousels, and albums, so mix it up to keep your audience engaged.

Optimal Sizes: For images, aim for a size of 1200 x 630 pixels to ensure they display correctly. For videos, the recommended size is 1280 x 720 pixels, with a length of 30 seconds to 2 minutes to maximize engagement. Longer videos are okay on Facebook, whereas on Instagram, they are not allowed.

Hashtags: Be even more selective with your use of hashtags. One or two relevant hashtags are enough.

TikTok Formatting
TikTok has fewer formatting options than Instagram and Facebook. To keep it simple, always shoot and upload your videos in vertical format (9:16 ratio), ensuring they fill the screen and provide an immersive viewing experience. We mentioned this for Instagram Reels, but it is even more important on TikTok.

Video Length: TikTok primarily focuses on short-form video content. While videos can be up to 10 minutes long, the sweet spot for engagement is typically 15-60 seconds.

Engaging Content: Capture attention within the first few seconds. Start with a strong hook to keep viewers from scrolling past your video. Creative and dynamic content tends to perform well. Also, use on-screen text to convey your message clearly, especially if the audio isn't clear or if you want to emphasize certain points. Captions can also make your content more accessible to a wider audience.

Although TikTok allows up to 2,200 characters in the captions, they are often better kept shorter. Many people recommend no more than 70 characters.

Hashtags: Similar to Instagram, hashtags can boost visibility, but keeping it between 3-7 is optimal. One thing to note is that because TikTok has a different algorithm than Instagram and isn’t as focused on showing your videos to people who follow you, to get in front of the right audience, use local hashtags to target people in a specific location.

Editing Tools: Take advantage of TikTok's built-in tools, such as effects, filters, music, and transitions, to make your videos more appealing and professional. In the past, social channels have favored accounts that use these tools.

LinkedIn Formatting 
LinkedIn is a bit different from other platforms as it is not as visually focused. You might not think it’s necessary to post on LinkedIn; however, if you have the bandwidth, it’s definitely worth it. It’s also a great place to maintain a presence for future employees or people who may want to work for your organization one day.

Dimensions: For LinkedIn, there are dimension requirements, which can be found here.

Tone: The main difference in formatting LinkedIn posts is the tone—aim to keep it professional while still showcasing your brand's personality. On LinkedIn, focusing on industry insights, professional achievements, employee highlights, and relevant news is effective.

Text Length: LinkedIn allows for longer text posts, which is beneficial for sharing more detail. While shorter posts can grab attention quickly, longer posts (around 1,000-2,000 characters) are effective for in-depth discussions and thought leadership.

Hashtags: The hashtag strategy on LinkedIn is similar to Facebook. Use 1 or 2 relevant hashtags, but no more than 3.

Links: Like Facebook, LinkedIn supports clickable links, which you can use to direct your audience to additional resources or your website.

YouTube Formatting   
YouTube is an interesting platform because many people, including business owners, often upload a video and then leave it without any optimization. In this section, we’ll focus on optimizing your content beyond just posting a high-quality video.

Title: Keep titles between 60-70 characters to ensure they are fully visible in search results and on mobile devices. Incorporate relevant keywords and make sure the titles are engaging and stand out.

Description: Write detailed descriptions, typically 200-300 words. The first 1-2 sentences should be engaging and include primary keywords, as these appear in search results. Summarize the video content, continue using relevant keywords, and add timestamps if applicable. Include links to related videos, your website, or social media.

Thumbnails: For optimal results, YouTube thumbnails should be sized at 1280 x 720 pixels and be high-resolution, with a minimum width of 640 pixels. Make sure thumbnails are visually compelling,

featuring bold text or clear images to capture viewers’ attention. Consistent branding and clear imagery are crucial for maintaining a professional appearance and boosting click-through rates.

Tags: Tags are very important on YouTube. Use about 5-7 tags, both broad and specific, related to your video’s content. These tags help YouTube categorize and recommend your video.

Hashtags: Include 3-5 relevant hashtags in the video description. This can improve discoverability and link to other videos on similar topics.

Calls to Actions: Include verbal or visual CTAs within the video to encourage viewers to like, comment, subscribe, and click the notification bell. Additionally, add CTAs in the description to direct viewers to related content or your website.

Calls to Actions End Screens and Cards: Add end screens to promote other videos, playlists, or encourage subscriptions. These appear during the last 5-20 seconds of your video. Use cards to add interactive elements throughout the video, linking to other videos, polls, or playlists.

X Formatting (Previously Twitter)
X is designed for concise, real-time updates. Ensure your posts are clear and engaging, given the character limit and fast-paced nature of the platform. Have an important announcement you want to make? Post it on X. 

Caption Size: X posts are limited to 280 characters, so aim to be concise while including key information and a compelling message. If needed, use a thread to expand on more detailed content.

Links: You can post links on X, but if you want to save characters, use URL shorteners to keep your tweets within the character limit. Here is a free URL shortener we use. 

Size: Use high-quality images and videos. Recommended image size is 1200 x 675 pixels for landscape and 1080 x 1080 pixels for square posts. Videos should be in MP4 format, with a maximum length of 2 minutes and 20 seconds.

Hashtags: Include 1-3 relevant hashtags per tweet. Use popular and niche hashtags to increase visibility and reach. Rather than using the hashtags at the end, integrate them within the tweet. 

Pinterest Formatting
We’re seeing more and more tour operators having a Pinterest because of its focus on visuals. Pinterest is a great place for people to share blog posts, articles, guides, etc. However, the format is quite different from the other social media platforms talked about above. 

Dimensions: Make sure your pins are high-quality and aesthetically pleasing. The ideal pin dimensions are 1000 x 1500 pixels with a 2:3 aspect ratio. This format ensures that your pins are optimized for both desktop and mobile views.

Image Quality: Use high-resolution images to capture attention. Bright, clear visuals with minimal text overlay tend to perform better. For infographics or detailed content, make sure the text is legible and the design is clean.

Description: Write compelling and informative descriptions for each pin. Aim for around 100-200 characters to provide context and incorporate relevant keywords. This helps improve the discoverability of your pins in search results.

Links: Pinterest allows you to include clickable links directly in your pins. For longer URLs, use a URL shortener like mentioned above. 

Hashtags: Use 3-5 relevant hashtags per pin to enhance searchability. Incorporate hashtags naturally into the pin description or title. Focus on a mix of popular and niche hashtags to reach a broader yet targeted audience.

Boards: Organize your pins into well-categorized boards to improve discoverability and user engagement. Create boards with clear titles and descriptions that reflect the content and purpose. This helps users find and follow content that interests them.

How Often to Post and When 

Let’s start with this: posting something is better than posting nothing. So, we don’t want the number below to scare you off. However, we encourage you to try and maximize your potential on social media by attempting to reach the desired number of posts.

Let’s dive in. 

A study by Hootsuite found the following information below. 

Instagram: 3-5 times per week on the feed and 2 times per day on your story.
Experts suggest posting at least three times a week on Instagram, utilizing a mix of carousels, reels, and static posts to keep content fresh. Regular posting increases your visibility in the Explore feed and top search results, enhancing audience engagement. 

TikTok: 3-5 times per week at least
TikTok's fast-paced algorithm rewards frequent posting. While the platform recommends 1-4 times per day, starting with 3-5 times per week is a manageable goal for a lot of business owners. 

Facebook: 1-2 times per day
Despite declining organic reach, posting daily on Facebook helps maintain visibility.

X (Twitter): 2-3 times per day
Given X’s rapid content turnover, frequent posting is essential. Aim for 2-3 tweets daily, adhering to the rule of thirds: promoting your business, sharing personal stories, and providing informative insights. Engaging with your audience is equally important to maintain an active presence.

LinkedIn: 1-2 times per day
LinkedIn recommends daily posting for optimal engagement. Quality content is crucial here, as posts can remain visible in user feeds for extended periods. Vary your content types, such as PDFs and polls, to keep your audience engaged.

Threads: 2-3 times per day
Threads thrive on short-form, fast-moving content. Posting multiple times daily keeps your brand top-of-mind and encourages community engagement.

Pinterest: At least 1 time per week
On Pinterest, quality and relevance matter more than frequency. Weekly posting ensures that your content remains fresh and engaging over time, with a longer shelf life compared to other platforms.

YouTube: 1-2 times per month
While more frequent posting is ideal, high-quality content is paramount on YouTube. If resources are limited, aim for one video per month, ensuring each post is well-produced and engaging. A regular posting schedule helps maintain channel activity and visibility.

Although we agree with Hootsuite’s findings and find these posting frequencies to be spot on, we’d like to make a few disclaimers based on our own experience: 

Quality matters, but remember that most footage shot with your smartphone is high quality. Focus more on the actual content. Is it providing your audience with value? If you can continue to provide value, then post more frequently than the above recommendations.

Imagine you’re opening your personal Instagram account. Most likely, you’re not seeing every post your followers are posting. It could be timing, or it could be other posts getting in the way. So, the more you post, the better chance you have of showing up.

Remember, social media is a way to create brand awareness. Every time someone opens their phone and goes onto social media, you have the chance of showing up—whether on Instagram Stories or in a Facebook post. Increase this chance by posting frequently.

If you aren’t following recommendations and only posting a few times here and there, the only real advantage of having the account isn’t for brand impression or visibility. It’s more for when people actively visit your account; they see you are somewhat active.

Again, don’t get overwhelmed. There are many tools to help you post more frequently while saving time and resources, which we’ll discuss later on. Just keep in mind, posting regularly on social media is crucial for maintaining top-of-mind awareness and getting your brand in front of people.

Top 9 Styles of Social Media Posts 

A few months ago, we published a blog titled "19 Travel and Tourism Social Media Post Ideas for 2024," which received great feedback. If you're looking for inspiration or fresh ideas on what to post, it's definitely worth a read. However, in this guide, we want to dive deeper into the best post ideas that we see our tour operators successfully using.

Of course, the style of the post will depend on the platform, but hopefully, the topics below will give you some ideas for categories you can cover.

Travel Tips and Guides: Whether you create a polished Canva design or shoot a video explaining your tips, this content is great for sharing on social media.

Visuals of Your Tour: This is probably the most obvious choice. Post images and videos of the tours themselves—people having fun, smiling, or just the landscapes and interesting sights. Make sure to include a mix of both.

Client Testimonials / Reviews: Whether someone posts a TripAdvisor review, a Google review, or sends a video testimonial, share it! If you get the chance, interview clients after the tours and ask about their experiences. This provides valuable coverage since people trust reviews almost as much as recommendations from friends or family.

Promotions and Deals: Share exciting discounts or deals related to your offerings. If you’ve sent out an email about it or updated your website, consider posting about it on social media as well. For this, you can use user-generated content or create a design with a tool like Canva.

Latest Updates & Announcements: Have a closure, a new team member, or an anniversary? Share it on social media! You can create a video of yourself talking, put together a more creative clip, design a static image, or make a cool Canva design. Any of these can work! Sharing company updates is a great way to demonstrate transparency and keep your audience informed.

Behind the Scenes: Capture moments of your guides and customers preparing, getting ready, or having fun before the adventure begins. Share the laughter, excitement, and even the little challenges that make each experience unique. These candid moments give your audience a glimpse into the authentic side of your business, helping to build a deeper connection and trust with your followers. Plus, behind-the-scenes content adds a personal touch that can make your brand more relatable and engaging.



Address Your Audience's FAQs: Answering frequently asked questions is a powerful way to engage with your audience and provide value. Think about the questions your customers commonly ask—whether about your products, services, booking process, or general industry-related inquiries.

Guide Features: Don’t hesitate to feature your guides and other employees—your audience wants to see the faces behind your company. You can do a quick interview, asking questions like, "What’s your favorite part about guiding?" or "What’s your favorite destination?" Alternatively, you can simply share an image. Adding faces to your content will significantly help in building a connection with your audience!

Share Your Customers' Posts: This is one of the easiest ways to generate content—you don’t even have to take the photos or shoot videos yourself! Encourage your customers to tag you when they post on social media. If they're using Instagram, you can ask them to invite you as a collaborator so the post appears directly on your profile. Most customers will be happy to tag your business! Depending on the platform, you can reshare the post, add it to your story, or if they didn’t invite you as a collaborator, simply send them a DM and ask if you can repost it.

Ideas on How to Get Content 

A big objection we hear from tour operators about posting on social media is that they don’t know how to get content. Let us be straight with you: stop overthinking it. Just take a picture. Just shoot a video.

But if you’re really camera-shy or not great with technology, that’s completely fine. Here are some other options you can try:



1. Have Your Guides Take Photos and Videos: You can even incentivize them. We've seen guides do social media takeovers, where they control your social media for a week or however long you decide. It’s pretty cool because it allows them to post what they like and empowers them. Just make sure they understand your brand voice—providing a guideline can be helpful.
   
   
2. Hire a Social Media Manager: There are a few ways to do this. Here are two options we recommend:

• Hire an In-House Person: This could be part-time or full-time, depending on your needs. They would be fully in charge of creating and publishing posts on your social channels.
• Hire a Remote Person: This person would edit, put together posts, create captions, and publish them. However, you would still need to provide the images and videos. This can be quite easy as long as you stay organized. Use something like Google Drive to store photos and videos and keep the person updated with new content. If you’re looking for someone for this role, there are many remote social media managers on platforms like UpWork, Fiverr, and overseas job boards like Onlinejobs.ph. You can also reach out to people on LinkedIn.
  
  

How to Find Influencers

If you’re in the travel industry, you’re probably aware that there are plenty of travel influencers and content creators out there who could potentially help promote your tours. But where do you start?

The first step is to list potential influencers you might want to work with. Look for influencers whose followers match your target demographic. You can search using hashtags like #TravelInfluencer or #TravelBlogger, or even hashtags specific to your destination.

Once you have a list, pay attention to their engagement rates, content style, and how well they align with your brand’s values and image. Quality matters more than quantity, so don’t just focus on follower count—engagement and authenticity are key.

Next, start engaging with their content. Comment on their posts, share their content, and get on their radar. Building a relationship before reaching out is important.

When you’re ready, send them a personalized message outlining why you think they’d be a great fit for your brand. Be clear about what you’re offering in return, whether it’s a complimentary tour, payment, or another form of collaboration. Make sure to also outline what you want them to do—whether it’s going on your tours and posting about it on their socials, or creating a video about your company. Be specific.

After the collaboration, track the performance of the influencer’s content. Did it lead to an increase in followers, engagement, or bookings? Use these insights to refine your approach for future partnerships.

Best Practices for Engaging on Social Media

Posting on social media is essential, but engaging with your audience is also important. Engagement helps you build strong, authentic relationships with your audience. Think about it, when you interact with your followers, you show that you value their input and experiences. This not only fosters loyalty and trust but also encourages more people to connect with your brand, ultimately driving higher visibility. 

It's important to note that social channels like Instagram notice when you’re actively engaging with your followers or others you want to reach. This signals to the platform that you’re using it regularly, which can, in turn, help boost your content in the algorithm (at least, that’s what we’ve observed).

7 Ways to Engage with People on Social Media:

Like and Comment on Posts:

• Engage with posts from both the people you follow and those who follow you. Show genuine interest by liking and commenting on their content.

Make Thoughtful Comments:

• Go beyond just an emoji or a simple “awesome.” Take a moment to leave a meaningful comment that adds value to the conversation.

Send Direct Messages (DMs):

• Don’t hesitate to send people a DM! Answer their questions, thank them for their support, or simply start a casual conversation.

Always Respond to DMs:

• Make it a priority to respond to all direct messages. This personal touch can help build stronger relationships with your audience.

Join Relevant Groups and Communities:

• Participate in Facebook groups or forums related to your industry. Contribute valuable insights and engage with members to establish your presence and authority.

Leverage Social Listening Tools:

• Use social listening tools to track conversations around keywords, hashtags, or topics related to your brand. This allows you to get notified whenever your brand is mentioned, so you can quickly take action.

Respond to Comments on Ads:

• Don’t overlook the comments on your social media ads. Engaging with users who comment on ads can enhance your brand’s reputation and encourage further interaction.
  
  

Time Management Solutions

One of the most common reasons we hear for not being active on social media is the lack of time. While it's understandable that managing multiple social media channels can be time-consuming, it's crucial to make some sort of an effort on social media. 

However, it's unrealistic to expect anyone, especially someone without a full-time social media manager, to manually post on every single platform and do so optimally. It would require an enormous amount of time and effort. However, there are strategies you can employ to make this task more manageable.

If your time is limited, focus on the platforms where your audience is most active. For many businesses, this means prioritizing Instagram and Facebook as we mentioned earlier. 

If you want to post more frequently, manage multiple channels, or simply free up more of your time, using a social media scheduling tool is a game-changer. These tools allow you to plan, schedule, and automate your social media posts across various platforms, ensuring your content is consistently published without the need for manual intervention.

Scheduling tools not only save you time but also allow you to maintain a cohesive content strategy. You can tailor your posts for each platform, optimize posting times for maximum engagement, and track the performance of your content—all from one centralized dashboard.

Here are five social media scheduling tools that can help you streamline your social media management:

1. Sendible: A robust tool that allows you to manage multiple social media accounts, schedule posts, and even engage with your audience from a single platform. It offers detailed analytics to help you measure the success of your campaigns.
2. HubSpot: HubSpot’s social media management tools are integrated into its broader marketing platform, making it ideal for businesses looking to align their social media efforts with their overall marketing strategy. It also offers in-depth analytics and performance tracking.
3. Sprout Social: Known for its user-friendly interface, Sprout Social offers powerful scheduling capabilities, social listening features, and comprehensive analytics. It’s a great tool for businesses looking to enhance their social media engagement and monitor brand reputation.
4. Later: Initially focused on Instagram, Later has expanded to support other platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. It’s particularly strong in visual content management, allowing you to easily plan and schedule posts based on your content calendar.
5. Brandwatch: Formerly known as Falcon.io, Brandwatch offers advanced scheduling, content creation, and audience management tools. It’s ideal for businesses that need to manage complex social media strategies across multiple platforms.

To show how these tools can simplify your workflow, we’ll walk you through how we use ResmarkCRM.

>> Click here to check out the video. 

Social Media’s Impact on SEO

“Do my social media efforts affect my rankings on Google?” 

This question frequently arises with clients we work with on search engine optimization (SEO), so it's important to address it. Social media does have an effect on SEO, but it might not be as straightforward as you might think.

While social media signals such as likes, shares, and comments don’t directly influence search engine rankings for your website, there are several indirect benefits. Engaging content on social media can drive traffic to your website, boost brand visibility, and generate valuable backlinks from other sites—factors that positively impact your SEO efforts. A robust social media presence helps establish your brand's authority and trustworthiness, which are important considerations for search engines when ranking websites.

It's also important to note that your social media profiles don’t stay confined to social media platforms; they often rank prominently in search engine results, frequently appearing on the first page of branded searches. By creating and optimizing your social media profiles, your tour operation can enhance search engine visibility and attract more traffic.

Lastly, as mentioned earlier, incorporating hashtags and keywords in your captions can help guide social media platforms in displaying your content to the right audience. The more relevant and optimized your content is, the higher the likelihood that people will trust your tour operation, visit your page, and ultimately visit your website.

Social Media Metrics

When it comes to social media metrics, there is so much information on what to focus on. If you’re juggling multiple responsibilities and lack the time or resources to dedicate to social media, don’t stress too much about the metrics. If this were about paid ads, we’d offer different advice. But if you’re in a position where you’re not posting regularly or utilizing social media to its full potential, we encourage you to simply start creating and sharing content.

As you get into the rhythm of consistently posting, here are some key metrics to keep an eye on: 

Impressions count the total number of times your content has been displayed, regardless of whether it was clicked or not. A high number of impressions with low engagement could mean your content is not resonating with your audience.

Engagement measures the interaction that your content receives, including likes, comments, shares, and saves. It’s a strong indicator of how compelling your content is to your audience. A highly engaged audience is often more valuable than a large but passive one.

Follower Count tracks the number of people who follow your account. While it’s often seen as a vanity metric, it’s important to understand that more followers don’t always translate to success. For example, if your competitor has 30,000 followers and you have only 150, don’t be intimidated. The quality of your followers and their level of engagement often matters more than sheer numbers. A
smaller, more engaged audience can be far more beneficial than a large, indifferent one.

Follower Growth measures the rate at which your follower count is increasing or decreasing over time. It helps you understand whether your content is attracting new people to your brand. Consistent growth can indicate that your content is resonating well with your target audience.

Follower Demographics provide insights into the age, gender, location, and interests of your audience. Understanding who your followers are can help you tailor your content to better meet their needs and preferences, ultimately leading to higher engagement and conversions.

Click-Through Rate (CTR) is the percentage of users who click on a link within your social media post. It’s calculated as (Total Clicks / Total Impressions) x 100. A high CTR indicates that your content is compelling enough to drive traffic to your desired destination, whether it’s a website, blog, or product page.

Conversion Rate measures the percentage of users who take a desired action after engaging with your social media content. This action could include signing up for a newsletter, downloading a guidebook, or booking a tour. It’s one of the most important metrics for evaluating the effectiveness of your social media efforts in driving business results. To track your conversion rate, you can use tools like Google Analytics and set up UTM parameters to accurately identify the source of the traffic. If you’d like to learn more about setting up tracking for social media in Google Analytics, check out this article by Hootsuite. 

Video Views track how many times your video content has been watched. Depending on the platform, you might also be able to see more detailed metrics, such as how long viewers watched your video. This metric helps you assess the popularity and effectiveness of your video content.

Brand Mentions count the number of times your brand is mentioned on social media, whether directly (e.g., @YourBrand) or indirectly. This metric is useful for gauging brand awareness and public interest. A high number of mentions can indicate that your brand is gaining traction in conversations online. You can track brand mentions through dedicated tools like Hootsuite, Sprout Social, Mention, and Brandwatch. 

Referral Traffic measures the amount of traffic your website receives from social media platforms. This can be tracked through tools like Google Analytics. It’s a crucial metric for understanding how well your social media efforts are driving visitors to your website and can provide insights into the effectiveness of your content in encouraging clicks.

The Dos and Don’ts of Social Media

Phew, we’ve covered a lot of ground when it comes to social media! We hope this guide provides valuable insights into best practices and, more importantly, inspires you to get out there and start posting. To wrap things up, here’s a quick list of dos and don’ts based on our firsthand experiences:

Do:

• Look at competitors and seek inspiration
• Repurpose content across channels
• Include clear calls to action (CTAs)
• Be consistent
• Tag people, invite collaborations, and add locations
• Engage actively with your audience

Don’t:

• Buy followers
• Repost the same content repeatedly
• Post only during peak season
• Overthink things! 

On behalf of the entire ResmarkWeb team, thank you for taking your time to check out this social media guide for tour operators, we hope that the insights bring you success across your social media platform. If you have any questions, reach out directly: 

Nikki DeSantis
Marketing Director, Resmark, ResmarkWeb & WaiverSign
nikki@resmarkweb.com
+1(385)449-4079