In recent years, mobile devices have crossed over into the areas of Internet usage and traveling. Smartphones are now the main channel for consuming social media content and how travel bloggers and influencers grow their Instagram content.
The new era has come upon us, and we are no longer shackled to our computers in order to get work done. Some platforms, like Instagram, were designed specifically for being used on smartphones, and nowadays such companies are succeeding with their prospect.
Another aspect of comfort that mobile technology has brought is the fact that we can take and share the photos from our travels right away.
Years ago, people had no choice but to carry a camera and batteries everywhere with them and then wait until they returned home to print the photos. Of course, that meant that you didn’t know the quality of the picture until long after you could do a retake.
Once printed, the photos were carefully stored in albums that were taken out to show to friends and family who came by to visit. Being able to share them remotely is convenient and for a blogger it’s essential.
It’s obvious that mobile technology affects our travels and our social media behavior in many ways. Travel bloggers can and should use technology and social media to their advantage.
Influencers Grow Their Instagram Following With These Strategies
Establishing Their Online Presence
Creating an account and making posts isn’t all there is to social media. Without a significant following, your posts won’t get noticed.
And it’s not all about you sharing your experiences and ideas. Social media is a two-way street. For instance, what if you want advice on what color “I Heart Rome” T-shirt to buy? You can ask your 500 followers on Twitter right away!
Don’t have 500 followers? Not growing? Don’t worry, every travel blogger and influencer starts at zero. What you need is a launch strategy, and (spoiler alert) it’s not Instagram’s algorithm.
How Do You Get Your First 500 Followers to Get Things Going?
Well, you can beg, hope, or buy. Long gone are the days when “good content” grew an audience. Now you need good content, daily posting, daily stories, a skinny ratio, lots of liking and commenting on other user’s content, tagging (but not too much and no blackout tags), it’s just… impossible. Especially when you only have five followers.
Buying your first 500 followers is like greasing a squeaky wheel. It’s just enough to get you noticed, allowing you to grow naturally afterward.
Of course, you still have to do all the same things, but now you have a much higher chance of converting viewers to followers. And when you’ve replaced the bought 500, you can block them so they’re gone.
I didn’t make it this way. Instagram did. And they did it because they want you to pay for advertising.
Why Instagram?
It is no secret that Instagram is one of the most popular social platforms for travelers since it is primarily based on visual content.
This platform was made for those on the go. It keeps records of the best moments and makes it possible to share them instantly. There’s something special about being able to express your mood or share the circumstances you are in.
With the help of stories and posts, you can catch the brief moments that hook you, like the special sunsets of Toskana, the insane size of the Grand Canyon, or gleam of the tastiest ice-cream in the town next to yours.
It is believed that life fully consists of such moments, so it is good to have an opportunity to keep them with you forever. And as a blogger, it’s good to be able to share them with your audience.
Setting Up Expectations
With the electronic era, it is so much easier to travel and blog. While you are growing your audience, you need to set up expectations for them.
They should have an idea of when you post, what you post, how often, and how much. And if you want to give them a feel for your travels, make your posts as personable as possible.
Include your experiences from planning to transportation to the destination(s) and back home again. Share how you check schedules, availability of flights, booking hotels and restaurants, and getting electronic tickets.
Among the many apps designed especially for travel, Booking is one of the most popular. And for a good reason, as it offers a very huge variety of interesting places to stay.
Another one of the precious features while using this app is that if you arrange your trip within it, you are able to get discounts and exclusive offers for your destination. It is also possible to book tickets for the main landmarks and thus avoid queues.
Show your followers how to use language translation apps, and how to use GPS maps to build the best routes for your itineraries. And give them useful information about the places you are going.
Hashtagging, geotagging, and simply tagging nicknames of restaurants, museums, points of interest, and significant landmarks is also helpful.
When you think about where to go in Paris, you can look through Twitter tags, or do an Instagram search to find the places that suit you. And if you are providing this type of tagged content, then your followers can get that information from you.
If these are the things you consistently post, then it’s what your followers will expect.
Sharing Content Regularly
Showing off is human nature. And with social media, you don’t have to suppress it anymore. Traveling was always a sign for people who enjoy their life at its fullest, so there is something to boast about. Even just a little.
And remember, some of your followers may not be able to travel and are experiencing the world vicariously through you. So, be sure to share all of your discoveries.
There are plenty of travel blogs out there, so you want yours to stand out. Share information about the places you see, but share what you think too. Give your followers the opportunity to connect with you.
After all, making posts on social platforms like Facebook or Instagram is a great way to express your feelings about the place you are currently visiting.
Of course, social media platforms like Instagram are primarily visual, so make sure to take a lot of pictures! And remember the key rules for taking photos when on the trip:
- Work hard for aesthetics. Nobody likes dark and messy pictures.
- Try not to overload your feed with selfies.
- Think outside of the box, when visiting popular places (there are BILLIONS of pictures where people are “holding” the Tower of Pisa on the internet already, and we don’t need another one!)
- Food deserves to be posted online in moderate amounts, when it is looking great and authentic, not half-eaten.
Inspiring Others
Sometimes, social media can become a source of inspiration. It can make users want to take off and run towards a new trip. Aim to make your posts inspirational to other travel enthusiasts.
Remember that there are plenty of places that are relatively unknown but make brilliant travel destinations. Use your social media platform to show others what places like the Azores, Shetland, or the Faroe Islands are like.
Seeing other people fulfilling their dreams, like watching the Northern Lights or meeting kangaroos live, is a big motivation to arrange a journey for oneself. You can be that inspiration.
Consistently Engaging With Followers
Traveling is all about adventures and taking a break from your routine. But as a travel blogger or influencer, there is one routine you need to keep. You should consistently engage with your followers.
You may not be able to keep up with all the comments and questions but set a goal for yourself to interact with a certain number of followers per day or week. Your followers want to know that you are paying attention.
It’s also important for you to like and comment on other users’ posts. Of course, you should engage with other bloggers influencers and celebrities, but don’t limit yourself to them.
If you really want to grow your online presence, you need to interact with regular users. Those who follow you, so they will stay with you, as well as those who don’t follow you but have similar interests. This is one way to get new followers.
Providing Reviews
One very important post-vacation activity is writing reviews about places that you visited. This is more than just exuding how beautiful a specific location was. Generally, the reviews are written about hotels and restaurants.
Although there are enough special sites that aggregate reviews about these places, many people believe that the reviews on such resources are fake or bought to increase the rate artificially.
So, lots of people are looking for information about hotels, restaurants, and other points of their interest in social media instead. At some point, they are right.
Social media allows users to leave real-time reviews, for example, using Instagram Stories and Live Video, or Snapchat, YouTube, and even Twitch streams.
With the format of instant posting it can really be hard to hide anything, yet, with the rising popularity of influencer marketing, people are wary of which bloggers to trust. So, make sure your reviews are genuine.
Even if you are sharing a negative review, it is better to let others know what they might experience before they make the decision to go.
The Con To All Pro’s
The impact of social media on our lives is very huge. And the sphere of traveling is included. The whole style of taking trips has changed.
Many people are paying too much attention to taking photos and updating their feeds when what they should do is enjoy discovering something new and exploring the world, even if it is not too far from home.
This is especially true for travel bloggers and influencers. When traveling is your job, it becomes hard to focus on the little moments.
The concentration on the Instagram type of content needs to be well balanced because it is okay to try taking better shots, but it shouldn’t take too much of your time and effort.
Remember for travel bloggers and influencers to grow their Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter accounts, they need to provide authentic experiences.
