How Travel Agents Can Find Their Clients on Social Media [+Quiz]

You don’t need a statistic to tell you that almost everyone and their great-grandmother is on social media. But here's one just in case you need one, Hootsuite reported that over 75% of the world population 13+ in age used social media in 2022.

With a growing number of social media platforms, it's more important than ever to create a targeted social media plan that will cater to your client demographics. An untargeted social media approach for your agency risks operating primarily as a distraction rather than a targeted lead-generating tool for your business.

But how do you decide which platforms to focus on, which to automate, and which to skip altogether? For example, while Facebook reigns supreme in market share as the most popular social media platform, it's important to note that (according to Hootsuite 2023 data):

1. Facebook was primarily used to message friends and family
2. Only .06% of Facebook users are exclusive to the platform. (You can find FB users somewhere else if you prefer. 77% of Facebook users were also on Instagram.)
3. Facebook wasn't named as one ofSprout Social'stop 4 optimal social platforms for travel businesses.

It's complicated. But this guide will make it easier for travel advisors to do social media more efficiently. The basic tips provided will:

1. Help you recognize which social platforms will work best for you and your clients
2. Offer a rundown of the best days and times to post for each social platform
3. Provide links to travel agencies that do each platform really well

So, whether you're a social media Jedi who wants a refresher, or just getting started, we have some helpful travel agent social media tips coming your way! Here's what we've got!

⭐️ HAR Article Highlights: ⭐️

1. QUIZ: Which social media platforms are best for you?

2. 5 steps to boost your presence on social media

3. [ VIDEO] This Travel Advisor Shares Sure-Fire Social Media Tips

4. Get the dirt on specific social media platforms

1. Facebook
2. X (fka Twitter)
3. Instagram
4. LinkedIn
5. Pinterest
6. TikTok

5. Ready to Post? Free scheduling tools and images you can use

⭐️ Bonus Resource: Free images for your social posts

QUIZ: Where Are Your Clients on Social Media?

But the big question is, which social media platforms are your current and potential clients most likely to use?

There’s so much out there, and it's changing so frequently that it can feel overwhelming. But I'm here to tell you that you don’t have to do it all. Picking one or three social media platforms and doing them well is a great start.

A few notes about our fun quiz before you launch in!

This quiz is intended to help you decide where to focus your business social media efforts! How the heck did we come up with a score? We used insights from Pew Research to weigh the scores and categorize the questions. (We also strongly factor in your social media preference as well.) 

I recommend going about this quiz in two ways: 

1. Consider your current client demographic to see if you're targeting the right social media platforms 
2. Consider a client's demographic you'd like to reach. Create a client avatar and complete the quiz with your ideal client in mind.

This quiz is mostly for funsies, but most meaningful if you answer to the best of your ability!

All finished? There’s probably a good chance Facebook popped up in your queue as the front-runner. Why? Because Facebook is by and far the most popular social media platform (still) regardless of demographics.

But as mentioned in the intro, But if you want to expand your social media presence, or decide which accounts to concentrate on, you might consider looking at the option that ranks #2 or #3 on your list.

There’s so much stuff out there about social media marketing, so I’m not going to reinvent the wheel. But let me just break down a few tips to make your biz pages sparkle. 

5 Steps to Boost Your Social Media Presence

1. Make it Pretty. Really, Really Pretty. We’re trying to reinforce the daydream state. Try to use photos that are visually stunning/ attractive. Large headlines also help. You can always do screen images to make your own custom headlines for a photo if you’d like.
2. Quality Over Quantity This is personal taste, but in general, I’d suggest posting only when you truly have something of value to offer your clients. Dumping followers with ads and self-promotion can be a downer, but worse yet, it makes you forgettable. Your experiences, expertise, and insights will sell themselves.
3. Just Because You Build It, Doesn’t Mean They’ll Come. Do simple things to increase traffic to your social media accounts. Make sure your profile is comprehensive. Add share buttons to your webpage and use hashtags with reckless abandon. Create original and meaningful content. If you have a personal account, share your business social media on it. Let people know what you do and have to offer. And don’t forget that all roads lead back to your travel agency website.
4. Stay on Brand. It’s good to have a blend of personal and business—after all, you’re a real live human. But keep your rants and raves up on your personal accounts (unless, of course, you’re raving about a client’s vacation).
5. Engage, Engage, Engage. You don’t need to participate in every SM platform, but it’s a good idea to stay active on at least one or two. Social Media is a time suck, yes, but you can use that “time suck” to your advantage. Pick a couple of SM accounts and do them well. 

[ VIDEO] This Travel Advisor Shares Sure-Fire Social Media Tips

We've been getting into multi-media these days, so I want to share some expert advice from travel agency owner, DeJuan Shorter. He has incredible social media tips for travel advisors. (Listening to his chat with Steph will make you feel like you're taking a master class.)

Pretty amazing, right?! Here's some more fodder for your social media strategy!

Some of Our Favorite Travel Industry Social Media Accounts

The first thing to do, if you haven’t already, is to make sure you reserve your brand’s social media page/handle on all major platforms—even ones you don’t plan on engaging with now. Who knows which way the wind will carry you in the future.

Below are a few examples of travel industry social media pages that caught my eye. I also included a little info about optimal posting time for the different SM platforms. I even made up a new acronym! Optimal Posting Time will forever be known as OPT.[2 Sources to find the optimal posting time came from Sprout Social's, "The Best Times to Post on Social Media in 2023" for all social platforms except Pinterest, which was found on Filmora's "Best Time to Post on Social Media in 2023."]

HOWEVER, I have to issue a giant disclaimer. The OPTs listed below do not take into account the demographic/lifestyle of your client base—it just cites the day and times when there’s the highest volume of traffic. So if you’re targeting bakers who work a 4 am-12 pm day, their peak browsing times will differ significantly from a 9-5er.

In the end, you know best! Trust your gut! And by gut I mean, looking at your social profiles to see when YOU get the most engagement on your posts :)

Facebook, for Consumer Engagement

Best times to post for Travel & Tourism: 

1. Mondays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
2. Tuesdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
3. Wednesdays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
4. Thursdays from 10 a.m. to noon

Optimal Posting days: Mondays and Tuesdays

Worst days to post on Facebook: Sundays

Who Does it Well: The Timely Traveler

Timely Traveler has a fabulous and engaging Facebook page too. As a follower, I feel strangely compelled to comment on every post they publish. One of the other things I love about The Timely Traveler is how they use their clients' positive (and magical) travel experiences as thoughtful social media material. It's professional and personal at the same time. Take a look:

Well, Mark Zuckerberg doesn’t need me to inform you about Facebook. Just be sure that when/ if (preferably when) you develop a FB page that you utilize its review function so everyone can see your clients brag about you.

You’ll also want to make sure you “verify” your travel agency, to help boost your company in random FB searches. Here’s the link (hint: We did it for Host Agency Reviews and, it’s quick and easy).

X (Formerly Twitter), for Consumer Engagement

Best times to post for Travel & Tourism:

1. Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
2. Thursdays at 10 a.m.
3. Sundays at noon

Optimal Posting Days: Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays

Worst days to post on X: Saturdays

Who Does it Well: Ashley Metesh McCoy, @Kinshipvacations

If you prefer to engage on social media at warp speed, X is a good bet for you. If you're really only an occasional poster? Probably not for you. McTetesh-McCoy does Twitter very well because of her a.) frequency and b.) it's personable.

Though it might be tempting to make kneejerk tweets, it's good to keep them streamlined, visual, and relevant to your followers. That goes for retweets too. Save your live tweets of Buffy the Vampire Slayer for your personal account, unless it’s miraculously part of your niche ¹

Don’t forget to take advantage of X chats! Take a look at this X chat calendar to find one that fits your niche. And for the love of all things holy don’t forget to link your account to your website!

Instagram, for Consumer Engagement

Optimal Posting Time: Monday at 11 am, Tuesday and Wednesday from 10:00 am to 1 pm, and Thursday and Fridays 10:00 am-11:00 am. (You can also look at your personal engagement on your business account to see the best times for you).

Optimal Posting Days: Tuesday and Wednesday

Worst days to post on Instagram: Sundays

Who Does it Well: Boutique Japan, @BoutiqueJapan

One of my favorite things about this Instagram account is that their pictures are stunning and they use their highlight section really well. Their website also has great in-depth blogs. They use their blog images in their Instagram account, so they're really getting a lot of mileage from their beautiful photos.

Traveling is a visual experience, so it makes sense that Instagram is a great bridge between advisors and those who suffer from wanderlust. If you go with an Instagram account, you can let the marvel of certain geographical locations advertise for you. It also gives clients (and prospective clients) a taste of your style/personality while staying on-brand with your business.

Repeat after me: Follow your clients on Instagram. When they post images of the trip you helped make happen, like them until you’re blue in the face (that is, if you genuinely do).

Listen to Steph's interview with Boutique Japan's owner, Andres Zuleta, here:

LinkedIn, Global Engagement

Best times to post on LinkedIn for Travel & Tourism:

1. Tuesdays from 9 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m.
2. Thursdays at 10 a.m.

Optimal Posting Days: Tuesdays through Thursdays

Worst days to post on LinkedIn: Saturdays and Sundays

Who Does it Well: Valerie Wilson Travel

LinkedIn is a must if your travel agency does corporate bookings, but leisure agents shouldn’t write it off either. It’s a great way to connect with that one person you got your driver’s permit with never to be heard from again who developed a liking for birds and wants to book a trip to Manu National Park in Peru for their fortieth birthday.

Special Bonus for Linkedin!

In our 2023 Host Week, Rita Perez, travel advisor, social media strategist, and founder of Take the Helm offered a fabo EduSpot, "Improve Your Client Attraction Efforts on LinkedIn." Watch it below!

Pinterest, General Engagement

Optimal Posting Times:

1. Tuesdays at 1 p.m.
2. Wednesdays from 1 to 3 p.m.
3. Thursdays from noon to 2 p.m

Optimal Posting Days: Wednesdays through Fridays

Worst days to post on Pinterest: Sundays and Mondays

Who Does it Well: Italy Beyond the Obvious, @madelinejh

Madeline Jhawar's agency Italy Beyond the Obvious has a phenomenal Pinterest board. Not only does it provide eye candy, but her posts also link to the great resources on her blog. It really focuses on providing folks not only with visual eye candy but also links to great resources on her site. This helps Madeline get a ton of leverage out of her great resources. Pinterest is a great option for travel agents who sell FITs and custom trips.

Jhawar's profile may not have multi-million followers, but she gets a heckuva lot of monthly views. Another thing Madeline does that I love is a.) link her pins to her blogs and b.) put her agency name on each image (it's very subtle but nice).

TIKTOK, General Engagement

The best time to post on TikTok is Wednesdays from 2-3 or Thursdays from 1-3.

Optimal Posting Times:

1. Tuesdays from 2 to 6 p.m.
2. Wednesdays from 2 to 5 p.m.
3. Thursdays from 3 to 5 p.m.

Optimal Posting Days: Tuesdays and Wednesdays

Worst days to post on Pinterest: Sundays

Who Does it Well: Alyssa Dial, Brand Manager & Lead Romance Expert for La Macchia Travel and. Find her TikTok at Lovin Away, @alyssa.lovinaway

TikTok is new to this article! It's true that TikTok caters mostly to a younger demographic, but there are lots of reasons to try it out. One argument to try it out regardless of your demographic is to repurpose any video content you're creating for YouTube or other social media channels. Another reason is that many advisors' social media connection relies mostly on their personal brand (who they are personally and how they connect to individuals). TikTok is an ideal platform for you to be you. To post like you're talking to a close friend.

Keeping it real is one of the (many) reasons Alyssa does TikTok so well. This would be one of those times you want to be sure to focus more on your personal brand over your travel agency business brand.

Ready to Post? Here are 3 Free Scheduling Tools You Can Use

Okay, so now know where you want to focus your social media magic. So what's next?

1. Branchup

Newer on my radar, BranchUp is extremely unique because it's a.) a social media scheduling tool tailored specifically for travel advisors and b.) it's free.

BranchUp is a unique tool because it links to suppliers to create image-driven Facebook post templates you can customize (rather than you creating and scheduling them). You choose which suppliers you'd like to include in your feed, and they offer daily posts you can choose and customize.

While it's scope is limited to Facebook (and can automatically be reported on Instagram), it's a great free tool to add to another third-party scheduler.

1. Base Cost: Free
2. # of Users: 1
3. # of Social Accounts: Facebook only
4. # of Scheduled Posts: As many as you care to select (daily posts are offered)
5. Social Accounts it can manage:
6. Facebook

2. HOOTSUITE Free Plan:

Hootsuite is the social media scheduling platform we use here at HAR (and by "we" I mean our amazing marketing strategist, April Oliveira). Here's the skinny (and a special shoutout to fearless HAR reader, Angi, for letting us know that Hootsuite updated their free plan):

1. Base Cost: $99per month, billed annually/ mo, billed annually
2. # of Users: 1
3. # of Social Accounts you can include on free plan: 10
4. # of Scheduled Posts: Unlimited
5. Social accounts it can manage (keep in mind, you can only pick two):
6. Facebook
7. Instagram
8. Linkedin
9. X (formerly Twitter)
10. YouTube
11. Pinterest
12. TikTok

While Hootsuite has a free plan, you currently need to sign up for a 30-day trial in order to access the plan.

2. Buffer Free Plan:

Not gonna lie, I'm not familiar with Buffer, but they have a bona fide free social media scheduling plan if you want to cut your teeth on social marketing. Here's the info:

1. Base Cost: Free ($6/mo. for lowest-cost paid plan)
2. # of Users: 1
3. # of Social Accounts you can include on free plan: 3
4. # of Scheduled Posts: 10
5. Social accounts it can manage (keep in mind, you can only pick two):
6. Facebook
7. Instagram
8. Linkedin
9. X (formerly Twitter)
10. Pinterest
11. TikTok
12. YouTube

3. Later Free:

Originally, Later was only available for Instagram but has since expanded. Later includes the most robust free plan, allowing the highest volume of posts and the most social accounts. They base their pricing on social "sets" rather than individual accounts. A "social set" includes Instagram, Facebook, X, TikTok, Linkedin, and Pinterest.

1. Base Cost: Free ($25/mo. for lowest-cost paid plan)
2. # of Users: 1
3. # of Social Accounts you can include on free plan: 6 (They refer to this as one "social set," to presumably each account needs to be connected to the same person or business)
4. # of Monthly Posts: 30 (per set)
5. Social accounts it can manage:
6. Facebook
7. Instagram
8. Linkedin
9. X (formerly Twitter)
10. Pinterest
11. YouTube

Bonus: Find Free Images for Your Social Media Posts!

First up, make a post. Along with your own amazing pics, we have a few opinions on where to find the best free images for your blogs and social media.

If you are a multitasker extraordinaire and want to schedule some posts in advance, there are free social media scheduling programs at your fingertips. With one exception, most free plans allow only one user and link to up to 3 social media accounts. If you're just cutting your teeth on social media, this could do the trick.

That's a Wrap!

What social platforms do you use and love? Let me know in the comments below. If you're on the search for other marketing options, don't miss HAR's $100 Travel Agency Marketing Plan!

Chat soon!

Footnotes

1. If BTVS is part of your niche, we SERIOUSLY need to talk. ↩