Following on from the success of our recent Insta-Fam with Visit California & United, we asked our intrepid agent influencers to share their top social media tips for creating awesome content.
Eight social media-loving agents from all around Australia recently returned from a trip with Visit California, United Airlines & KarryOn where they got to experience (and snap to their heart’s content) a region of the Golden State not on the usual tourist trail.
Our all-star cast of Insta-agents included – Jake Cassar (@thiswildtime), Tessa Wong (@travel.with.tess), Claire Sheridan (@claiirebella), Charlotte Bolter (@charliebolter), Lena Nielson (@TheDiaryofaDreammaker), Dana Brown (@wildheartedworld), Peta McConachie (@postcardsfrompeta) and Kate van Bennekom (@KultureKate).
All of them are prolific in their own rights for sharing unique travel experiences on social media that their clients want to book.
Instagram and Facebook are these agents’ general channels of choice to specifically look for destinations within destinations and to interact with other online influencers to help them find hidden secrets.
READ: INSTA-FAM: 8 Agents Return From Cali With Amazing Stories to Tell And Sell
So how do they do it and what’s their top tip? Read on for some simple Instagrammable enlightenment.
1. SEEK OUT THE DESTINATIONS WITHIN A DESTINATION
Jake Cassar @ThisWildTime uses Instagram to connect and speak with other travellers and to find hidden destinations within big cities, including the best bars, secret cafes and graffiti-filled laneways.
He suggests that if their image is not geotagged and you want to find it yourself, you can always ask for them to drop you a pin. However, a lot of the time you need to find it yourself.
2. CONNECT WITH YOUR CLIENTS AT THE RIGHT TIMES
Tessa Wong @Travel.With.Tess ensures she’s engaging with her audience by posting at the times that she knows they’re on their phones and searching for travel content.
If you have an Instagram Business or Creator account, you can do this through the insights tab.
3. SHOW YOUR PASSIONS AND YOUR INTERESTS
Claire Sheridan @ClaiireBella is passionate about nature photography, snowboarding and mountain travel and a quick glimpse of her Instagram feed make her interests in these types of trips abundantly clear.
The same can be said about Peta McConachie @PostcardsFromPeta who specialises in food vlogging and secret restaurants.
4. BE CONSISTENT WITH YOUR ONLINE STYLE
Both Charlotte Bolter @CharlieBolter and Kate van Bennekom @KultureKate are lovers of a curated Instagram story.
These agents use Instagram stories (not feed posts) as a powerful way to showcase the way they interact with people and places without the veneer of an Instagram filter.
Like all good stories, they say that each Instagram story needs to have a start, middle and end. Have fun with it and get creative!
5. JUST GET STARTED!
Ain’t that the truth! Two agents who are veterans of the travel social media world – Dana Brown @WildHeartedWorld & Lena Nielson @TheDiaryOfADreammaker – are encouraging their colleagues to stop thinking about it and simply get themselves online.
Just do it!
Both believe that any agent who is booking trips must use the tool as either a portfolio or as a way to showcase their knowledge of a certain destination.
The bottom line is, be consistent and create your own style to match your personality.
And to recreate this same California itinerary for your own clients, or for yourself check out: https://www.visitcalifornia.com/au/feature/northern-california-explorer
Got tips to share too? Email us to be featured at editor@karryon.com.au