How to use social media to drive bookings

Learn how travel advisors can use social media to increase commission and revenue through inspirational and informational travel content.

The digital-first era has reinvented the customer experience across multiple industries, including travel. Travelers now have access to endless content and travel inspiration on social media. Whether it’s a vacation recap on TikTok or photos on their Instagram feed, where a traveler decides to go can be inspired by what they see on their social channels.

Expedia's Path to Purchase report, which explores travelers’ online journey in the 45 days leading up to a booking, found that 61% of travelers use search engines, and 58% rely on social media.* So, how can travel advisors make the most of their online presence?

Driving inspiration when travelers first start thinking about a trip

A traveler’s average path to purchase is more than two months long, meaning you have a significant amount of time to influence their booking decisions.

In the first stage of considering travel, nearly 3 in 5 people do not have a specific destination in mind or are looking at multiple destinations. As travelers look for trip inspiration, social media (77%) is the leading online resource, ahead of online travel blogs and review sites, destination websites, and even search engines. But how do travelers use social media for inspiration?

How travelers use social media for inspiration:

• Destination inspiration: 65%
• Look for lodging recommendations: 49%
• View travel content from friends and family: 41%
• View travel content from influencers or celebrities: 40%
• Look for trip deals: 27%

What this means for travel advisors

Travelers are turning to social media for ideas for their next trip, making it a must-have component in your marketing strategy. You can use social channels to showcase destinations, experiences, and promotions with imagery and content that inspires travelers to engage with your page.

For example, let’s say you create travel guides to help travelers plan trips. You could share these guides in a series of social media posts that highlight key recommendations and drive travelers to explore the full guide and your content across social channels. If you don't have you own guides, why not use Expedia TAAP's free marketing guide?

Supporting travelers as they browse and narrow trip options

The next step people take when planning a trip is to start actively looking at their options, gathering information, and narrowing their choices. During this stage, 40% of travelers use social media to narrow down and compare options. While social remains a prominent resource, planning a trip with social media differs from how it’s used during the inspiration phase.

How travelers use social media for planning:

• Look for lodging recommendations: 60%
• Look for trip deals: 53%

What this means for travel advisors

During this stage, consider diversifying your social content topic and format to reach different types of travelers, and organically weave in current offers or discounts to drive engagement. To appeal to a broad group of travelers, you can create a video series across Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, and cater to different interests. Publish your content across multiple social channels to reach a broader audience, and amplify reach by promoting the video series through other channels, such as your blog or newsletter.