Let’s face it: when you started your journey as a tour operator, you probably imagined yourself leading thrilling adventures, not scrambling to go viral on TikTok. Yet, if you’ve been keeping an ear to the ground, you’ve probably heard the latest social media “must-dos” – crank out endless content, rope in influencers, maybe even master some dance trends. Exhausting? Absolutely! But guess what? There’s a saner, easier path hiding in plain sight.
Here’s a wild idea: let your guests do the talking for you! They’re already out there, posting about your tours to their friends, their family, and even their neighbor’s dog (probably). So, why not harness that? After all, who’s more believable: an influencer they’ve never met or their buddy who just had the best time of their life on your tour?
Let’s Be Real About Traditional Social Media Marketing
Look, we all know social media is the Wild West of marketing. Here are some of the hoops you’d have to jump through if you were to go the old-fashioned way:
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Influencer Partnerships – Want a post from someone with a gazillion followers? No problem. Just fork over as much as $25,000 per post. (Keystar Agency) And don’t forget the price tag on nano-, micro-, and mega- influencers… it’s dizzying.
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Content Creation – High-quality video editing, killer captions, trendy music… you know, basically a part-time job. And yes, social media is where creativity goes to get chewed up by algorithms.
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Platform Overload – Just when you’ve got Instagram down, TikTok takes the throne. Then there’s Facebook, YouTube Shorts, Threads… Each one’s got its quirks, and let’s be real: that’s a lot of balls to juggle.
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Algorithm Anxiety – You post the perfect pic, and what happens? It disappears into the algorithm abyss. Keeping up with each platform’s updates would require a manual of epic proportions!
So Why Not Let Your Guests Do the Heavy Lifting?
The reality is, you already have the perfect “influencers” walking around your business every day. When happy customers share their experience online, they’re reaching people you’d probably spend $$$ trying to target. And they’ve got three golden things going for them:
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Authenticity – Friends and family trust their opinions way more than an ad. A whopping 90% of people trust recommendations from those close to them, making personal sharing the most trusted marketing around. (Get Ambassador)
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Excitement – Your customers are already thrilled to show off what they’ve experienced. They’re already the VIP of the day – let them share it with pride!
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Built-in Audience Match – Friends of your guests? They’re a lot like your next best customer! Sharing memories on social media instantly targets people who are already in the “right demographic” – people who’ll actually care and might even want to book themselves.
Here’s How to Make It Happen:
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Make It Easy to Share – No more scavenger hunts (or pricetags!) for memories. Provide free access and make sharing part of the experience! Let guests know where to tag you, make it fun, and maybe even add a little something as a thank-you.
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Be Photo-Op Ready – People want something cool to share. Create those wow-worthy photo moments – the ones where they’ll actually look back and say, “Dang, that was awesome.” Check out This Photographer’s Guide
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Engage – When someone tags you, give them some love. Like, comment, and even share their post! They’ll love the shoutout, and you’ll boost the chance of reaching more people naturally.
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Create Incentives – Give guests a reason to share with incentives like a future discount or entry in a raffle. A little nudge can go a long way!
- Use Fotaflo – It's literally designed to streamline and automate all of the above.
In short, while everyone’s out there chasing the social media dragon, you’re skipping that madness entirely. Every moment you spend on over-the-top marketing stunts, you’re missing the incredible marketing power of your happiest guests. So go on – let them share their joy and excitement. Because your best ambassadors aren’t influencers, algorithms, or ad spend – they’re the people who’ve already fallen in love with what you do.
So next time someone tells you to “get on the social media train,” feel free to smile and wave… right from your growing community of happy, loyal customers!
