New Instagram Tools for Hotels + Will TikTok Stay or Go?
Welcome to this week's edition of Smart Hotel Marketing. Stay ahead of the latest trends shaping hospitality marketing, from Instagram’s new profile updates—giving hotels more control over their grid—to fresh insights on TikTok’s uncertain future. Keep reading for key updates that can help elevate your hotel’s social media strategy and stay competitive in an evolving digital landscape.
In today's newsletter:
- 📊 The proof is in the numbers: Hotels and resorts without a strong Community Management presence are likely losing potential guests
- 🚨 The status of TikTok and the potential impact on hotels
- 💡 Pinterest's Marketing Moments Guide can help you build your 2025 marketing calendar and brainstorm relevant activations
📊 STAT OF THE WEEK
🚨 TIKTOK IS UNBANNED (FOR NOW)
TikTok’s future in the U.S. is up in the air, with potential buyers ranging from tech giants like Oracle and Microsoft to high-profile figures like YouTuber MrBeast, billionaire Frank McCourt, Elon Musk, and Shark Tank’s Kevin O’Leary. Notably absent from the mix are Meta, Google, and Amazon. While the platform pushes forward—rolling out a content marketing calendar for SMBs and recovering 90% of its U.S. traffic after the temporary shutdown earlier this month—many users believe TikTok has already changed, citing stricter content moderation and more frequent guideline violation warnings. TikTok, however, denies any shifts in policy.
The biggest question remains: will the platform’s U.S. business change hands to secure its future, or will the ban be reinstated, once again cutting off access for its 170 million American users? For hotels and resorts on the platform, the outcome could impact content visibility, influencer partnerships, and ad opportunities—either making TikTok more lucrative for businesses or driving them to spend ad dollars with competitors like Meta and YouTube.
🧐 STAY INFORMED
INSTAGRAM UPDATES "VIEWS" METRIC
- Instagram insights now include View Rate and Views Over Time
- View Rate: The percentage of your followers and non-followers that continue to watch your videos after the first 3 seconds.
- Views Over Time: How many views your post has received compared to the average views your posts receive in the same time period.
Impact on Hotels & Resorts — These new Instagram metrics can provide valuable insights into how engaging your social media content is—helping you understand whether your Reels are capturing the attention of potential guests, and how your reach compares to past performance, allowing for more strategic content adjustments.
INSTAGRAM ANNOUNCES CHANGES TO PROFILES
- A More Visual Grid: Instagram’s new tall grid format better showcases vertical photos and videos, but to address concerns from users who carefully curate their profiles, the platform is working on improved thumbnail customization.
- Highlights Get a Makeover: Highlights will be integrated into the grid as a tab to simplify profile layouts, while a new tool will allow users to fully reorder their grids for greater customization.
Impact on Hotels and Resorts — These changes give hotel and resort profiles more control over their aesthetic, making it easier to showcase top content, organize visuals, and create a polished first impression for potential guests. Note: These changes will be rolled out slowly over the coming months!
💡 TIP OF THE WEEK - PINTEREST'S "MARKETING MOMENTS"
If your hotel or outlet is short on time or creativity to brainstorm upcoming activations, specials, or offers, take advantage of Pinterest's 2025 Marketing Moments Guide. The Guide includes holidays, religious observances, and important cultural dates to help you kick off your 2025 marketing calendar. Plus, browse their monthly thought-starters and relevant keywords to inspire future activations.
🔎 WHAT'S HAPPENING AT CASUAL FRIDAYS
- Last week some of our team members visited Florida to trade the winter chill for a warm escape, executing a CF Content Visit for an incredible new client. 🌴 Prepare to be transported to sun and sand...
- From snow-dusted views to fireside lounges, winter can be your hotel’s chance to shine. Seeking fresh assets before the season ends? Inquire about our team's availability for winter social media content shoots or lifestyle productions. ❄️
