How to Grow Real Instagram Followers for Your Property

Hello from ONDA — we're building the digital infrastructure for Korea's hospitality industry.

If you're running an Instagram account for your property, you've probably seen ads like this:

50 Korean followers — ₩15,000!

Buying followers on Instagram is so common these days it barely raises eyebrows.

Sure, follower count signals reach and influence — but does it actually help your property get bookings? 🤔

If you're wondering why you should be on Instagram in the first place, and how to reach real potential guests instead of fake accounts, keep reading.

Do I really need an Instagram account for my property?

Short answer: Yes.

As the chart above shows, Instagram has strong engagement across all age groups in Korea — not just Gen Z.

According to Sometrendy, a social media keyword analytics platform, the term "숙소추천" (accommodation recommendations) was mentioned ~28,000 times on Instagram over the past year — up 312% year-over-year.

That's 1.8× higher than Naver Blog mentions for the same keyword.

Translation: Instagram is where travelers are searching for places to stay — and sharing what they find.

3 ways to grow your Instagram followers

If you already have an account, here are three simple tactics anyone can execute — no marketing degree required.

1. Two-way engagement

Find users interested in travel. Follow them first. Like and comment on their posts. It's time-consuming, but it's free — and it works. Pro tip: check the follower lists of travel influencers. That's where you'll find people already interested in accommodations and trips.

2. Run ads

The most efficient route (if you have budget) is Instagram's built-in promotion tool. Post a great photo of your property, hit "Promote Post," set your goal, audience, budget, and timeline — and Instagram will show your post to users likely to care. Downside: Meta's ad platform can get technical fast. Setup and performance tracking aren't always straightforward.

3. Host a giveaway

Offer a free stay during low season. A "follow + tag a friend to win" giveaway can grow your follower count without ad spend — and it generates buzz. Users love these. Done right, they create organic reach and real awareness.

Real results: giveaway case study

ONDA runs Instagram marketing campaigns for partners — no upfront ad spend required.

Six partners ran giveaways with us. Average result: +150 followers per campaign. One partner loved the engagement so much they ran ten more campaigns back-to-back.

If you want to reach real travelers — not bots — a giveaway might be the move.

The best-performing properties are already working with ONDA.

Get in touch