Instagram isn't just for influencers. Korea's hotels are using hashtags, Stories, and visual storytelling to fill rooms during off-season. Here's how to start—even if marketing feels intimidating.
10. Easy Hotel Social Media Marketing (7): Instagram
Writer: ONDA Manager Somora
Easy Hotel Social Media Marketing (7): Instagram
Hi! This is Manager Somora from ONDA's Data Marketing Team. How have all of you Magazine ON subscribers been? December is here, and the cold winter has arrived — time to bundle up. It's also time for hotels to brace for the winter off-season. Sure, Christmas, New Year's, and Lunar New Year holidays are coming up, and travel trends have blurred the line between peak and off-season. But Korea's four distinct seasons still create regional ups and downs in booking rates. So if you're facing the winter slowdown, you're probably juggling worries and strategies.
How's your hotel's marketing going right now? If you've wanted to promote your property but found hotel marketing too intimidating to start — today's post is for you. We're introducing a platform that's easier, more fun, and more visual than the SNS channels we've covered so far.
Today, we're diving into Instagram — a famous, easy, fun, and lightweight social channel perfect for hotel marketing.
Why should you use Instagram for marketing?
What is Instagram?
Instagram is a photo-sharing and social networking service that burst onto the global scene like a comet in 2010. The name blends "instant camera" and "telegram," with a mission to "capture and share the world's moments" — a visual-first social platform. Users can snap photos and share them instantly on Facebook, Twitter, and beyond. Instagram's signature feature? Square photos, like Polaroids — a stark departure from the standard 16:9 mobile aspect ratio. That quirky format sparked countless trends and cultural movements.
But the real game-changer was hashtags (#). Before Instagram, searching meant typing keywords into a portal. Now, slap a # in front of any word, and you can jump between posts tagged with it. Simple. Powerful.
Thanks to that innovation, Instagram has grown steadily year after year, cementing itself as one of the most influential social platforms. As I mentioned in our March series, Instagram ranked 6th globally among social media sites in 2019 (Chinese platforms like WeChat, QQ, and WhatsApp dominate the top spots, with YouTube now at #2). In Korea, Instagram grabbed 2nd place in 2018 — the most-used SNS after Naver Band. Since 2017, it's been chipping away at Facebook's lead, overtaking KakaoStory and Facebook. (Naver Band still holds the #1 spot, though YouTube is now eating into that in 2019.)
Hashtag example
How did Instagram get so popular in Korea?
When Instagram first entered Korea, it was branded as "the SNS celebrities use." Then, little by little, people migrated from Facebook. The biggest reason? No ads. Ironic, right? We're talking marketing here, but the lack of ads was Instagram's edge. Early Instagram had zero ads — a clean, uncluttered feed. Users fed up with Facebook's ad overload flocked to Instagram's pristine environment. I first discovered Instagram in 2013 for exactly that reason.
The second reason: it's simple and intuitive. Instagram's interface is clean and straightforward. Signing up and using it are both ridiculously easy. When I teach social media workshops, older folks often struggle — except with Instagram. Even people over 70 can sign up and start posting after a quick tutorial. And here's the kicker: Instagram only allows one external link per account — in your profile. That constraint forces focus.
Why should hotels use Instagram for marketing?
Lately, tons of hotels — from small guesthouses to major hotel chains — have pivoted from Facebook or blogs to Instagram for their social media marketing. So why has Instagram become the go-to channel for hotels?
1) Higher mobile engagement than Facebook or blogs
Instagram's mobile-first design is key. Recent industry stats show about 79% of customers book travel and hotels via mobile. Instagram captures that mobile-native customer journey better than anything else. Facebook and blogs tried to go mobile-optimized, but blogs are text-heavy and info-dense, while Facebook is cluttered with ads and hemorrhaging Korean users. Instagram? Effortlessly mobile, visually driven, and still ad-light. Run Instagram well, and bookings flow naturally.
2) Who books hotels? Young. Women.
Ever thought about who actually books the hotel? It's often people in their 20s and 30s — and women dominate. Think about it: when parents travel, their kids (who are faster at research) find and book the hotel. When couples or friends travel, the person with better taste or research skills — often a woman — takes the lead. Instagram is tailor-made for this audience: easy UI, fast search, aesthetic imagery, and mobile-friendly.
3) What do people prefer?
Instagram nails everything people want. Video content has surged (hello, YouTube), but before video came photos. Instagram is a visual platform centered on photography. Images grab attention faster than text. Hotels can showcase their best photos, and people who love what they see will book — simple as that. Plus, Instagram's original ad-free vibe makes it feel more authentic than ad-saturated blogs or Facebook. One hashtag search, and you can dive into real-time guest reviews — immediate, unfiltered proof of a hotel's quality.
4) #InstagramAesthetics #Engagement #Fun — what does it all mean?
Finally, Instagram feels personal. It's a platform for sharing daily life. People post their unfiltered moments and rack up likes. There's a joy in sharing, connecting, and engaging with strangers. The key ingredient? Visual storytelling. Photos and videos dripping with #InstagramAesthetics capture attention instantly. That's why hotels lean into beautiful, moody imagery over dry, factual posts. Emotion sells.
ONDA also creates visual content for Instagram marketing.
Advantages of Instagram marketing
So we've covered why hotels should market on Instagram — though it's not all upsides. That said, Instagram is incredibly accessible: you can sign up with just an email, phone number, or existing Facebook account. Management and operations are easy — anyone can jump in.
The content creation process is ridiculously simple: pick a photo, write a short caption, add hashtags, and post. Done. That low-effort content production is a godsend for busy hoteliers. Remember spending hours on blog posts? Now you can market your hotel in under 3 minutes. Scroll through Instagram's main feed — no text walls, just stunning photos and videos that grab eyeballs. Great visuals pull people to your account and keep them coming back.
Because it's so easy, all age groups can access it, and consumer traffic is high, so your posts get visibility fast. Instagram isn't just for Koreans — it's a global platform. Your content can reach people worldwide. Photos have more impact than text, and you can run paid ads with precise targeting (way easier than blogs). If blogs are about crafting on-brand content, Instagram is about building community — fostering relationships with followers, driving repeat visits, and encouraging participation.
Finally, Instagram's mobile-friendly interface makes it effortless to scroll and close. For hotels, what matters most is: how many people use this platform, and how widely does my content spread to bring in guests? Instagram delivers on both counts. Most people treat their smartphones like an extension of their body — they carry them everywhere. Direct messages and comments let you handle guest inquiries and build rapport. Win-win.
How to nail Instagram marketing
So how do you use this amazing platform to market your hotel successfully? ONDA's got some tips.
1) Your profile link is your booking engine
Instagram's biggest limitation? One external link per account — in your profile. That's it. No clickable links in captions or posts. So your profile is everything.
Fill out your profile meticulously: contact info, booking method, address, a punchy one-liner about your hotel. And that profile link? It must go to your hotel website or a direct booking page. When you post, tag your profile handle so people can tap through and click the link.
ONDA's integrated booking management service includes a real-time booking engine perfect for this. Gangneung's Guesthouse Sihoil and Gyeongju's Wait.re both link ONDA's booking engine in their Instagram bios — and that link alone fills their rooms every month. ONDA's booking engine also works across Naver Cafe, blogs, KakaoTalk — every channel we've covered in this series.
Gangneung's Guesthouse Sihoil (left) and Gyeongju's Wait.re (right) link ONDA's real-time booking engine in their Instagram bios to take reservations.
2) Mix lifestyle photos with promo posts
Instagram is a platform for sharing daily life. As we discussed earlier, people fled ad-heavy platforms to Instagram for a more personal, authentic feed. If you only post hotel photos, you'll look like an ad account — and people will bounce.
Hotels need to convey warmth and approachability. Instagram is perfect for that. Mix lifestyle photos with hotel promos at a ratio like 2:1 or 3:1. Share moments with guests, behind-the-scenes snippets, or everyday happenings. Better yet, post local attractions, restaurants, and area guides. When travelers research a destination, they consider multiple factors — if you weave that info into your hotel content, your posts can reach customers through multiple search paths. Natural promotion, built right in.
Or try this: collect guest reviews from around the web, repost them on Instagram with a thank-you note. Aggregating scattered reviews in one place builds trust and saves guests the hassle of hunting across platforms.
ONDA's Instagram lifestyle content
3) Grid-style posting: the secret to a clean feed
Instagram is a grid-based platform. "Grid" means your feed is sliced into uniform tiles — Instagram uses nine squares in a 3x3 layout. So always post photos in the same format. I recommend cropping images to fill the frame completely. For a polished, cohesive look, try splitting one image across 3 or 9 tiles. Use the apps I'll recommend later to make this easy.
Here's another pro tip: unify your color palette. Keep the color tone or background consistent across each row of 3 (or all 9) images. If your photos vary wildly, add your hotel logo to tie them together visually.
Occasionally, post short videos (under a minute) to grab attention — room tours or little moments around your property work great. Think about what your followers want to see, and give them more of it.
Instagram's grid layout
4) Create a photo spot and run contests
People use Instagram to show off their travels. They crave unique experiences, proof-of-visit shots, and aesthetic memories. If your hotel has an Instagrammable photo spot, guests will post it — free promotion.
Think about it: when people visit Paris, they snap a photo in front of the Eiffel Tower. In New York, it's the Statue of Liberty. What's your hotel's version? It doesn't need to be grand — a cute corner with props, a stylish chair outside, a design accent. Then run a contest: post a photo from the spot, tag your hotel, and get a small gift. The ripple effect will be massive.
Instagram post from Jeju D1250's photo spot
There are plenty more tips, but this post is getting long — so let me wrap up with a few handy app recommendations for Instagram marketing.
I hope this guide helps you start and succeed with Instagram marketing for your hotel. Thanks for reading!
Recommended apps for Instagram
[Series Index]
2019.01 What is SNS marketing, anyway? 2019.02 Why we do SNS marketing + success strategies 2019.03 Understanding SNS marketing channels 2019.04 Easy hotel SNS marketing (1): Facebook 2019.05 Easy hotel SNS marketing (2): Kakao Plus Friends 2019.06 Easy hotel SNS marketing (3): Kakao Brunch 2019.07 Easy hotel SNS marketing (4): Naver Cafe 2019.08 Easy hotel SNS marketing (5): Naver Modoo 2019.10 Easy hotel SNS marketing (6): Naver Blog 2019.12 Easy hotel SNS marketing (7): Instagram 2020.01 Easy hotel SNS marketing (8): YouTube 2020.02 Bonus marketing tips: Naver Smart Place