Instagram is the 4th most used social network in the world and is of particular interest to hotels and restaurants. It is image-based (photos and videos), making it one of the most important tools for businesses in their communication and marketing strategies. With a well-stocked and popular Instagram account, you can increase visibility and engagement, attract new guests and retain guests who have already visited.
Why post on Instagram? What are the best times to post on Instagram? What is the best message format on Instagram? All these questions you should definitely ask yourself. In this article, we explain the importance and various benefits of Instagram for, and then at what times and pace you should publish your content it.
WHY HAVE A PRESENCE ON INSTAGRAM IF YOU ARE A HOTEL OR RESTAURANT?
Before we dig deeper into the best post times for Instagram, let's go back to the importance of this social network in your communication and marketing strategy .
With over a billion users worldwide and more than 22 million users in France alone, Instagram has in a few years become an essential network for those who want to work on their visibility with the public, acquire new customers and improve engagement with existing customers. customers.
Cooking and travel are among the favourite topics of French people on the network, so you have everything to gain by incorporating this tool into your communication strategy.
HOW TO DEFINE YOUR STRATEGY ON INSTAGRAM?
Instagram can be a useful tool to increase your visibility with the public, stand out from your competitors and attract new customers.
DEFINE GOALS
The first step in the strategy should be to define different objectives. If it is a new establishment, it will be more about awareness and visibility among potential customers. If the restaurant or hotel is already installed, you would rather have a customer loyalty objective and naturally aim for a higher engagement rate, i.e. publish posts that generate activity (likes, reactions or registrations). followers).
KNOW YOUR PUBLIC
Once the objectives are defined, you need to get to work defining the target audience. Who is your audience? As with any marketing strategy you need to identify a so-called 'persona', i.e. one or more typical profiles for customers. To do this, observe the people who visit your establishment. Mostly, what age group are they in? Are they more couples, families or young singles, tourists, regulars...
If you already have an Instagram account, you can also analyse your account statistics and see who your followers are. To do this, make sure it is a professional profile and not a personal one, otherwise there is no access to statistics. Just click on the 'Statistics' tab and then on 'Target groups'. There you can see which days and times subscribers are active. You will also find information about the subscribers' profile (demographic information and interests). Depending on these deferred elements and data, you can accurately determine the best times of day to post content about your business.
WHAT TYPE OF CONTENT SHOULD I PLACE?
Instagram is an image-based social network. Since you are using it for professional purposes, it is important to post quality content. The feed (photo gallery) and publications should be harmonious and well thought out. Don't hesitate to hire a specialised photographer to take a series of beautiful photos of the establishment and its dishes. That way, you can use the photos as you go along to feed the account.
Faced with competition from Tik Tok , the platform now prioritises posts and short video content, posted in stories or as real in your feed. Vary the media (photos, stories and real) to reach your subscribers in different ways.
Stories are ephemeral and only visible for 24 hours. This type of content is ideal for spontaneity.
Reals allow you to post high-quality content, animated and lively, and vary posts. This type of post has been particularly highlighted by the algorithm for a few months now, making it a great way to gain visibility with your followers.
WHEN TO POST ON INSTAGRAM?
The information on this topic is diverse, but there is one thing to remember: the platform highlights recent content. It is therefore important to post at a time of day when your audience is online (or just before). Therefore, it seems that the best times to post on Instagram are on weekdays, with the highest engagement on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
In terms of schedules, the various preferred times for publication are from 8am to 9am in the morning, from 12pm to 1pm and from 7pm to 11pm in the evening.
Keep in mind that this data is highly arbitrary and highly dependent on the company and its target audience. It is mainly by knowing your audience and testing posts that you can determine the ideal time to post new publications.
However, there are 3 points to remember to successfully post content on Instagram:
HOW OFTEN DO YOU POST ON INSTAGRAM?
Again, there is no absolute truth and no ideal rhythm for posting on Instagram (or social networks in general). The key word is just regularity. One week of not posting every day, and then two weeks of nothing. You will be punished by the algorithm.
Therefore, it is important to define a strategy and an editorial calendar in advance (e.g. at the beginning of each month) to plan all publications and messages that will be covered in the coming month. This will allow them to be properly distributed and programmed.
To help you do this, you can enlist the help of specialised companies such as communications agencies or use tools such as Hootsuite, the most popular tool for scheduling posts.
Instagram is one of the favourite social networks and can become one of the pillars of your communication. Indeed, this network is an excellent way to acquire new customers or retain existing ones. Depending on objectives and target audience, you can decide on an editorial strategy. There is no absolute truth about the ideal time to send your posts on Instagram, but remember that it is better to publish when users and especially your followers are online and outside "working hours". Keep in mind that on social networks, you learn mainly by testing and can see what times and what types of content (photos, stories or real life) work best for your business.