Hospitality Social Media Marketing for 2025

Key Takeaways:

• 5.42 billion people use social media globally in 2025 – making it a core marketing channel for hospitality businesses
• 73% of consumers prefer short-form videos to learn about products and services
• 61% of travelers have booked a hotel after seeing it on Instagram
• 88% of consumers trust influencer recommendations; 41% complete bookings via those links
• Social commerce is expected to account for 17% of all digital transactions by 2025
• The global social commerce market is projected to hit $6.2 trillion by 2030
• AI personalization helped Hyatt Hotels generate $40 million in six months
• Social media ad spend is projected to reach $276.7 billion in 2025; 83% will be mobile-driven by 2030

In 2025, social media is the hospitality industry's most powerful storytelling and booking tool. Travelers are no longer passively browsing  — they’re scrolling, sharing, and often making real-time decisions on platforms like Instagram, TikTok and Facebook.

This article explores the top trends shaping hospitality social media marketing in 2025  — backed by relevant data, platform insights and practical strategies.

Role of Social Media in the Booking Funnel

Social media marketing for hotels now spans every stage of the guest journey. With 5.42 billion people using social media globally in 2025, these platforms have become essential tools for discovery, trust building and conversion.

• Discovery: Travelers find destinations through reels and influencer content
• Research: They read user-generated reviews and compare property visuals
• Decision: Direct bookings happen via shoppable posts or bio links

And with 61% of travelers having booked a hotel after seeing it on Instagram, hotel social media marketing is no longer just for brand awareness – it powers real bookings across the entire funnel.

This trend highlights the rising importance of hospitality social media marketing, especially for properties looking to increase direct conversions without relying on third-party channels. 

Whether you're investing in social media for hotels or revamping your overall hospitality social media strategy, it's clear that these platforms are driving results.

Key Social Media Platforms and How Hotels Use Them

Social media marketing in hotels is most effective when tailored to the unique strengths of each platform. Understanding how travelers use each network allows hotels to align their messaging, visuals and calls to action with real user behavior.

Instagram

• Ideal for showcasing aesthetic visuals, guest experiences and daily stories
• Features like Reels, Guides and Shoppable Posts drive discovery and booking

TikTok

• Preferred by Gen Z and Millennials
• Hotels use TikTok to share personality-driven content like staff challenges, room makeovers and destination spotlights
• Participating in trending audio and hashtag challenges increases reach and drives engagement

Facebook

• Still valuable for Boomers and Gen X travelers
• Useful for sharing hotel events, local happenings and community involvement
• Facebook Ads help retarget visitors who browsed your website but didn’t book

Tailoring Content by Generation

Each demographic prefers specific content styles and platforms:

AI-Powered Personalization

Artificial intelligence is transforming hospitality marketing. It enables brands to:

• Analyze guest behavior to tailor messages
• Automate follow-ups and upsells
• Personalize offers based on past stays or website activity

Hyatt Hotels, for example, partnered with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to implement machine learning models that analyze user behavior in real time. 

Their AI-driven personalization strategy included predictive algorithms to recommend rooms and packages, dynamic pricing tailored to browsing patterns and automated messaging based on booking intent. This rollout led to a $40 million revenue boost within just six months.

From anticipating what content will engage users to delivering the right offer at the right moment, AI tools are becoming indispensable for social media marketing in hotels.

Short-Form Video Is Still King

Short-form video continues to lead in social media marketing for hotels. Its snackable format, mobile-first design and ability to tell compelling stories quickly make it ideal for hospitality brands trying to capture travelers’ attention.

• 73% of consumers prefer learning about products through short-form video
• 78% would rather watch a video than read a product description
• 93% of marketers say video campaigns deliver a positive ROI

These stats highlight why short-form video remains a key strategy in hospitality social media marketing. It supports rapid decision-making, builds emotional connection and encourages sharing – all critical in today’s visual-first platforms.

Top-performing video types include:

• Property walkthroughs
• Staff-led behind-the-scenes clips
• Guest testimonial videos
• Local dining and activity guides

Influencer Marketing and UGC: Building Trust at Scale

Influencer marketing and user-generated content (UGC) continue to be powerful tools in social media marketing for hotels. Influencers help expand reach and build trust with highly engaged audiences.

88% of consumers trust influencer recommendations, while 41% of travelers have booked a hotel after clicking on an influencer's link.

UGC also plays a critical role in hospitality social media strategies by providing authentic, experience-driven content that resonates with prospective guests. UGC is considered 2.4x more trustworthy than brand-created content. 

To maximize impact, hotels should:

• Encourage guests to tag them in posts
• Feature user content on their own channels
• Offer loyalty points or perks in exchange for photo or video submissions

This blend of influencer and community content strengthens the credibility of social media marketing in hospitality, ultimately leading to stronger conversions and long-term brand loyalty.

Social Commerce: Turning Social Browsers into Bookers

Social media has evolved into a powerful transaction channel for hotels – not just a space for inspiration. In 2025, social commerce plays a critical role in hospitality social media marketing by enabling guests to complete their booking journey without ever leaving the app.

Platforms like Instagram and Facebook now offer in-app booking capabilities. TikTok supports direct shopping through shoppable livestreams and bio links. This functionality allows hotels to guide guests from interest to reservation in just a few taps.

By 2025, social commerce is expected to account for 17% of all digital transactions, and the global market is projected to reach $6.2 trillion by 2030.

To boost conversions through hotel social media marketing:

• Use "book now" stickers in Stories or Reels
• Embed links within short-form videos and profile bios
• Respond to inquiries with instant booking links in comments or DMs

For hospitality brands looking to cut friction in the guest journey, social commerce tools are becoming essential. Whether you’re optimizing social media marketing for hotels or rethinking how you promote last-minute deals, booking through social is now the norm — not the exception.

Immersive Content: Using Virtual Tours to Win Bookings

Virtual reality and 360-degree experiences are gaining traction as guests seek a more immersive way to explore properties before booking. 

These tools let travelers visualize their stay, increasing emotional connection and booking confidence without stepping foot on-site.

This type of immersive content is especially effective in hospitality social media strategies, where visual trust and convenience drive conversions. 

Whether integrated into Instagram highlights or shared through Facebook carousels and YouTube tours, virtual walk-throughs help showcase room types, amenities and property uniqueness.

Benefits include:

• Increased confidence in premium bookings
• Differentiation in a saturated market
• Longer engagement times across social media for hotels

Social media marketing in hospitality is no longer just about curated posts — it's about giving prospective guests a real sense of place. Immersive content helps hotels stand out and generate qualified leads ready to book.

Using Analytics To Maximize Social Media ROI in Hospitality

Hospitality marketers are leaning heavily on performance data to drive smarter decisions and maximize ROI. It’s driven by concrete metrics that show what works and what doesn't.

Analytics tools now help hospitality brands:

• Track return on investment from posts, ads and influencer content
• Attribute bookings by platform, campaign or content type
• Run A/B tests on creative, targeting and messaging

These insights are critical for refining hotel social media marketing strategies and ensuring ad dollars go further. Spending trends reinforce this shift:

• Global social media ad spend is forecast to hit $276.7 billion in 2025
• 83% of that will come from mobile platforms by 2030
• 93% of marketers say they plan to increase or maintain current social media budgets

Key metrics hospitality teams should monitor include:

• Cost per booking from social platforms
• Engagement rate per post type
• Click-through rates on Story links, Reels or video ads
• Follower growth tied to campaigns or promotions

By regularly reviewing these numbers, hotels can fine-tune their social media marketing in hospitality and focus spend where it delivers the most direct bookings.

Tips for Hospitality Marketers in 2025

These strategic tips can help hotels elevate their presence and drive meaningful bookings across platforms:

• Post short-form video 3–5x per week: Reels TikToks and Shorts are the most engaging formats for travelers researching where to stay. Keep content fresh authentic and location-focused.
• Partner with micro-influencers in your destination niche: Smaller creators often yield higher engagement rates and stronger trust with local or experience-specific audiences.
• Launch hashtag campaigns to increase UGC: Encourage guests to share their experiences using branded hashtags which boosts organic reach and provides reusable content.
• Use dynamic pricing in retargeted social ads: Serve pricing and availability ads to past website visitors based on real-time room inventory and travel dates.
• Make Reels and Stories bookable with direct links: Always include clickable booking links in bio Story highlights or overlay stickers for easy reservations.
• Reuse influencer content in paid ad formats: Repurpose creator content in Facebook Ads or Instagram Boosted Posts to reach wider audiences with more authenticity.
• Review analytics weekly to optimize campaigns: Track conversion rates booking attribution and click-throughs to learn what works and refine your hotel social media strategy accordingly.