Holiday Let Social Media Marketing That Gets Bookings

You post a photo of the hut when you remember, then nothing for three weeks. That’s how most owners run their accounts, and it’s why social media feels like a time sink. Holiday let social media marketing doesn’t need a big budget or a content team. It needs a small plan you can stick to, and a clear route from each post to your booking page.

Holiday let social media marketing: pick one or two platforms, not five

Start with Instagram, and add a second platform only when the first feels easy. Spreading yourself across every app means thin, irregular posting everywhere, which does less than good posting in one place.

Here’s how the main three compare for a small glamping site or holiday let.

Set up your profiles so guests can book

A good profile tells a stranger what you offer, where you are and how to book in about five seconds. Most people check the profile before they follow, message or click through.

Use the same name and picture everywhere, and keep the username simple. Your property name plus a word like “glamping” or “stays” is easier to find than something clever. In the bio, say what the place is and where it is, then add a link to your booking page.

If you’ve listed on Canopy & Stars, CoolStays or Airbnb, guests often come looking for you directly afterwards, hoping for a better deal or knowing the owner keeps more of the money. A tidy Instagram profile and a clear website help them find you.

Content ideas that work for holiday lets

The easiest way to keep posting is to rotate a handful of content types. Guests want to picture themselves staying, so show the stay, not just the building.

Local content works well because it answers the question guests are already asking, which is what there is to do around here. Tag the places you feature, and they may share your post with their own followers.

Availability posts are worth doing now and then. A short Story saying “two midweek nights free next month” costs nothing and reaches people who already follow you.

How to write captions that help

A good caption does one job, which is to tell the reader something useful or make them want to know more. For glamping Instagram captions, two or three short lines beat a long essay.

Start with the thing that makes the photo interesting. Add one useful detail, such as how many it sleeps or what’s within walking distance. End with one clear next step, like “dates are on the link in our bio” or “message us with questions”.

Here are three simple formats you can copy.

• The scene. “Frost on the field and the stove already lit. Two nights free in January if you fancy it. Link in bio.”
• The local tip. “Our favourite pub is a 15 minute walk across the fields. Ask us for the route when you stay.”
• The behind the scenes. “Fresh linen, fresh logs, kettle filled. Ready for this afternoon’s arrivals.”

Hashtags still help a little. Three to five that describe the place and the stay are plenty, and a location tag does more than a long block of generic ones.

TikTok for holiday lets

TikTok is worth trying if you like filming and don’t mind a slow start, but it’s the one platform you can safely skip. Its strength is reaching people who’ve never heard of you, which is different from Instagram, where most views come from people who already follow you.

Short, simple clips do the job. A twenty second walk through the unit, the hot tub filling up, a “day in the life of a changeover” or a view from the doorstep are all fine. You don’t need to be on camera, and you don’t need dances or trends.

If you’re already making Reels, post the same clips on TikTok and see what happens. If nothing happens after a couple of months, drop it and put the time back into Instagram.

Facebook still earns its place

Facebook is a low effort way to reach older guests, locals and people who already follow your business. A Page lets you share posts, answer messages and show reviews, and it can be set up in an afternoon.

It’s especially useful for local reach. Day visitors, family and friends of guests, and people planning a gift for someone nearby all use it. Share your best Instagram posts there too, so one piece of content works twice.

How often to post

Two to four posts a week on your main platform is enough for most owners. What matters is that you can keep it up in a busy changeover week as well as a quiet one.

One practical habit helps more than any tool. Set aside an hour on a quiet day, take a batch of photos and clips, and write a week or two of captions together. You can then post a little at a time without having to think about it every day.

Reply to comments and messages quickly. Many guests ask a question in the DMs before they book, and a fast, friendly answer often decides it.

Sending followers to your website

Social media gets people interested, and your website is where they book. The link in your bio and your captions should go to a page that shows availability, prices and a clear way to book, not just a homepage with a menu.

On mobile, which is where most social media traffic arrives, the page needs to load fast and be easy to use with one thumb. A guest who taps through from a photo of your hut and lands on a slow, cluttered page will usually give up.

Millie the Hut’s booking page, which we built, puts an availability calendar, a short enquiry form and a seasonal rate card on one page, so a guest can see what’s free and what it costs without clicking around.

To see what’s working, ask new guests how they found you, and look at where your website visitors come from in your analytics. Both take a minute and tell you which platform deserves your time.

FAQs

Which social media platform is best for a holiday let?

For most holiday lets, Instagram is the best place to start, because guests browse it for ideas and it suits photos and short video. Facebook is a good second choice if your guests tend to be older or you want local reach. Pick one, do it well for three months, then decide whether to add another.

Do I need TikTok for my holiday let?

No. TikTok can bring in people who have never heard of you, but it needs regular short videos and a bit of patience. If you already film clips for Instagram Reels, posting the same clips on TikTok costs you almost nothing. If filming isn’t your thing, skip it and put the time into one channel you enjoy.

How often should I post?

Two to four posts a week on your main platform is plenty for most owners, plus a few Stories when something is happening. Steady beats busy. A schedule you can keep up through a hectic changeover week is worth more than a burst of daily posts that stops after a month.

How do I get direct bookings from Instagram?

Put a link to your booking page in your bio and mention it in your captions, rather than only saying link in bio. Send people to a page that shows availability and prices, not just your homepage. Reply to every message quickly, because many guests ask a question in the DMs before they book.

Are hashtags still worth using?

A few relevant hashtags help, but they are no longer the main way people find you. Use three to five that describe the place and the stay, such as your county, glamping and the type of unit. Skip long blocks of generic tags. Clear captions, location tags and good photos do more.

Send us your website and we’ll tell you, for free, what’s stopping it getting bookings. Get your free website audit and we’ll show you what to fix first, so the guests you attract on social media have somewhere good to book.