With social media algorithms constantly changing, it can be hard to reach new audiences. Some people even hold the view that brands have to “pay to play” and can’t reach anyone organically.
Luckily, you can still get organic reach on most platforms, with Instagram and TikTok being the most notable for travel brands.
As a trusted travel social media marketing company in Philadelphia serving clients worldwide, we’re sharing which post formats and tips you should follow to drive reach in 2026.
Short-Form Video
Short-form video has been one of the leading travel social media formats for years, and it still dominates.
A recent Metricool study of 700 million Instagram accounts found that Reels have the most reach, regardless of account size. A Buffer study found that Reels have 1.36x the reach of carousels and 2.25x the reach of single-image posts.
With TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and even Facebook Reels, you can easily repurpose Instagram Reels content across platforms.
What Types of Videos to Make
Some of our most successful short-form videos for our travel clients include:
- Scenic clips (show off those views!)
- Room or property tours
- Mini-itineraries
- Staff highlights (or staff participating in current trends)
For example, here’s a Reel we made for ICONA Resorts playing into a trend with beautiful scenic and property shots.
View this post on Instagram
Instagram Carousels
The Metricool study we mentioned earlier also found that performance for carousel posts skyrockets for Instagram accounts with 50K+ followers, sometimes even surpassing Reels’ reach. The Buffer study confirmed that carousels had the highest engagement rate of Instagram formats (6.9% vs Reels at 3.3%).
This is because Instagram will actually serve a carousel multiple times if a user doesn’t engage with it, surfacing a different card from the carousel each time.
What Types of Carosels to Post
Here are some of our favorite carousels to post for our travel clients:
- Mini-itinerary
- Travel tips
- Close-ups of your offerings, like specific features of a room or dishes at a restaurant
- Mixed formats (image cards & video cards)
For example, here’s a carousel we made for ICONA Resorts that shares an itinerary for a Cape May stay.
View this post on Instagram
Choose Formats You Can Stay Consistent With
One of the biggest factors we see for social media strategy success is consistency. When considering which formats to use, choose ones that you can be consistent with.
Metricool’s study found that posting 2-3 times weekly can drive 19% growth, with more frequent posts driving more growth.
Use Keywords in Your Post
A recent study from Sprout Social found that 41% of Gen Z turn to social media to search before a search engine. Even if your target audience isn’t Gen Z, this still indicates a larger trend towards more search behavior on social media platforms rather than simple scrolling.
To capitalize on this opportunity, brands should implement some Social Media SEO practices. Basically, this means naturally using popular keywords throughout captions, on-screen text, and audio.
For example, let’s say a hotel in Boston posts a Reel. Instead of a caption like “Stay with us for your next Boston trip,” we would suggest phrasing like “Stay at one of the top hotels in Boston on your next trip.” That optimizes for the search “hotels in Boston.”
It’s important to keep keyword usage natural so it doesn’t come across as spammy.
In our example, you would want to avoid something keyword-stuffed, such as “Stay at our hotel in Boston, one of the best places to stay in Boston.”
Work With a Social Media Marketing Company in Philadelphia
If you’re still unsure which social media formats to use, don’t fret. Forge Apollo has experience in driving bookings with social media marketing for tourism. We stay current on algorithm updates and industry trends so that you don’t have to. Plus, our in-house, award-winning travel video production team can capture the content. Reach out today to discuss your social media strategy for the next year.
