Are you ready for Q2? The Big Bear Team is here to give you key marketing updates and insights for hotel and hospitality brands across SEO, social media, and digital advertising. Here are the top changes to watch for in the second quarter!
Social Media Changes Hotel and Hospitality Brands should be aware of.
Changes in Instagram’s Algorithm to Maximise reach for Hospitality Brands
Understanding Instagram’s algorithm has always felt a bit like cracking a secret code.
Thankfully, Instagram chief Adam Mosseri has shed some light on the ranking signals that determine content visibility. According to Mosseri, the three most crucial factors are:
Watch Time – How long users engage with your content
Likes – The number of users engaging positively
Sends – How often content is shared with others
For hotels and hospitality brands, this means that engaging, immersive content is more crucial than ever. If you want your posts to be seen by more of your existing followers, focus on generating likes through visually stunning property showcases and guest testimonials. If brand growth is your goal, prioritise creating shareable content—think travel inspiration, exclusive offers, and guest-generated content that encourages users to forward your posts to new audiences. Interestingly, comments no longer hold the same weight they once did—highlighting a shift in how engagement is measured.
A New Look for Instagram Profiles: How Hotels Should Adapt?
Have you noticed your Instagram grid looking a little different? That’s because Instagram has started rolling out vertically-aligned thumbnails in profile views. This move brings Instagram more in line with the TikTok aesthetic and prioritises vertical content—a clear signal that video-first strategies will continue to dominate.
For hotels and hospitality brands, this change presents a fantastic opportunity to showcase spaces and experiences in a more dynamic way. Instead of static images, now is the time to lean into video storytelling—behind-the-scenes glimpses of your property, chef spotlights, event highlights, and destination guides will resonate well. Instagram is also introducing tools to customise thumbnails and rearrange grid posts, allowing hotel and hospitality businesses to curate their profile aesthetics in a way that still reflects their brand’s luxury, charm, or adventure-driven ethos.
Introducing ‘Edits’: Instagram’s Answer to CapCut
In an ambitious move, Instagram is launching ‘Edits’, a powerful mobile video editing app designed to rival TikTok-owned CapCut.
Packed with features like clip-level editing, auto-enhance tools, green-screen effects, and trending audio insights, Edits is clearly aimed at giving hotel and hospitality brands and creators a seamless way to produce high-quality content directly within the Instagram ecosystem. Importantly, videos can be exported without watermarks, making it a versatile tool for multi-platform content creation.
For hotels and hospitality brands, this tool offers a streamlined way to create high-impact promotional content. Whether it’s showcasing a new suite, capturing the magic of a guest’s stay, or producing seasonal campaign videos, the ability to create professional-grade content in-app will be invaluable. With uncertainty around TikTok’s future (especially in the US), Meta is making a play to position Instagram as the go-to platform for video content—an opportunity hospitality brands should leverage.
SEO Updates for Hotels & Hospitality Brands
Google’s Latest Updates for best SEO practices
Google has recently refined its Search Quality Rater Guidelines, reinforcing the importance of EEAT—Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. Each means: Experience (have relevant life experience), Expertise (have relevant knowledge & skills), Authoritativeness (are you a reliable source), & Trustworthiness (how accurate is your content). We know that content that ranks well showcases EEAT, so this update places even stronger emphasis that it is essential to continue following this and keep this in mind.
For businesses in the hospitality industry, this means content that ranks well needs to showcase real-world expertise, local knowledge, and credibility. Whether it’s destination guides, insider travel tips, or in-depth articles about your hotel’s unique offerings, high-ranking content must provide genuine value to potential guests. SEO strategies for hotels should focus on demonstrating expertise in hospitality while building trust through accurate, engaging, and experience-driven content.
Another key takeaway from this update is Google's increased emphasis on real-life experience in ranking factors, particularly within AI-generated search overviews. Hotel and hospitality websites that rely solely on AI-written content without firsthand insights are seeing drops in visibility, while those prioritising human expertise are gaining traction. Hospitality brands should leverage this by curating content that reflects authentic guest experiences, staff knowledge, and unique local insights. A well-maintained blog, for instance, can highlight must-visit attractions, cultural experiences, or exclusive hotel amenities—positioning your brand as both an expert and a trusted resource for travellers.
PPC Updates for Hotels & Hospitality Brands
WhatsApp integration with Performance Max Campaigns
Towards the end of 2024 Google announced an integration with WhatsApp and Performance max (Pmax) campaigns. Now looking into Q2 of 2025, advertisers can now incorporate WhatsApp message assets into their Pmax Campaigns. This Feature enables users to initiate direct conversations via WhatsApp, making engagement immediate and much smoother. This allows businesses to address inquiries promptly and build stronger customer relationships.
For Hotels and Hospitality brands this can be a great way to improve guest engagement. It allows for instant personalised communication which can help potential guests get quick answers about availability or special offers. This also speeds up the booking process and reduces the chance of losing them to competitors. This fast, friendly service builds trust and encourages repeat bookings, whilst automation features can handle the F&Q’s. Offering a great way to make sure the guest experience is of the highest levels.
Google Ads Rolls out AI-Powered Pmax Performance Plans
In the performance planner section in Google Ads, they have recently introduced suggested Performance Max (Pmax) performance plans. These provide AI-driven projections to help your campaigns for the next quarter. This new feature aims to help advertisers optimise budget allocation by predicting conversion potential whilst also giving spend recommendations based on your campaign goals. By using machine learning insights, advertisers can anticipate performance trends and adjust strategies accordingly.
For Hotels and Hospitality businesses this is a great addition, it can be a powerful tool to help maximise bookings and revenue. These AI-driven projections will help hotels allocate their advertising budget more effectively as they can focus on campaigns that are most likely to drive the most conversions. Whether that’s direct bookings for your hotel or restaurant reservations this will have you covered. One of the most important aspects of this is by predicting trends, hotels can stay ahead of seasonal demand shifts, ensuring they are reaching the right audience at the right time.
Meta adds 1-Day View Attribution Option
Meta has recently introduced a 1-Day view attribution feature for sales campaigns which focuses on value optimisation. This allows advertisers to track conversions that occur within one day of an ad view, which provides quicker insights into how effective your ads are. The main benefit of this is that advertisers can get access to their data much faster which means they can quickly identify which ads drive revenue (not just clicks) and adjust their strategy to focus on the most effective creatives, audiences and offers.
For hotels Meta’s 1-day view attribution is a great way to track and optimise fast-moving booking decisions. Some travel requires quick choices like “last-minute getaways”, whereby this feature helps hotels see which ads drive conversions within the day of being viewed. Therefore if hotels run specific packages or offers this is a great way to see what ones work quickly and what ones take more time.
As we head into Q2, staying ahead of key marketing trends is essential for hotel and hospitality brands. The Big Bear Team is here to help you navigate the latest updates in SEO, social media, and digital advertising so you can maximise your impact and drive direct bookings. Keep these insights in mind to stay competitive and make the most of the opportunities this quarter has to offer!
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