We sat down with Martin Juarez, Social Media guru at the Breathless Riviera Cancun Resort & Spa, and dug deeper into the life behind the lens and how to become an Instagram professional. Find photography tips and social media do’s and don’ts so you can post perfect Instagram pictures on your next Fam trip.
Do you have any tips for travel industry social media start-ups?
“A good tip would be to make friends with guests on a Fam trip, as you can ask them if they’d be happy for you to take some pictures of them enjoying the resort to use in your marketing. To promote a resort with more of a party vibe, try creating a boomerang on Instagram of guests dancing, drinking or having fun! Alternatively, for couples or older clients, a simple picture of an evening dinner in a beautiful setting makes for strong viewing.”
Does technology play a big role in what you do?
“Absolutely! The world is now led by millennials, and travel companies need to be expressive and get to grips with technology to ensure they capture their attention. For instance, I’ve taught myself how to record in high resolution 4K video format and last year I received my drone license; learning to use a drone was definitely a useful addition to my skill set, and I always like to learn something new. If you don’t have access to these types of gadgets, then taking a photo on your mobile phone in landscape or using the panoramic setting can also create epic pictures!”
Have you ever photographed any celebrities for social media?
“We once had Ashley Graham, a plus-size American model, staying at our resort and we featured pictures of her enjoying the facilities. We also welcomed Adriana Lima who is a Victoria Secrets model, which also raised our profile!”
Are there any challenges you have faced in social media?
“I think one of the biggest challenges is sometimes the things you post may not be liked by everyone. I have learnt it’s best to avoid anything that could be considered disrespectful, even if you don’t think it is. Avoid GIFs that be interpreted as rude – I tend to go for cute cartoons now! Posting about lifestyle is great but remember that sometimes not everyone will agree with or like what you’ve posted.”
How do you maximise your engagement through social media?
“Hash tagging your content is a great tool to ensure maximum engagement. You need to find a key word that relates to what’s in the content of the post and doing so means that when somebody searches for that particular term your post has a greater chance to be seen. Adding text to photographs to give them context is vital too; however, overdoing it can mean that the picture could lose meaning and people will just scroll straight past. I like short captions as people engage more.”
By Martin Juarez, Social Media Manager