Why Your Hostel Should Be On TikTok

Two things are probably true.

1.  You’re marketing your Hostel on Facebook and Instagram.
2.  You’ve heard all about TikTok everywhere.

One thing is absolutely true.

1.  If you don’t jump on this and run like the wind then you are seriously missing out on the absolute best way to market your business.

Let’s talk about it…

TikTok is known the world over for being a kids app where dancing, lip synching an other silly things go viral and “Trend.”   Just search “TikTok Trends” and see all the activity surrounding them.   But what you may not know is that TikTok is changing and growing and as more and more adults join the platform, businesses have followed suit.

TikTok Statistics

• TikTok is available in over 150 countries, has over 1 billion users, and has been downloaded over 200 million times in the United States alone. If your brand’s target audience includes anyone between the age 13 and 60, you should be on TikTok right now!
• TikTok officially has over 1 billion monthly, active users. It’s been the fastest growing app for the last 3 years and shows no sign of slowing.   To give you an idea of the staggering growth,  Instagram has been around close to 10 years longer than TikTok but the platforms are almost equal in size.
• TikTok has seen an average growth in the US of about 375% year-over-year since 2019. Worldwide, users spend an average of 52 minutes per day on the app and 90% of users access it daily.
• The percentage of U.S.-based TikTok users by age is changing also as more and more adults join the platform.  A full 67.5% of users are now oveer the age of 20 with half of those between 30-50.  This means that the TikTok userbase is aging up and your potential customers are there!

Here’s an example of the power of TikTok compared to other platforms:

Jennifer Lopez recently posted a video on both Twitter and TikTok. She’s got 45 million followers on Twitter and her video racked up an impressive 2 million views.  However, even though she only has 5 million followers on TikTok, the same video garnered 71 million views!

So, how does this all translate to marketing a Hostel?

One of the most popular subjects on TikTok is travel and business in this industry are not only flocking to TikTok, but they are spending millions of dollars on it.  The hashtag #travel has generated 1,041,088 posts and 8,834,149,596 views. That’s “Billion” with a “B.”

Hostels, in particular, are a large and growing market on the platform.  For example, the hashtag #hostel has over 369.8M views alone!  Most of these are from people staying at Hostels and sharing what it’s like or recomending a specific Hostel that they stayed at.  However, more and more Hostels are joining TikTok and their videos are sky rocketing!

Brand Case Studies

Hostel World

One of the most popular Hostel Travel apps is Hostel World.  They’re now a verified user on TikTok and and put out reviews, featured Hostels and run events and contests.

For example, here is one of their latest videos which has close to 75,000 views.

@hostelworld Check out these fresh-faced FIVE best New Hostels up for an EXTRAORDINARY HOSCARS Award ✨🏆 Which one would you choose? Cast your vote AND be entered into our MASSIVE prize draw 🥳 #hostelworld #fyp #hostel ♬ Aesthetic – Tollan Kim

Here’s an example of a simple video that garnered over 2 million views!

@hostelworld What are YOU packing? Thanks for your tips @ken10hollywood #hostelworld #learnontiktok #traveltips #traveltipsandtricks ♬ original sound – Hostelworld

Avani Hotels

Avani is proof that you can start small and still achieve impressive results  They’re new and have less than 4,000 followers but they have really pushed their TikTok account and even started their own hashtag #avanihotels which has over 2.8M views already!

Here’s an example of one of their videos which has close to 150,000 views already.

@avanihotels Discover Thailand’s secret surf spot, forest rafting adventures and café hopping through Takua Pa Old Town. Here’s a sneak peek of just some of the adventures we have in store for you from Avani+ Khao Lak Resort. #tiktoktravel #khaolak #fyp ♬ original sound – Avani Hotels

Baita Hostel

This Hostel launched their TikTok account in April of 2022 and has only made 25 videos but they already have close to 100,000!   Here’s an example of one of their videos which showcases the different things to do around their Hostel.

@baitahostel The calls we like the most are those that invite us to dream 🌎✈️ 🎥 @villavoturismo @alcaldiadevillavicencio ..😃 Te esperamos! 🌎 A tan solo 12 mins de Villavicencio🍀 Posada Rural 📲 Booking.com +57 3155677945 #villavicencio 🇨🇴#Lodge #Hostel #Hostal #travel #backpacker #Colombia #viajes ♬ Swing Lynn – Harmless

Hostel Eandola

This hostel is killing it and has 874,000 views on one video alone!

@hosteleandola En Medellín Colombia, dentro de la reserva natural del Parque Arví, encontramos esta Cabaña, Se llama Boreal Santa Elena. #santaelena #antioquia #medellincolombia #medellin #cabaña ♬ Cold Heart – PNAU Remix – Elton John & Dua Lipa

And on this one they have 2.7 million views and almost 800 comments!

@hosteleandola EN ESTA CABAÑA PODRÁS VER LAS ESTRELLAS DESDE TU CAMA. #santaelena #antioquia #medellincolombia #cabañas #colombia ♬ I Gotta Feeling – The Black Eyed Peas

But here’s the important takeaway…

On Instagram this Hostel has 126,000 followers, but only 42,000 on TikTok so far.  However, this exact same video posted to Instagram reels only racked up 12,500 likes while the TikTok version recieved 122,000 likes, 10x as many likes with less than half the follower count!

Cross Platform Content

Because of the popularity of TikTok, the other major platofrms have all launched their version of it.  Instagram and Facebook have “Reels” and Youtube has “Shorts.”  These are the fastest growing aspects of their platforms.  But here’s the great thing… you can download your TikTok videos and use them on these pther platoforms as well!

The Early Bird Gets the Worm…

As more children exit the app and move onto something else the people who spend money flock to it.  As a result, businesses flock to it.   We saw the same thing happen with both Facebook and Instagram over the years.  The simple fact is that virtually every business who uses social media will be on TikTok at some point, so why not get started now?  You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.  Who knows…  you may even fall in love with it!

Connect with Me!

I travel full-time and spend a ton of time in Hostels around the world.  If you’re ready to get started reach out to me for assitance!  Here’s how I work with Hostel owners.

I come and stay for a week with you and create footage and videos to promote your Hostel.   I’ll tag you in these which will send my followers to your account.   I’ll also give you all of my footage for use in your own videos.   Cost:  Free.   Just put me up!

I can also create a detailed Marketing Plan for you and help you come up with video scripts, ideas, contests and whtever it takes to grow your social media accounts.  Cost will vary on this.  Let’s talk!