Episode 12: Part II with Lauren Vasquez - Social Media Trends

In this episode of the Oui Travel Podcast, host Mallory Green sits down with Lauren Vasquez from Dreamin' Social as she discusses the rapidly changing landscape of social media, focusing on key trends for 2025, the importance of SEO optimization, and common cringe-worthy practices businesses should avoid. She highlights the impact of social media on SEO, recent updates from platforms like Instagram, and the growing significance of video content in marketing strategies, particularly for the travel industry. Dive in!

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Transcript

SPEAKER_01: 0:09

Welcome back to the We Travel Podcast. We have Lauren Vasquez back from Dreamin' Social. We are so excited to listen in and tune into what she has to say for social media trends and how to stay up to date with them. So go ahead, Lauren, let's dive in. And I just want to say, social media trends change so quickly. How do you stay ahead of the curve?

SPEAKER_00: 0:35

Hey, Mallory, by the way, super happy to be here on part two of your podcast. Um, so I say on top of it, honestly, I have multiple accounts that I just do for personal hobby I have a mom blog account I have an account for my dog and I and also the accounts that I obviously run for my business but I think you just have to roll up your sleeves and do and you learn and by being in the absence and trying new things and seeing what the new features are that's the best way to learn personally I just kind of get in there and it's funny how things get rolled out to to like different accounts at different times so you really can't just rely on your one account if you're trying to stay on top of things

SPEAKER_01: 1:18

mm-hmm What are some of the biggest social media trends you see shaping up for 2025? For

SPEAKER_00: 1:23

2025? What I feel like is really big is SEO optimization for social media. I know we touched on this just briefly in the podcast before, but making sure that your social media presence is SEO optimized is super key. And there are many places within Instagram, within Facebook and TikTok where you can use SEO keywords, whether it's in your bio, whether it's in your captions, and even the name of your handle can help you show up. better if you have keywords plugged in there. So definitely SEO is top of mind for me as far as 2025 trends. I wanted to share something really kind of cool that I don't think a lot of people have even seen yet, speaking of SEO and social media. But have you noticed, so on Google, when you search, and this is specifically talking about hotels, and I think this is going to be rolled out more and more to different areas and different search phrases. But when you search like hotels in San Diego, for example, about halfway down the Google search results, you will see a section that says what people are saying. And this is really cool because it will feature, Google is basically aggregating content from social media sources in this section. And I think this is really exciting. So if you try it, try social hotels in LA, hotels in New York, and see what pops up. And a lot of times, from what I've noticed, it's video content. So it's pulling from Reels, it's pulling from TikTok, it's pulling from, I've seen Reddit pop in there, and I've also seen YouTube pop in there, but it's usually viral videos either posted by guests, influencers, or even hotel accounts themselves that are using keywords. So if they're using keywords, I saw one video pop up during the LA fires recently where it was like best places to stay in San Diego with a host with a fire discount for fire evacuees.

SPEAKER_01: 3:31

Oh, wow.

SPEAKER_00: 3:33

Okay. And so people are always asking me as a digital marketer, my hotels and the clients I work with are saying, how do we pop up more on Google? Of course, that's SEO website. stuff. And there's a lot to that, but being on social media and making sure the content that you're publishing is SEO optimized, even if it's an influencer you're working with, make sure that influencer is using those keywords to help you get more visibility.

SPEAKER_01: 3:58

Love that. Oh my gosh. So you talking about visibility. I know we were just discussing in the last episode, what have you seen business doing on social that are maybe cringe worthy that they shouldn't be doing? Yeah.

SPEAKER_00: 4:11

Yes. This is a fun topic. So a couple of different things I've definitely seen a lot. Number one, I think cringy thing that I see businesses doing is buying followers. So followers used to be really, really important as a way to like show clout. And I know a lot of accounts don't want to look like they're baby accounts and they only have a couple of followers. So But this is really a vanity metric. And if they aren't real, it creates a false sense of growth with no real engagement. So not only does this hurt your credibility, the platform will detect fake followers. And I personally think the algorithm is going to unfavor your account. So don't buy fake followers as tempting as it is. I've listen to some social media podcasts and some stuff where they say in the future, Instagram might and Facebook might roll out the ability to buy followers. I think that's really interesting. Yeah. Through the platform. So you would actually be buying followers or people that have interest in your account. I don't know what this looks like yet. This is just something I've heard as hearsay, just like you buy to pay for the verified badge on your page. So this might be something in the future we'll be able to tap into, but don't do it the wrong way, like play by the rules.

SPEAKER_01: 5:34

Yeah, no, no foul play here, please.

SPEAKER_00: 5:38

So number two on my cringy stuff, posting and I see a lot of businesses doing that, especially you know, when their social media is being ran by a third party. Social media is meant to be a two-way conversation and not just a sales platform. So just ignoring your DMs, your comments, posting, and just like not engaging at all with anyone after you post is a big cringe to me. And you're also missing out on added and increased engagement by doing that as well. And then last, I'm going to leave you with one more cringe specific to hospitality industry. Overuse of empty room images. Please don't do this. And don't rely on like stock and static images. So in the social media world, we're really focused. And I'm seeing a lot of businesses focusing more on social first content. What does that mean? That's lifestyle content. That's behind the scenes moments. That's you just content, like not just these architectural images that maybe you had a photographer capture to showcase on your website. Social media is a place to use vertical format content, like really think through the strategy there and try not to just repurpose a static room shot and expect to get sales.

SPEAKER_01: 6:55

Right. Something a little more, you know, engaging everybody.

SPEAKER_00: 6:59

Yeah. A little more life in it. And that's why you need a social media agency to help you with that.

SPEAKER_01: 7:06

Snap, snap, snaps. I love that. I love that list. That's a good list for all of you listening, starting off with. So there's been a lot of discussion about social media's impact on SEO. I know you briefly tapped into that a few moments ago. How do platforms like Instagram and TikTok contribute to overall search rankings.

SPEAKER_00: 7:28

Just case in point for the way that Google is now aggregating social media into their search results, I think that's really important. And not even just the people are saying section that I mentioned earlier, your Instagram page can actually show up in natural search as well or your TikTok page. So when people are searching for best hotels in San Diego or best hotel, you know, where should I stay? you actually have a chance like you're i've actually seen instagram and tick tock pages outrank those businesses websites really so i have i actually have and it's crazy but it happens and i think it just depends on how relevant google sees your content and how engaging it is sometimes websites can update a domain can update there's url changes and things can happen to where it falls down on the natural search so it definitely having instagram and tick tock and having a engaged social media presence or an active social media presence is just adding to your overall seo strategy and then of course where how people use primarily these two social media channels as mini search engines i mean how many times have you gone on to social media and searched for a recipe that you want to cook like it's the same for travel and that's how people are using social media now we almost trust social media search results more than we trust Google because anytime you search Google, you know the first like five things that pop up are gonna be ads, right? So I think that's another reason why people are turning to social media to search for what they're looking for and for inspiration. I

SPEAKER_01: 9:09

love that. Are there any specific social media platforms that currently have the most SEO influence? Give a shout out to those.

SPEAKER_00: 9:17

I'm gonna say... The one I actually think has the most SEO influence and I'm not like super active on this personally, but I do think it could be into your SEO or into your overall social media strategy if you have budget for it and that is YouTube. Thank you. Well, the reason I think this and from my experience in digital marketing is YouTube is owned by Google. So it is going to place more priority on the content in YouTube and helping you pop up on search, then I think it's going to place in those third-party channels like TikTok and Instagram, who might be more of a Google or YouTube competitor. So I would think that would be your number one for SEO increase and optimization is to make sure you have a YouTube page and post some videos there. If you have budget, a lot of smaller businesses... They probably aren't focused on having a YouTube strategy, but that would be number one just because it's actually owned by Google. And YouTube actually does have a feature similar to TikTok and Instagram called YouTube Shorts. And they're short form videos that you can post really quick and on the fly. So you might actually be able to repurpose some of the content you're already creating for Instagram and TikTok on YouTube Shorts.

SPEAKER_01: 10:36

That's a really

SPEAKER_00: 10:37

good point. That's like a big focus for you is to increase your SEO and your website ranking. Try YouTube.

SPEAKER_01: 10:44

Yeah. Especially, I know Lauren, you know this, but on the We Travel podcast, we primarily reach out to influencers, travel content creators, and then other small businesses. They repurpose their content like you touched on to ensure that it covers most of the social platforms. So they're not having to continuously remake their content.

SPEAKER_00: 11:05

Yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_01: 11:07

So as far as exciting social media updates coming up ahead, what are the biggest recent changes to social media platforms that hotels should be paying attention to?

SPEAKER_00: 11:18

Okay, so I'm going to speak to Instagram because they're the social media platform that's had the most recent updates. So number one, one of the most recent updates, and you've probably already seen it on your feed, is the new vertical image layout. Are you a fan, Mallory? I know this is like a loaded question because so many people love it or hate it. I

SPEAKER_01: 11:40

hate it. It just depends on what we were already going to put out there. Like if it was something that yes, looks good vertical with the new update, then it's fine. But some of these changes happened to our business accounts that we weren't prepared for. And so it kind of threw us for a loop, but yeah.

SPEAKER_00: 12:00

I think it definitely- through the whole industry for a loop. I was just curious because like some people really like the square format. They just like how, you know, a symmetrical square. They actually like the vertical layout because I do think it's like copying TikTok, right? And like maybe TikTok is a little bit ahead of the curve and it copies the same aspect ratio of our phone screen. So the images take up more space and

SPEAKER_01: 12:23

like,

SPEAKER_00: 12:25

I think that is nice. It is. So you can see more of the image, right? Because everyone's phone, they're like squinting to see it and it's like to have, image or the video take up more of that real estate, I do think that that makes for a better user experience. So that's one of the first big updates to Instagram is the new vertical image layout. So definitely businesses need to prioritize that vertical content.

SPEAKER_01: 12:47

Don't skip out guys.

SPEAKER_00: 12:48

The other update that I'm super excited about as an Instagram fan and someone that loves video longer reels. So as of January 25, you can now post Instagram reels up to three minutes long. And previously the maximum length was 90 seconds. So this is so awesome. And I think this is interesting because for so long, social media platforms were saying short form video, short form video, but now there's a reversal. And now it's like, we're prioritizing long form video. I think these platforms have realized that people sometimes want longer format content. And so it's been a definite shift.

SPEAKER_01: 13:28

Well, if it's engaging enough, they want to see more of it, right? Like they're going to consume more hours or the watch time. Sorry, not hours, but that's what makes it so special. If you're able to capture the audience attention, if it's for a product or for your brand, then you can make these more longer form videos. But yeah, you have to be good at your craft, right? Lauren, you can't just have

SPEAKER_00: 13:49

a boring video. One of the new metrics now that, um, Instagram is, is, is pulling through. So when you go to your insights, it's actually, uh, showing you a metric for how long people are watching your video. Um, and that's moving into that. Yeah. Yeah. A quick segue. One more kind of cool thing. Um, about videos is the trial reels. I don't know if you saw that, but this allows you to test a real performance by sharing it with non-followers before it goes out to your followers. And I've actually been trying this on my accounts and it's been producing really good results. So publishing it first as a trial and it basically Instagram says like, here, let's see how well it does. Maybe if it doesn't do so good, then you pull it and try something different before you decide to publish it. But that's a really cool, exciting update. And then apparently this month, I am so excited for this. New Instagram video editing tool is coming out. Oh my gosh. I know it's always been a challenge for Instagram, but I cannot wait for this.

SPEAKER_01: 14:56

Do we know what it is? Have they given like any insight as to what the video editing may be?

SPEAKER_00: 15:01

No, I don't know if it's like a CapCut, like a version of CapCut, like TikTok is the CapCut. Or I think... I think what it's gonna be native within the Instagram app, but it's just gonna replace the current video editing capabilities. And really Instagram wants you spending more time on their platform than other platforms and creators. Because it's unfortunately the Instagram video editing tool is so lacking, most creators actually edit their videos in third-party apps and then upload them to Instagram. And Instagram is like, no, we want you using our app to edit your videos. We want you to make content native within the app. So this is a really exciting rollout for creators and for those of us who work in social media marketing. So I'm excited to see where that goes.

SPEAKER_01: 15:47

Oh my gosh, I can't wait to find out what that

SPEAKER_00: 15:49

is

SPEAKER_01: 15:49

and to use it. Last one of these questions. What's the future of short form video in the travel industry and how should brands adapt?

SPEAKER_00: 15:59

Oh, that's a good one. I really think brands need to put in their marketing budgets funds for getting more video. I know it's sometimes a little bit more expensive to get capture video and to hire people those types of creators are people that are able to capture video it's its own specialty right sometimes you can get quick little clips on your phone but video is known to drive higher engagement um versus a static post everyone who works in social media knows that like if you can use reels or if you can publish reels um if you can do video the platform is going to prioritize your content over a static image so Really making sure that that's part of your social media scope or your social media strategy is important if you're trying to get more visibility, more engagement, and just more eyes. Video has the ability to tell a story where a static image sometimes can't. So definitely video is king when it comes to content. The more video, the better.

SPEAKER_01: 17:03

Yeah. 100% agree with you. And

SPEAKER_00: 17:07

I'm a little bit scared with like the AI generated content. Oh, yeah. But that's good. That's kind of crazy, too. I

SPEAKER_01: 17:16

think that should be a whole another separate podcast episode is just discussing a the future of that just because there's so much to unpack. Okay, Lauren, where can everyone find you? Tell us your handles and your website.

SPEAKER_00: 17:28

Yes. So you can follow me at Dreamin, D-R-E-A-M-I-N, social, S-O-C-I-A-L, Dreamin Social on Instagram and Facebook. And then you can also visit my website. It's www.dreaminsocial.com. Yes. I love to chat with people, shoot me a DM, or you can email me lauren at dreaminsocial.com.

SPEAKER_01: 18:00

Oh my gosh, Lauren, thank you so much for being on the We Travel podcast. We're so happy you could be on here and we can't wait to welcome you back for a third episode. Thank you so much. And everyone, if you're listening to this on a Friday, the day that it airs, make it a great day. Happy Friday. Bonne weekend.