Don’t Just Wing It: Your 4-Step Social Media Strategy for 2026
A little birdie told me it’s time to change your social strategy.
The key to a successful social strategy in 2026 is engaging with your audience and building genuine community.
The way we engage with social media is shifting. Users seek genuine connection and less noise on their feeds. While users try to have a more holistic approach to what they engage with online, this means we need to offer content worthy of their attention.
To create longevity in the ever-changing landscape of social media, it’s crucial to build an authentically engaged community. Here’s our four-step framework to help you build your 2026 community-centered social strategy.
Step 1: Prioritize Organic Growth (One Worm at a Time)
Don’t say goodbye to paid ads! While paid ads should still be part of your strategy, it’s time to prioritize organic growth.
They Why: Meta is slowly rolling out subscription-based ad-free versions of their apps. The move toward ad-free experiences means your brand’s ability to increase reach through non-paid content is more critical than ever. Organic content is your key to long-term growth.
The How: Create content that educates and entertains your specific community. You can do this by spotlighting your team and sharing genuine behind-the-scenes moments. If you host shows and/or markets on your property, highlight your featured local artists. That way, guests can stay engaged with this community even while they’re away.
The Mindset Shift: View your content as an invitation to a two-way conversation. Your goal is to turn passive followers into active community members.
Step 2: Implement Performance-Driven Storytelling
Every narrative should strengthen your online community and give your followers a reason to stay engaged.
Telling Your Story: Focus on stories that highlight your hotel’s role in the community. You can start by featuring a long-time customer, celebrating a team member’s milestone, or sharing how community feedback shaped your service.
How to Tell Your Story? Reels are still what works! So, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Authentic, short-form video that showcases real experiences performs exceptionally well.
The Goal: Each story should reinforce your hotel’s values and invite guests to feel part of your story.
Step 3: Partner with Community-Based Influencers
No need to collaborate with celebrities for clout–it’s more effective to work with niche influencers that speak to the community you’re targeting. (Owl bet you didn’t expect us to say that!)
The Power of Nano Influencers: Shift focus to nano-influencers (1k-10k followers) and local community leaders. You’ll see a bigger boost in engagement–up to “49% higher than micro influencers.” Why? Niche creators communicate directly to your base. The goal is not to cast the widest net, but to capture your target audience's attention.
Metrics to Consider: Consider a nano-influencer’s engagement rate over their follower count. In January 2025, the hospitality, dining, and tourism industry saw the average engagement rate sit at 3.1% for Instagram. When you’re looking to partner with someone, check to see if their engagement rate falls above or below this average before moving forward.
The most valuable partners are local food bloggers, engaged regulars, enthusiastic staff, or leaders of local online communities. Their endorsement will be more impactful than that of someone with a larger base that doesn’t hit your niche.
Partnerships: Build long-term relationships with local businesses by offering their employees discounts at your on-site bar/restaurant, free access to select events, and collaborating on content. This builds community and strengthens engagement on and off social platforms.
Step 4: New Metrics to Track to Measure Community Growth
To prove the value of your community-centric strategy, you must track the right key performance indicators (KPIs). Reach is not as important as engagement rate. Now that Instagram is prioritizing saves, shares, and DMs over likes, it’s more important than ever to offer your community meaningful content that they feel compelled to share.
Community Growth Metrics:
Engagement Quality: Track saves, shares, and meaningful comments (Meaningful Comments = comments longer than 7 words.)
Community Growth: Measure growth in private community spaces, not follower count. This means tracking your email lists, VIP lists, and user-generated content (UGC).
Sentiment & Advocacy: Monitor reviews and brand mentions from community members.
Revenue Outcome KPIs:
Attributed Revenue: Use trackable links and analytics to measure cost per cover, cost per direct booking, and event enquiries driven by social and community efforts.
Lower-Funnel Actions: Track mailing list sign-ups and direct message enquiries generated by community interactions.
Brand Search Lift: Monitor increases in branded search volume, a strong indicator of community-driven word of mouth.
Tracking these growth measurements ensures your strategy remains aligned with a community-first approach and revenue goals.
Foraging New Paths: Building Your 2026 Strategy
The path to social media success in 2026 is built on a simple but powerful principle: prioritize people over promotions. By shifting to organic community building, intentional storytelling, partnering with local brands, and measuring real-world results, you create a resilient marketing strategy.
A strategy fosters deep loyalty withstands algorithm changes and ad-platform shifts. Your community becomes your most credible marketing team and your strongest defense against market volatility.
If you’re not sure where to start, begin by auditing your current channels, identifying your most engaged followers, and opening a genuine dialogue with them. Your future community is already out there, waiting to be connected.
What’s the first step you’ll take to strengthen your brand’s community? Share your focus in the comments below.
Ready to Get Started?
Schedule a call with RevPar Media. We can audit your social accounts and create a community-first social strategy to help you stay ahead in 2026. January isn’t over yet–it’s not too late to get started. Book your free consultation today and let’s talk strategy.
