Trends Q: Do resort and hotel Instagram photos that use filters perform better than those without?

Someone recently asked us a simple question: Does using a filter on my Instagram photos lead to higher engagement? It’s an interesting question and, depending on the filter, one that may be answered differently depending on the type of resort. Here’s what we found.

The Goods
To find our answer we looked at over 70,000 Instagram photos shared by hotels, golf resorts, and ski resorts during the last 12 months. We then compared the like rate (likes/followers) between photos with and without filters for each destination type.

Only skiing, which tended to have a higher engagement rate overall, saw a higher average like rate for photos that used filters. But as we looked closer we found that engagement varied widely on a filter-by-filter basis. So, not to leave that piece hanging, here’s a chart of how those filters performed relative to the average.

NOTE: Green represents above average with yellow used for below average.

With different subjects and lighting, the chart illustrates that while a few filters perform well regardless of brand type, the best vary widely between golf, ski, and hotel. Instead, certain filters perform better in certain situations.

What This Means
When we get questions like this, the marketer is frequently looking for a default behavior that will increase engagement simply by adopting it.

But rather than a YES/NO for using a filter on your next photo, these data points suggest that filters can enhance specific subjects and hurt others. In other words, there is no easy answer. Don’t just use filters because they’re there but don’t shy away if the moment is right.

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