Instagram Reach Down? Tips for Travel Agents to Give it a Boost

I have a confession: I hated school as a kid. 

Maybe it was because I switched schools a lot because my parents split up and we moved a few times…or maybe it’s because I was super introverted … or maybe it’s because I have undiagnosed learning disabilities. And the worst part about school (other than forced group projects) was report cards.

I promised, I tried my best most times, but I would feel defeated the moment I opened the envelope. 

Turns out, checking the reach metric on Instagram can have the same effect. 😫

You tried so hard on a Reel and it reaches 20 people, the carousel flops harder than your son’s dive into the pool. You start to wonder if posting on Instagram is even worth it.

Thankfully, Instagram has given us a cheat sheet to improve our reach! Let’s become honor roll students, shall we?!

Looking through your Instagram insights may feel like you’re learning a whole new language, so let’s talk about what reach and views are.

Reach = the number of unique accounts that saw your post at least once.

Views = the number of times your post was seen overall. 

Here’s a super easy way to think about it: reach counts the person, views count each visit.

So, if someone opens your Reel about packing tips three times before their trip? They count as one reached account… but three views. That’s why your view number is almost always higher than your reach number.

Make sense?

Why have your view and reach numbers dropped?

This is where it gets interesting, and honestly, kind of good news once you hear it.

Instagram recently changed how they count views, and the new way actually works in your favor.

Here’s a fun way to explain the changes:

The old way:

You’re taking a walk downtown, passing local boutiques and businesses, but not going in, which was once counted as a view. BUT it wasn’t helpful because it’s hard to get business from someone who isn’t walking through the doors.

The new way:

You’re taking a walk downtown and walk into a boutique because something in their window caught your eye. THAT counts as a view.

Instagram only counts a view when someone actually stops, watches, and reads. When they walk into the store, basically.

So your numbers might look lower, but they’re actually more accurate. You’re seeing the people who genuinely engaged with your content, not just the ones who scrolled past it.

The 3 Things That Directly Impact Your Instagram Reach, According to Instagram

Instagram came out and told us exactly what makes the algorithm happy and what it’s looking for to get your content seen by more people.

📈 Skip Rate — Are people sticking around to watch, or bailing immediately? The higher your percentage, the fewer people you’ll reach.

📈 Share Rate — Is your content resonating enough that people are sharing it in their stories or to a friend in the DMs?

📈 Like Rate — Are people tapping that heart?

And they matter in roughly that order. Skip rate is the big one because if people are leaving in the first two seconds, Instagram takes that as a signal that your content isn’t worth showing to more people. Harsh, but true.

You can find all three of these metrics inside the Edits app or right in your Instagram Insights. 

Pull up your last 10-15 posts and Reels, look at skip rate, share rate, and likes, you might be surprised what’s actually connecting with your followers.

How to Keep Your Skip Rate Low (you gotta get them hooked!)

Attention is the biggest currency online, especially when it comes to social media. People are scrolling so quickly and consuming a TON of content that the only way they’re going to stop on your Reel or carousel is with a strong hook.

S — Specific person. Did you name a specific type of person? (Not “travel lovers.” Millennial moms planning their first all-inclusive. Foodies heading to Italy. Honeymooners who don’t want a typical resort.)

E — Event. Did you name a specific scenario, moment, or situation she’s in? (Not “5 things to do in Mexico.” 5 things every family with kids under 5 should do on their next Riviera Maya trip.)

E — Emotion. Does it make her feel something? (Curiosity, recognition, relief, FOMO, “oh THAT’S me”…)

Share-Worthy Instagram Content for Travel Agents

Pop quiz: what’s the last post you sent to a friend in the DMs?

It was probably something that

🤣 Made you laugh 

🥹 Made you feel seen

🥲 Made you think about a specific event that happened

😍 Reminded you of someone

🤯 A tip that blew your mind

That’s the energy we’re going for when creating your content.

The content that gets shared and liked isn’t your professional posts, it’s the human ones. 

For travel agents specifically, that looks like:

✅ The story about the meltdown your toddler had at the airport (and what you learned from it) 

✅ The packing hack or travel product that keeps you from going over the edge

✅ Your first-hand experiences or sharing client stories

✅ Specific advice for a specific type of traveler (not generic, not for everyone) 

✅ Emotionally-driven content that makes someone feel something

Notice what’s NOT on that list? 

❌ Resort photos with no context

❌ “Professional” content. 

❌ Host agency promotional posts. 

Showing up as a person with real experience and real opinions is what gets shared. And what gets shared is what reaches more people. It’s actually a really nice loop once you lean into it.

💡 Bonus Tip: Do a quick content check-up before your next post.

Before you get overwhelmed planning your next post, go look at what you’ve already published. 

Sort by your highest skip rate (low is better), your most shared posts, and your most liked. What did those have in common? Was it the topic? The format? The way you opened?

Create more of that!!