How to Get Your First 100 Tour Guests Using Instagram

You do not need a large following to launch a successful tour.

You need the right people to discover you, become interested in what you know, and trust that spending an hour or two with you will be worth their time.

Instagram is one of the best tools for doing exactly that.

Used consistently, it can help you build awareness, establish credibility, show off your personality, and turn local interest into paying guests.

This 90-day plan is designed to help you go from a brand-new account to your first 100 tour guests.

Days 1–15: Build the Foundation

Before you worry about followers, make sure your profile immediately explains what you offer.

Your Instagram bio should answer three questions:

What kind of tour do you offer?Where is it located?How does someone book it?

For example:

Kansas City Food & History ToursLocal stories. Hidden gems. Great food.Walking tours every Friday & SaturdayBook below ↓

Use a clear profile photo, preferably your face or a recognizable logo.

Your booking link should go directly to your tour page. Avoid making potential guests hunt through your website.

Before promoting the account, publish at least six to nine posts so visitors immediately see that your business is active and legitimate.

Good starter posts include:

• Introduce yourself
• Explain why you created the tour
• Show one interesting tour stop
• Tell a surprising local story
• Share a historical photo
• Answer a common visitor question
• Show behind-the-scenes tour preparation
• Explain how long the tour lasts
• Tell people how to book

Your goal at this stage is not to sell aggressively.

Your goal is to make someone think:

"This person really knows this place."

Days 16–30: Become the Local Expert

Now begin posting consistently.

Aim for three to five posts per week, plus Stories whenever you have something interesting to share.

Focus primarily on content people would enjoy even if they never purchased your tour.

That might include:

• "Did you know?" local facts
• Hidden places most visitors miss
• Old photos compared with today
• Stories about famous residents
• Local legends
• Architecture
• Restaurants
• Historic buildings
• Neighborhood trivia
• Unusual events from local history

Do not give away your entire tour.

Give people enough to make them curious.

A good rule is:

Teach something small. Hint at something bigger. Invite them to experience the rest in person.

For example:

Most people walk past this building without noticing the symbol above the entrance.

It dates back more than 100 years, and its story involves one of the strangest business disputes in Kansas City history.

We tell the whole story on our Saturday walking tour.

That feels much more natural than:

BUY TICKETS NOW!

Days 31–45: Start Reaching Local Audiences

At this point, begin actively participating in the local Instagram community.

Follow and interact with:

• Local restaurants
• Hotels
• Tourism organizations
• Museums
• Coffee shops
• Breweries
• Wedding planners
• Event venues
• Local photographers
• Neighborhood organizations
• Travel creators
• Local news accounts

Do not immediately ask them to promote you.

Engage genuinely.

Comment on their posts. Share interesting local content. Tag businesses when they are relevant to your tour.

If your tour stops near a locally owned business, feature it.

For example:

One of our favorite stops is just around the corner from @localcoffeeshop. If you're joining Saturday's tour, arrive early and grab a coffee first.

Now the business has a reason to share your post with its audience.

Those small partnerships can become extremely valuable.

Days 46–60: Show the Experience

Once you begin running tours, your guests become your most powerful marketing asset.

Start showing what the experience actually looks like.

Post:

• Guests laughing
• Groups walking together
• Interesting tour stops
• Short clips of you telling stories
• Guests reacting to surprising facts
• Photos taken by attendees
• Testimonials
• Tour highlights

Always ask permission before prominently featuring guests.

Encourage attendees to tag your account and location.

You can simply say at the end of the tour:

"If you enjoyed the tour, we'd love it if you shared a photo and tagged us on Instagram."

Then repost those Stories.

This creates social proof.

Future customers see real people enjoying your tour and think:

"That looks fun."

That is much more persuasive than advertising copy.

Days 61–75: Create Urgency

Now begin making your availability visible.

Instead of simply saying:

Tours available Saturday.

Try:

Saturday's tour has 4 spots remaining.

Or:

Last weekend sold out — we've added another Sunday tour.

Even if your tours aren't selling out yet, you can legitimately communicate capacity.

For example:

We keep our tours small so everyone can hear the stories and ask questions. This Saturday's tour is limited to 12 guests.

People act faster when they understand that availability is limited.

You can also experiment with:

• Early-bird pricing
• Couples packages
• Family pricing
• Group bookings
• Holiday tours
• Seasonal tours
• Special themed tours

Days 76–90: Turn Guests Into Promoters

Your first customers should help you find your next customers.

After each tour, ask guests to:

• Follow you on Instagram
• Tag your account
• Share photos
• Leave a review
• Tell friends
• Join your email list

You can also give previous guests a reason to return.

For example:

Loved the Downtown History Tour? Our new Haunted Downtown Tour launches next month.

Now one customer can become two or three purchases over time.

The Content Mix That Works

Not every post should sell your tour.

A good starting mix is:

60% — Interesting local contentStories, history, food, architecture, trivia and discoveries.

20% — Your personalityBehind-the-scenes content, opinions, preparation and your enthusiasm for the subject.

10% — Social proofGuest photos, reviews and testimonials.

10% — Direct promotionTour dates, availability and booking reminders.

If every post says "Book my tour," people will stop paying attention.

Give them reasons to follow you even when they aren't ready to buy.

Your 30-Post Starter Plan

Use these ideas for your first month or two of content:

• Meet your guide
• Why I started this tour
• My favorite local landmark
• A surprising historical fact
• Before-and-after historical photo
• A hidden architectural detail
• Local legend
• Favorite neighborhood restaurant
• Tour route sneak peek
• Frequently asked question
• Behind-the-scenes research
• Historic photograph
• "Most people don't know..."
• Local celebrity or historical figure
• Interesting building
• Tour preparation
• Guest testimonial
• Short video from a tour
• Recommended local business
• Weekend tour reminder
• Another hidden local fact
• Guest photo
• Historical mystery
• Weather or seasonal tour tip
• "Three things visitors should know"
• Favorite tour stop
• Review screenshot
• Limited availability announcement
• Upcoming tour dates
• Invitation to join your next tour

How 100 Guests Can Happen

One hundred guests may sound like a lot when you're starting from zero.

It isn't.

If your average tour has 10 guests, you need:

10 tours.

If you run two tours per weekend, you could reach 100 guests in roughly five weekends.

Your Instagram account doesn't need 10,000 followers.

You might only need a few hundred local, interested followers.

A small account followed by people who live nearby or are planning to visit your city can be far more valuable than a large account filled with people who will never purchase a tour.

The Most Important Rule

Consistency beats perfection.

Your first videos may feel awkward.

Your first posts may receive very few likes.

Your first tour may only have three guests.

Keep going.

Every post teaches the algorithm more about your audience.

Every tour gives you more photos, stories, testimonials, and experience.

Every guest can introduce your tour to someone else.

Ninety days from now, you could have something you don't have today:

A recognizable local brand.

A library of content.

Dozens of reviews.

Repeat customers.

And your first 100 guests.

The only way to get there is to start.

Now go show people what's interesting about your corner of the world.