Start with one channel and post regularly, using real photos of your property and of guests who agreed. Do not use other people's photos without the author's permission. Answer messages and comments yourself.
A small farm or rural guesthouse does not need a social media agency. A phone, one account and a fixed posting routine are enough.
In short
- Start with one channel and post regularly before you add a second one. VisitScotland gives this advice in its guide for small tourism businesses.
- VisitScotland recommends the 4:5 format for feed posts and 9:16 for stories, short videos (reels) and TikTok.
- Publish photos of guests only with their consent. Consent can be withdrawn, and withdrawing it must be as easy as giving it.
- Do not use someone else's photo, for example from the internet or from another guesthouse's page, without the author's permission.
- Answer comments and messages yourself. When a guest gives feedback, reply and show that you have read it.
Who it applies to
Farms, family accommodation, restaurants and producers who want guests to find them more easily and see what a stay is like.
Which channel
According to the VisitScotland guide, last updated in April 2025, Instagram and TikTok are growing fast, while Facebook's growth has slowed. The same source says LinkedIn is popular in business circles. In our view, guests rarely use it to look for a rural stay. So for a rural stay we suggest Instagram or Facebook, depending on where your guests are. The general rule still applies: one channel first, used regularly, then a second. Check which posts get the most reactions and post more like them.
What to post
Tourism organisations suggest, among other things:
- what a guest experiences at your place: the harvest, cheese, rakija, a meal, a walk;
- work on the farm and how a product is made;
- guest opinions and photos, with their permission;
- what is special about your place and your offer.
We suggest two more kinds of post that do not come from the sources above: recommendations from the area, not only your own offer, and seasonal moments such as the harvest, the first snow and holidays.
Not every post should be an advertisement. Once a month, plan which post goes out on which day, and shoot the material on site.
Photo rules
- Your own photos: photograph real rooms and real food. A guest who arrives and finds something different from the picture will leave a bad review.
- Guests in pictures: a photo in which a face can be recognised is personal data. The BiH Law on Personal Data Protection (Službeni glasnik BiH 12/2025) has applied since 4 October 2025. It requires that you can prove the guest gave consent (Article 9, paragraph 1). Consent can be withdrawn at any time, and withdrawing it must be as easy as giving it (Article 9, paragraph 3). The exemption for personal and household activity applies only when a private person processes data purely for private purposes (Article 5, paragraph 2). A profile that promotes your business is not private use. Ask the guest before posting and keep the answer, even if it is only a message.
- Children: do not post photos of guests' children without a parent's approval. This is our advice, not a duty under a specific article of the law.
- Other people's photos: a photograph is a work protected by copyright. The BiH Law on Copyright and Related Rights (Službeni glasnik BiH 63/10) gives the author the exclusive right to allow or forbid use of the work. Use your own pictures, pictures a guest has allowed you to post, or photos by a photographer who gave you permission.
For more on guest data, see the article on guest data in a guesthouse. For how your Google Maps profile should look, see the article on photos and description for your Google profile.
Messages and comments
- Answer in the tone you would use to welcome a guest, not with a ready-made template.
- In your profile description, state which language you reply in and at what time of day, so guests know when to expect an answer. This is our advice, not a platform requirement.
- Do not agree prices, available dates or cancellation terms in messages alone. Confirm them in a written offer. See the article on bookings, deposits and cancellations.
- Answer a negative comment calmly and with facts, and offer to continue the conversation in a private message. More on reviews is in the article on guest reviews and online reputation.
Where to go
- For personal data questions: Agencija za zaštitu ličnih podataka u Bosni i Hercegovini (Personal Data Protection Agency of BiH).
- For accommodation registration and duties: your municipal or city administration.
Laws and sources
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