Why Facebook Might Be Hiding Your Posts (And What Travel Agents Can Do About It)
A client recently reached out after receiving a slightly worrying message from Facebook:
“Your post contains a link – posts with links can be distracting and may reduce your reach.”
If you’ve seen something similar, don’t panic — this isn’t a fault with your post, and it’s certainly not something you’re doing wrong. In fact, this is a deliberate part of Facebook and Instagram’s algorithm, and it’s affecting everyone.
So what’s going on? And more importantly — what should you do?
1. What’s Happening with Links on Facebook?
Facebook (and Instagram) now penalise posts that include external links in the caption. Why? Because their goal is to keep users on the platform as long as possible — and any link that sends people away (like to your travel website) makes that harder.
As a result, posts that include a link in the caption are likely to reach fewer people.
This is happening even if you post manually — it’s not specific to TMS or any scheduling tool. It’s just how Meta wants the platform to behave.
Visuals in your posts (photos or videos) still perform well, and Meta even acknowledges this: “Your post contains a video or photo – The extra content in your post may help increase your reach.” But when it comes to links, the algorithm is designed to "penalise" reach. Don’t take this personally!
2. What’s the Impact?
The average Facebook page post reaches just 1–5% of followers organically. That means if you have 500 followers, only 5 to 25 people might see your post. Including a link can reduce that further, sometimes significantly.
But before you stop posting links entirely, it’s worth asking: what’s the goal of your post?
If your goal is visibility — showing up more frequently in people’s feeds — you might want to remove the link from your caption and instead:
• Add the link manually as the first comment
• Say “link in bio”
• Or use a simple call-to-action like “message me for more info”
But if your goal is generating enquiries, capturing email addresses, or getting people to browse your holidays, then including the link may be worth the small drop in reach.
Because here’s the truth: a few clicks from the right people are worth more than a hundred passive impressions.
The Bigger Picture: Social Media as Validation
For most independent travel agents, social media is not where leads are generated from scratch. It’s where potential clients validate your business.
They’re checking:
- Are you active?
- Are your holidays appealing?
- Do you seem trustworthy and established?
So if a potential client sees a well-branded post with a clear link to your website, that gives them the next step. And once they’re on your site, you have the chance to:
- Showcase more trips
- Capture their email address
- Build a relationship over time
That’s far more valuable than simply chasing reach or likes.
What Should You Do Next?
You don’t need to change everything — but it’s worth testing what works best for your business:
- Want maximum reach? Avoid putting links in the caption. Add them to comments or use “link in bio”.
- Want more leads? Keep the link in the caption — and just accept that slightly fewer people may see it, but those who do are more likely to take action.
At TMS, we’re happy to tailor your content to your strategy — and if you’re not sure which approach is right for you, we’re here to help you test, track, and refine it.
Final Thought
Facebook isn’t broken — it’s just shifting. And smart agents are adjusting how they post, focusing on long-term results over short-term reach.
If you’re using social to support your travel business (not run it entirely), then this small change in approach can help you build trust, capture more leads, and convert curiosity into bookings.
