Video Marketing
Video Marketing for Hospitality Industry
5 Essential tips and tricks you need to know
Videos are an undeniably powerful marketing tool, especially for the hotel and travel industry. After all, they can capture the audience’s attention much faster than text and have the power to drive extremely high traffic to your website. It’s no wonder video marketing has taken the Internet by storm. This versatile tool is so effective that you can use it to promote your hotel’s services and build strong customer rapport.
How Your Hotel Can Benefit From Video Marketing
High-quality videos attract more viewers compared to low-quality ones. If your hotel video appears amateurish, the likelihood of securing room bookings diminishes significantly. Investing in a high-quality video will yield the best possible returns. If your video doesn’t quickly or effectively address the guests’ needs with quality visuals, they will move on to another property, and your video will be forgotten within seconds.
In the hotel industry, effective videos are crucial for promoting services to prospective customers online. The most essential part of your video is a brief intro, as it captures viewers’ attention right from the start. Ensure your intro is direct and short, providing all necessary information about your hotel while setting the tone for the rest of your content. Including an intro video on your website’s homepage is a great way to grab your visitors’ attention.
To create a unique video, you must highlight your hotel’s distinctive features. Every business has a rich story, and you need to convey this through your video. Identify what makes your business unique and emphasize that aspect. This will help you find your tone and uniqueness. Whether your tone is inspiring, passionate, or serious, consider all the characteristics that differentiate your hotel from others in your location and portray these positively in your video.
Adding value to your hotel video means more than just creating a sales pitch about your brand. Consider video marketing as an opportunity to enhance the potential customer’s online journey at every stage. While it might seem easy to produce a great hotel marketing video without much pre-planning, this can lead to low-quality content that harms your brand. Therefore, it’s crucial to start with a script to keep your filming crew on track and your viewers engaged.
A key tip for your video marketing campaign is to ensure your video can be shared across your social media channels. This helps spread the video from one platform to another, reaching a wider audience. According to Statista’s Most Popular Video Content Type Worldwide Research Report, online videos had an audience reach of 92.3%. YouTube is particularly important as millions of people use it to watch videos each month. Include a link to your website in your YouTube video so viewers can visit your homepage after watching.
360 and Virtual Reality Videos for The Hotel Industry
Virtual reality extends beyond video games and entertainment. With advancements in this technology, it now offers an interactive guest experience through immersive headsets and 360-degree videos. Many businesses, including the hotel industry, benefit from VR. Utilize 360-degree shots of your hotel’s rooms and facilities to give customers a closer look, making them feel more comfortable about staying at your hotel.
Around 65% of people watch videos when planning a trip and choosing a destination, with a further 54% opt for videos when searching for accommodation.
Here are some top statistics that should support your hotel's video marketing efforts:
- 66% of people watched videos when considering taking a trip.
- People are 10 times more likely to engage with and share video content.
- 20% of users read text, while 80% will watch a video with the same content.
- At your property, guests are 67% more likely to book when a video tour is available.
- 76% of social media users would share a video if it was entertaining.
- Online videos will constitute more than 82% of all internet traffic by the end of 2022.
- 63% of travelers watched videos when searching for activity ideas at a destination.
- 71% of travel-related searches on YouTube are for destination names.
Newer generations have much shorter attention spans, which is why Instagram Reels and TikTok videos have become so popular in recent years. Most consumers have stated that they prefer to receive information about a brand through video. Within social media marketing, video content is one of the most attractive forms for travelers, garnering more likes and shares, and it has the power to drive more traffic to hotel websites.
Hotel Video Marketing Ideas
From immersive virtual tours that transport viewers to your hotel’s premises to behind-the-scenes glimpses of your operations, meeting the team, and exploring the local area, video marketing offers a dynamic way to engage and inspire travelers. Here are a few powerful ideas to inform your efforts:
Virtual Tours and 360 Virtual Reality
Creating virtual video tours of your property is a popular and successful video marketing strategy for your hotel or restaurant.
Bookings are 67% more likely to happen if a video tour is available, as it allows potential guests to see your hotel in its entirety from the comfort of their current location.
This strategy can increase long-term interest in the hotel, attracting guests who aren’t local but want to know more about the property.
Virtual tours are also beneficial for promoting event spaces. For instance, if your property hosts weddings, virtual tours allow prospects to get better acquainted with the space and your hotel overall, giving them a clearer idea of what to expect. Tailor your virtual tours to showcase guest rooms, restaurants, amenities like spas and pools, or specific recreational activities. Highlighting what sets your property apart from competitors can make a significant impact.
Behind the Scenes Tours
Behind-the-scenes videos offer a great opportunity to create content showcasing the inner workings of your hotel. Highlight various operations and teams within your hotel, such as how the restaurant prepares for the dinner rush or how the property sets up and organizes large events. These videos can demonstrate your employees’ capabilities and provide insights into the daily life of a specific hotel employee. Position these videos to give users a sense of special access and insider knowledge.
Meet the Team
Similar to behind-the-scenes videos, meet-the-team content allows visitors to get to know your employees directly. These videos can promote your hotel and highlight your team’s dedication, achievements, and attention to detail. Share tips, tricks, or creative processes from your staff, such as a chef’s or mixologist’s story if your property prides itself on food and beverage services. This type of content helps guests build a connection with your team and boosts employee morale by showing they are valued.
Travel and Local Area Video Logs
Travelers often research their next holiday through social media, videos, and video searches. Hotels should provide additional information about the local area surrounding the property. Include details on easy travel options, top food spots, and ways to engage with the local culture. Showcase how your hotel supports the local community, such as using regional produce in your restaurants or providing toiletries from small businesses. These unique touches make your video content interesting and distinctive.
Highlight top tips for guests and demonstrate how your hotel can cater to various types of holidays, emphasizing what they might miss by not staying at your property. If you have partnerships with local businesses or tourism services, promote these connections through videos that provide travel tips and exclusive perks for guests.
Testimonials and Customer Reviews
Creating video content featuring customer testimonials can enhance your social media marketing efforts. Organize interviews with willing customers or clients who have used your hotel for business. Alternatively, create animated views of written reviews from partner review sites or customer review cards. Focus on key points that benefit your property, such as staff quality, hotel ambiance, and overall guest experience.
Including reviews and testimonials adds human value to your marketing and builds trust between your guests and hotel. Choosing testimonials that represent your target audience can further motivate prospective travelers to learn more about your hotel. Encourage guests to leave feedback on your website or through review services after their stay to facilitate this process.
User-Generated Content
User-generated content (UGC) is created by your hotel’s current followers or customers and can help generate new content while reducing internal resource requirements. Encourage happy customers to share their experiences and engage with the content they create. Like, share, and comment on their posts to make followers feel recognized and valued. This organic promotion can significantly boost your property’s visibility and appeal.