As we have reiterated on many occasions, content is fundamental to feed each and every one of the strategies carried out by your tourism business. Content helps us to attract new and regular users by providing the necessary information (inspiration, routes…) for planning a trip.
Content also helps us to get bookings either through techniques such as email marketing or social media promotions, to name a few. However, when we talk about content we tend to generalise and, unsurprisingly, it comes in many formats. One of them, video, is the one that has the greatest capacity for engagement, as we have already mentioned. But why?
Users have a predilection for content presented in video because they find it more entertaining and easier to consume and understand. For this reason, with a video it is easier to capture their attention, and improve the chances of them remembering your brand. So, for this reason, here are some videos that are trending and can improve the results of your content strategy:
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Instagram’s audio-visual content is making a difference to the way marketing is being done on the social network. While Instagram had originally started to stand out as a platform for its incredible images and ease of adding tags, now it’s even possible to directly market your products and services.
It’s a great way to market your products and services.
This network was already voted the most effective social platform for businesses in 2013. For this reason, it would not be surprising if Instagram were to become the most important channel for companies, especially those wishing to sell tourism experiences. So, what should you take into account when doing video marketing on Instagram?
What should you take into account when doing video marketing on Instagram?
This social network has two sections where the audiovisual format is very interesting: Reels and IGTV videos. While Reels are now up to 60 seconds long, IGTV videos can be longer. The idea is that you use both for different purposes depending on the objectives of the video, i.e. the actions you want users to take.
And defining objectives is fundamental in your video marketing strategy in this and any other channel. The publications you make must be thought out, planned and programmed, always serving a purpose. It can be useful to research what other competing companies are doing, but, above all, focus on generating content that can be interesting for your buyer personas at a certain stage of their buying cycle.
Think about what your buyer personas will be interested in at a certain stage of their buying cycle.
Think also that nowadays, technology has made video marketing easier and cheaper. Therefore, it is even possible to take advantage of different apps to make videos in slow motion, time lapse or even montages with specific filters. However, these resources should always be used as long as they serve the purpose of the video and are aligned with your corporate identity.
On the other hand, remember that publishing the video is not everything. It is essential to interact with the comments of other users who may become potential consumers. In fact, if you propose challenges or if they use your hotel’s tag in their videos and images, you can take advantage of this content in your feed. An idea that leads us to the following trend:
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2. The UGVs of influential youtubers in your sector.
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UGVs? User Generated Videos, from the rescued concept of User Generated Content (UGC) that we’ve been using for some time now, are also important for inspiring travellers. If you think about it, when it comes to thinking about their next trip and starting to plan it, many consumers, especially the younger generation, turn to YouTube and user-generated content generated by influencers for inspiration.
Many of these consumers find the destinations their favourite YouTube content creators go to fascinating. And, for this reason, it is interesting to approach your desired target through these influencers. In this case, that is, in this variant of influencer marketing, we would be collaborating with a content creator interesting for our consumers who would live the tourist experience we offer.
3. 360 videos, for a better perspective of your products.
360 videos are a great way to get a better perspective of your products.
360 videos are a really useful technique, capable of moving your audience to a new reality. It’s the closest thing to inviting someone to live a dream, a dream recorded by you. Let’s take it step by step. What is 360 video? It is a video shot with many cameras, the more the better, or with an omni camera. The intention is that the viewer has the authentic sensation of being transported to another reality by living a totally immersive experience.
A 360 video can be viewed through a normal screen, be it a computer, tablet or smartphone; but if we use virtual reality goggles, the sensation is greatly enhanced. It is a technique that will allow you to play with your audience and interact on another level.
YouTube was the first social network to allow the publication of this modality, which has now been joined by many others. In January, Twitter did it. Have you ever been to Dubai’s Wid Wadi water park? Watch this video and enjoy:
As you can see the experience is extraordinary, which is why it’s becoming interesting for many businesses that depend on tourists. Obviously the raison d’être of tourism is for the consumer to experience it first hand, however, 360 videos can offer other types of experiences before or during a traveller’s stay in an establishment.
It could have multiple applications, from the basic visualisation of a type of room or common area, to a recreational or cultural experience, which would involve collaboration with other businesses willing to offer a complementary service, such as museums, some of which have already begun to offer this service.
4. Experiential videos of your hotel and surroundings.
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On the other hand, we can always rely on another of the classics in video marketing: experiential videos. These can take two formats: the interview, or the realisation of a tourist experience where the potential client is given a taste of what awaits them at the destination.
These types of videos usually show the product and services. However, it is advisable to avoid an excess of “product shot”, especially if the objective of the video is to attract potential travellers in the early stages of the purchase cycle. Remember that what sells is the experience.
In this case it is also essential to think about how you can share experiential videos. Obviously, social networks (the most logical channel for dissemination) are great allies for this, but they do not guarantee 100% that the video will reach your most loyal customers, those in your database, who may be interested in carrying out a specific campaign to boost direct bookings.
In this case, another dissemination channel that you can consider is email. And video email is another trend that will ensure that step and help you reach a sector of repeat customers. Thanks to viwomail, a tool that allows you to embed a video with automatic playback, your email marketing campaigns can have that added value that will make you stand out and help you boost your bookings.
5. The cinemagraphs that attract and retain your audience.
The cinemagraphs that attract and retain your audience.
The cinemagraph is a mix of photo and video. They are actually a photo with one or two moving elements that stand out and catch the eye. It’s nothing more than an animated Gif, but with wit, because the contrast generated by movement in a photo is very interesting.
Don’t you ever get caught up in watching what’s moving in the images? Studies show that a cinemagraph posted on a social network achieves 70 per cent more organic reach than a normal post. According to the CEO and co-founder of Flixel, a cinemagraph software and services company, a Panasonic Lumix camera banner was clicked 60 per cent more than its static version. While other ads from the same company achieved up to 80 percent more views on their cinemagraphversion.
And no wonder. Cinemagraphs are moving images that narrate poetry, storytelling in frames, feelings and sensations that are impossible to convey with a static image. And although they are not technically a video, we wanted to include them for their capacity for engagement in pieces such as promotions and advertisements for your hotel.
These cinemagraphs can make all the difference, especially if they are chosen for the right audiences and can convey a message on their own that supports that promotion or ad you want to run on channels such as social media, where you can segment your target audience excellently. Therefore, we encourage you to carry out A/B tests with static images and these gifs and compare results.
In short, videos as a content format will continue to be the favourite in tourism marketing. Why? The figures bear this out. 63 percent of people decide their travel destination based on a video viewed online. Today, a video is not an expensive whim It’s your chance to stand out.
