Human connection is vital for hotel marketing. Not only is it effective, but guests expect it. Potential guests want humanised, powerful storytelling with real values– and video makes this much easier.
As access to fast guest WiFi increases, people can view and upload powerful video content quickly and easily. Hotels can capitalise on video content in many ways; including virtual hotel tours, amplifying email response, encouraging essential direct bookings and sharing people-based, behind the scenes content.
Here are five powerful ways to use video content in your hotel marketing strategy. The key is that they all use video to give potential guests extra value; whether that’s by providing more information or driving direct bookings with a special offer.
1. Use video to create a stand-out virtual tour
Virtual tours gives guests a chance to experience your hotel instantly, imagining their future stay whilst engaging with your key values. This is especially important during following COVID 19 shutdowns and closures, giving guests confidence to visit your hotel once travel starts opening up again. It’s also a powerful marketing tool for marketing corporate and events bookings. Shoot quality content that walks guests through your bedrooms and suites, highlights your top amenities and adds texture and interest with unique location-based content.
2. Power up your website with video content
When it comes to encouraging direct bookings, you need to make a lasting impression as well as convince potential guests that your hotel is the best choice for them. Whether you’re targeting Bleisure travelers, couples or family guests – you need to entice and engage with the key decision maker, striking hot on their purchase intent. Video on your website clearly demonstrates why guests should choose your hotel – creating a strong call to action to boost booking rates. Potential guests landing on your website want to be shown why you’re the top choice quickly and easily, and video makes this easy.
3. Go behind the scenes to humanise your brand
Behind the scenes content is video gold – guests and followers love to interact with the people behind a brand. Whether shooting video for your website or for social media such as Instagram Stories; enhancing your storytelling with stand-out, value driven content really works. Hotels are full of potential behind the scenes stories. Create stars out of your staff – interview your front of house staff, put together some footage of your chef getting ready for service or include some video tips from staff with insider-location knowledge.
4. Increase direct bookings by enhancing email with video
Email marketing is a powerful tool for hotels to increase their direct booking rate, and video boosts response even further. Sending engaging, targeted and segmented emails that contain video content will increase open rates, as well as drive bookings. Use video with a clear call to action in the email – announce a special booking offer for subscribers only and direct guests to the booking page. You can also add to your content offering (and brand engagement) further with video travel tips, behind the scenes footage or clips from a recent event.
5. Boost your social proof with guest generated video
User generated content is a powerful way for hotels to maximise their SEO power. But encouraging guest content has an extra role too – increasing the online social proof that drives bookings. Potential guests are driven by the behaviour of other people, and so put simply, the more great reviews and positive video uploads from other guests, the more likely potential guests will want to book too. Make sure you encourage user generated video content at every opportunity, either using WiFi marketing to guests during their stay, at check in or at check out.
To wrap up
Every hotel needs to maximise video content in their marketing strategy. From creating virtual tours that encourage direct bookings, to enhancing segmented emails, video is an essential tool to build guest engagement and brand awareness.
