Video offers an experience unlike any others. With effective video marketing, you can make people laugh, cry, and get wrapped up in a story like none other. It’s no wonder that video has become one of the most popular forms of content – particularly for brands selling experiences like hotels.
If you’re planning video marketing campaigns for TikTok and YouTube Shorts, it’s important to tailor them to these platforms and ensure you’re reaching the audiences on those platforms. Whether your brand is humorous, luxurious, or practical, the right videos have the power to elevate your marketing campaigns and make a great first impression.
Check out these tips to master short-form video content on YouTube Shorts and TikTok to market your hotel properties.
Embrace storytelling
Great storytelling is the key to successful video content. Both TikTok and YouTube Shorts have video editing tools that you can use to make your videos compelling and captivating from start to finish.
Some of the most effective types of storytelling are personal stories, testimonials, and behind-the-scenes content. Here are some ideas to consider:
- Guest experiences: Create videos that feature guests enjoying the amenities at the hotel property, such as an onsite spa or a special event.
- Behind-the-scenes tours: Show off the work that goes into maintaining your hotel, such as a glimpse of your culinary team preparing a signature dish.
- Staff stories: Introduce your team members with short profiles that highlight their passion for their work.
Include sound effects and challenges
TikTok runs on trending content, but it can be difficult to stay up on what trends are current. You have to track trends regularly to see what’s emerging, what’s popular, and what’s nearing the end of its reign. Check out your For You page to get an idea of what’s trending in your industry.
It’s important for trends to be relevant to your brand and industry, however. When you discover a trend, get creative to tailor it to your hotel. Here are some ideas:
- Dancing: TikTok dance trends are seemingly always in the spotlight. Consider making a video featuring hotel staff dancing to the latest music trend in a lighthearted way.
- Sound effects: Use sound effects and trending music clips to enhance videos of your hotel’s amenities or local attractions.
- Challenges: TikTok challenges are a good way to get engagement. Branded hashtag challenges are often popular, so consider creating one like #vacationbucketlist to encourage travelers to share the experiences they knocked off their bucket list on their last trip.
Always be authentic
Authenticity is crucial on TikTok and YouTube Shorts. In fact, it’s part of why these platforms and video content became so popular in the first place. The users aren’t looking for overly polished television commercials online but raw, approachable content that humanizes brands.
You don’t have to be silly or go off-brand to stay authentic, however. You can show authenticity with live Q&As, product demonstrations, customer testimonials, industry commentary, and behind-the-scenes content. Here are some ideas for promoting your hotel properties:
- Live Q&A: Host live sessions with staff or management to answer potential guests’ questions.
- Guest testimonials: Feature real guest reviews and have them share their experiences to build trust.
- Day-in-the-life content: Share a “day in the life of” your hotel using highlights from morning prep to evening events.
Engage the audience
TikTok and YouTube Shorts provide ample opportunities for individual interactions that you just can’t match with written content. Consider content that’s naturally engaging on its own, such as questions, contests, and live sessions. Here’s some inspiration for your own campaigns:
- Contests and challenges: Create a challenge that encourages guests to share their own videos of their stay at your property.
- Polls and questions: Use polls to gather feedback, ask viewers about their stay, or brainstorm new ideas for amenities, experiences, or services.
Stay consistent
Consistency is a big part of success on social media, especially with video. The massive amount of content on TikTok and YouTube Shorts can be difficult to compete with if you’re posting intermittently.
You don’t have to post every day, though. You only have to choose a realistic schedule that you think you can maintain, then stick to it – even if it’s just once or twice a week. This ensures that your audience can follow your posts and that you stay top of mind.
Optimize your hashtags
Hashtags are vital for keeping your content discoverable on TikTok and YouTube Shorts. Hashtags are similar to keywords and need to be relevant and appropriate for your brand and industry.
Make sure you avoid spamming your posts with irrelevant hashtags just to be seen. You will get traffic, but it’s not quality traffic that’s part of your ideal audience. Use only relevant hashtags and keep them limited and targeted to improve searchability.
Use compelling visuals
TikTok and YouTube Shorts offer plenty of tools and special effects to tailor your videos and make them more enticing, such as filters, stickers, text overlay, and audio. While not every one will be appropriate for your audience, you can use some effects to make your content unique and interesting. Here are some ideas:
- Showcasing amenities: Use filters and text overlays to highlight special features, such as a pool or scenic views.
- Promoting events: Add animations, stickers, or fade to show off your hotel’s events and make them more engaging for the audience.
Don’t stay too close to trends
Staying on top of trends is crucial, but originality sets you apart. Tread the fine line between following trends and putting an original spin on your content. As you get a feel for trends, see if you can spot emerging trends to stay ahead of the curve.
Analyze and improve
Video marketing isn’t a “set it and forget it” tactic. You have to keep up with the analytics to see what’s working for your audience and get ideas for improvements and future content. Consider metrics like views, shares, comments, likes, reactions, and video completion rate to find out what’s effective and what isn’t.
Leverage short-form videos in your campaign
Visual brands like hotels can gain a lot of traction and interest from video content, especially if you use platforms like TikTok and YouTube Shorts. Tailor your content to the platforms’ strengths and you can attract potential guests.
