Video marketing isn’t anything new to vacation rentals, but the importance of including a video campaign as part of your overall marketing strategy is more important than ever. Search engines love video just as much as humans do and vacation rental managers and owners are using video to showcase properties and promote their businesses with great success. Here are a few ideas for developing your own video marketing campaign.
Do It Yourself or Go Pro?
Most of the managers and owners I’ve worked with have hired professional videographers to produce their videos. Be sure to talk to someone with experience before you buy an expensive camera and try to do everything on your own. Equipment is just the beginning of the equation. You need to get several things just right to have a polished looking video, including; lighting, staging, direction, narration, music, and editing. Your properties should be presented with professional looking video and that’s best handled by someone who knows what they’re doing.
On the other hand, I’ve seen many self-produced video tours that looked and sounded great. The friendly, folksy look and feel of a low budget video production is perfect for single properties or small rental operations.
When Less Is More
After you’ve created your video property tours and added them to your website or Facebook page think about what else your audience would like to see. Invest in a basic video camera and keep it handy for videos of local attractions, events, and activities. Try to create something that will entice potential guests to pick up the phone and book a few nights.
And Now For Something Completely Different
Spoof a TV show with something like “America’s Most Wanted Vacation Rentals” or “Vacations of the Rich and Famous”. Think of something that will make you stand out from the crowd. When people start sharing your videos with their friends you will be reaching out to a whole new audience. And that’s the goal behind all this social media stuff, to get the word out!
Make Video Your Calling Card
For more information on integrating video into your marketing campaign or if you have any questions about vacation rental management please contact Doug Meeder at 909-856-2124.