5 Types of Video to Boost your Digital Marketing

It’s not hard to see why video is so popular these days - for one thing, it’s an easy-to-digest format that gives our eyes a rest from the overabundance of textual information around us. Video is not only fun, it’s one of the best ways to get up close to your audience and give them a real glimpse of what you and your business or your guests are doing.

Think beyond profit – show them something about your philosophy, or share some information on an exciting event or offer some valuable insight. The more they know about your positive practices, the more likely they are to stick around!

Video is entertaining and engaging, and marketers like it because it can give a potentially huge return on investment through many channels. While there is certainly a trend towards higher quality video on a professional level, thanks to platforms like TikTok and Instagram, anyone can create their own video content in under an hour! With channels like Instagram, once a favourite with photographers, a shift towards TikTok-type videos has forced us all to become "creators" rather than "creatives".

No longer just a nice-to-have, video consumption increased overwhelmingly during the pandemic; it gave us a real-life picture of what was going on in the outside world. People are watching more videos than ever before (we definitely are). Video is one of the most popular content forms in the world, and the truth is that it’s not likely to be going anywhere soon. And it makes sense: in an impersonal digital world, we’re all craving connection and personality. We want to see and hear people in a real-life context – it’s meaningful.

Amid this increased demand, hotels and resorts should not miss out in order to remain competitive. We see a significant increase in engagement when paid ads contain video. And we're not talking full-scale production brand videos; 93% of customers believe user-generated content (UGC) is beneficial when making purchasing decisions, so we're here to help you embrace video for your 2022 digital marketing plans.

There are plenty of different types of videos out there, so here’s a breakdown of where you can be using different types of video:

If you have a good following, Facebook and Instagram Live, and other streaming services make it easy to connect with your audience in real-time. Great for behind-the-scenes, announcements, influencer outreach and events. Regular short video updates can continuously engage your audience, while longer live video sessions can be a great way to do Q&A sessions and direct chats with your followers.

Everyone loves a tutorial (especially when we were in lockdown), and it's one of the most frequently shared types of content on social media. The tutorials can relate to your services or can be broader topics that relate to your audience. They need to be clear, educational and entertaining. Long enough to understand but short enough to engage. 

For example, if you have a talented in-house barman, why not create a signature cocktail that viewers can recreate at home. It's engaging, entertaining and shareable! When adding video to your social media, concentrate on content likely to be shared - because that's ultimately the goal!

User-generated content is quickly becoming a great and easy way to engage an audience. But you need to encourage your customers to create videos that include your hashtags when they upload to give them more exposure.

This type of content is an effective way to authentically grow your audience because customers are more inclined to share content they create, plus your potential guests are more likely to engage with UGC over a staged brand video. It's also a great way to get a feel for your audience's personalities and what they engage with on-site.

If your guests make an effort to produce content for you, they need to be rewarded. Praise and share the best content, and give attribution to all users. You may want to create more than one # if you have multiple experiences that your customers will want to create content for - don’t forget to save and track your hashtags!

It's great to cover any topic, but it has to be something valuable to make it worth the viewer's time. Make it creative, insightful and unique. New restaurant launch, refurbished suites? Why don't you share this news with your audience by video? You can use features like IGTV on Instagram to build a content archive with videos on various topics that viewers can watch on-demand. Remember, your content should not only be interesting but should always provoke the viewer to share it.

Behind-the-scenes is an excellent way to showcase your team and day-to-day operations, especially if you want to inject personality into your brand. This type of content builds trust and brand identity. Interview employees, talk to vendors you're close to, or include your regulars! These things are designed to give prospective customers a better idea of how your hotel is run and who you are and to dig down into what makes your hotel exceptional. 

Social media ads are one of the most powerful types of paid distribution you can use to promote your video. Each platform has its own best practices and unique features, so if you have some wiggle room with your budget, be open to experimenting with all of them!

If you’d like to discuss your hotel’s digital marketing needs, please contact Kane at kane@journey.travel

Columbia Beach Resort in Cyprus reported €15,280 in website bookings through shortened brand awareness videos.