In recent years there has been a shift in the way that people consume media. Streaming platforms like YouTube, which has seen its viewership increase ten-fold in the past five years, are on course to overtake live TV as the primary platform for media consumers.
NB: This is an article by Digital Hotelier
With more people turning away from traditional forms of media in favour of Internet-based streaming platforms, developing effective video marketing solutions that can be incorporated into your hotel digital marketing strategy is increasingly important. Leveraging video in order to keep up with current trends and engage with a larger consumer base can lead to better customer engagement and more direct booking.
Read on to to discover a few of the reasons why it’s important to utilise video marketing as part of your wider hotel digital marketing strategy and the benefits it can offer.
Cost
Traditionally, if a hotel chain wanted to create a video advert, it would have to invest a substantial budget to create the advert and buy network space on a channel with a relevant viewership at an opportune time. Not only would the costs be high but the process would often be long and arduous due to strict licensing rules and TV regulations.
Thanks to the advancements in technology and the rapidly growing popularity of sites like YouTube and Facebook, it is now cheaper than ever for hoteliers to create video content and appeal to a large audience. The rise of live streaming, fuelled by the development of Facebook Live, Periscope and other streaming services also means it’s easier to create video on demand and engage audiences in the moment. This technology is designed to be cost-effective and accessible, making more frequent video creation a realistic prospect.
Expanding consumer base
Among those moving away from television and towards digital streaming, young people are the leading the way. Over the last seven years, 33% of people aged 16-24 have reduced their TV viewing time by a third in favour of online streaming.
A recent study by Gfk discovered that millennials rank travelling higher on their financial priority list than buying a home or getting a car. This is reflected in the rise of young people travelling and taking holidays in recent years. What this means is that hotels with effective video marketing solutions can break into this consumer base by appealing to young people through their preferred medium for video content.
Content repurposing
Creating video content is an ideal way to repurpose content from other areas of your hotel digital marketing strategy. In order to appeal to a wider audience, it’s important to generate content in a range of different formats. Consumers will often seek out easier ways of digesting information and video content provides an effortless way for them to do so.
Quicker
If someone is looking for information on a hotel and get an overall impression of the services that are offered, it is much easier for them to watch a video that condenses all of the key information than to read through paragraphs of text. Video content offers a simpler and less arduous way for prospective guests to engage with your hotel.
