Using Video to Connect With Potential Visitors
The tourism industry continues to search for innovative solutions to market their destinations, with the goal to drive incremental new visitors and get visitors to return, year over year. Traditional marketing collateral like Visitor Guides and television ads are becoming less and less effective, especially with younger audiences. Become a pioneer as a tourism industry leader who is taking advantage of video to engage, educate, and intrigue your audience.
4 Reasons Video is "What's New" for Tourism Marketing
1.) Consumers Rely on Video
Research shows that if a viewer is searching for information, they are more likely to buy, and in your case visit if the information is regularly updated with relevant and interesting content. Static videos, while focused, are costly and time-consuming to produce, and unfortunately, become stale over time. Video is used by consumers more and more in the information-gathering phase of the buying cycle, and live video allows potential visitors to see what your destination looks like right now. It helps your viewers picture themselves there! Plus, live content is much more authentic than heavily edited production videos, which can boost a consumer’s trust in your destination.
2.) Live Video is More Engaging
How website visitors interact with your website, how long they stay on your site, and if they become a destination visitor, depends on how engaged the viewer is with your website. Video content, especially live video content, creates a personal connection between your destination and your viewers, showing them your destination as it exists, right now. It gives viewers the sense that they are actually there. Live video keeps a viewer’s attention for longer than other forms of digital media. Website viewers will spend up to 8x longer watching live videos.
3.) Target younger Audiences with Live Video
Young generations, Millenials and Generation Z, are highly influenced to make purchases based on information that is found online. Because of this, destinations need to embrace online platforms and provide consumers with the kind of information they respond to. It is critical for the growth of your destination to provide future generations with the necessary information to decide to travel to you. With Millenials nearing 40 and Generation Z beginning to gain full purchasing power, these two age groups will be your main audience soon, if they aren’t already. Morgan Stanley stated in a recent article that “companies tied to – travel, appear best positioned to outperform” with younger generations.
4.) Content Used in Multiple Ways
The best moments at your destination can happen at any time. Live video can be recorded in high quality for playbacks that can easily be repurposed for other marketing efforts, social media, and for use on digital platforms. This can help you build a content library to be used in many different ways for your business. Slow panning, area patrols, and short and long-term time-lapses all help you tell your story. These tools should be available in order for you to get the most out of your live video solution.
See it in action
Drummond Island Tourist Association
Check out this great example of a live camera being utilized by the Drummond Island Tourist Association at the ferry dock.
Binder Park Zoo
See how Binder Park Zoo is using its camera to highlight the savanna exhibit and the daily migration of giraffes, waterbucks, zebras, addax and bontebok!
Pocono Mountain Visitors Bureau
Through a partnership between the Pocono Mountain Visitors Bureau and WMVision, we created a camera network of 18 cameras in destinations across the Pocono Mountains. This partnership created a unique opportunity for the featured destinations to enhance their existing marketing efforts and grow their visitor market by more than 12%.