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It is well known how useful video content is for hotel marketing. Because video content is such a powerful tool on the internet, hoteliers are increasingly using it to boost traffic to their websites and encourage direct bookings. YouTube is the premier site for posting videos. It is estimated that over 300 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube every minute. With such a saturated network, hoteliers must take extra steps to ensure that their videos stand out in the crowd. Here are some things hoteliers can do with their videos to increase views on YouTube.
Create a Compelling Video
This guideline may be obvious, but creating an engaging video isn’t as easy as it seems. Some steps must be taken to ensure that a video looks professional. Remember that your content represents your hotel. Amateur looking videos may make your hotel brand appear cheap and unprofessional. Your videos must capture the emotions of the viewer, as well. If your video doesn’t move the viewer, they will not watch it all the way through and instead go to an entertaining video featuring cats. Don’t lose out to cats. Be sure to tell your hotel’s story interestingly and keep the viewer hooked until your video finishes.
Brand your Page
When travelers visit your hotel’s YouTube channel, you want them to know that it’s your channel. YouTube offers many great ways to personalize your channel, so it matches your hotel’s style. Using your hotel’s logo as the profile picture will make your channel instantly recognizable by anyone who knows your brand. Also, please make use of the background photo on your channel’s page to prevent it from looking like a generic YouTube channel. If your hotel’s website uses specific colors, use the YouTube color chart to make your channel match your site.
Good Titles
You want to be sure that your videos have strong titles that are likely to be searched by travelers. Marketers are often taught that a creative title will promote more engagement, but in the case of YouTube, this is not true. If you want your video to rank highly in the Google search engine, your title must be something that you think a traveler would search for. A unique title like “What it’s like to Stay in Our Beautiful Los Angeles Hotel” may not be typed as much as “Staying in a Los Angeles Hotel.” It’s best to think from the perspective of the traveler. Compile a list of keywords based on how people search for your hotel. After you’ve decided on the most effective keywords, use them in your titles for the best results.
YouTube and Your Social Network
Just posting a video isn’t enough to get views: you have to promote it. How will people know it exists if you don’t tell them? Take advantage of your other social networks and post your videos as status updates. All of the travelers who follow you will see when your videos are posted, which will create a more significant opportunity for engagement. You can link your YouTube account with other social media channels. We recommend that you take the time to craft a post specific to each channel when posting your video, instead of having it automatically display each time you upload a new video.
Post Consistently
If you’re creating a video series or just putting out videos of your property, you must post regularly. This allows your hotel brand to seem alive and active. Consistency also builds a strong brand image, and it will have your followers and potential guests anticipating your next video. This creates a culture of familiarity and loyalty with your viewers.
Respond to Comments
YouTube can also act as a form of customer service. When viewers leave comments, be sure to respond to them promptly. Responding to comments also shows that you care about your viewers and potential guests, which will make you stand out for those looking for a place to stay that has excellent customer service. YouTube also allows you to delete comments, so you can get rid of internet trolls who leave mean or vulgar comments. In this social media generation, connecting with the people is one of the best things a hotel brand can do to get website traffic and increase their direct booking numbers.
Take these steps and watch the views on your videos soar. The internet population loves video content, so if your content is strong enough, you can draw more people to your hotel’s website and eventually have more people booking rooms directly.
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