5 tips for using video to market your travel business | Travel Research Online

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5 tips for using video to market your travel business

We’ve all heard it at least 100 times – “Video is king.” So when you finally decide to bite the bullet and attempt to use video in marketing your business, where do you begin? And how do you do it effectively? Here are my five best tips on how to use video to market your travel business.

Tip #1: Use Simple Equipment. You don’t need a $10,000 video camera to shoot great video. In fact, your phone is often good enough, or a simple $99 video camera. Just make sure you have decent lighting. Shooting outside is a great bet. But if that’s not an option, take a trip to the hardware store and get two industrial grade lights used by painters. They cost about $25.00 and do the trick. The last important piece when it comes to simple equipment is a microphone. Ideally, your video camera will have audio output. You can purchase a microphone for about $20.00 – this would be a wired output. A wireless mic will run closer to $100. Good sound can make all the difference in the world, so splurge when it comes to your audio.

Tip #2: Keep it Short. No matter how good your material, people will NOT watch your video if it’s longer than 3 or 4 minutes. So keep your videos short. Short means less than 3 minutes. If you have too much content, break it down into shorter parts.

Tip #3: Answer a Commonly Asked Question. One of the reasons you might be resistant to using video is that you don’t know what to say in the video. The easiest way to put good content in video is to think about the most common questions your clients and prospects ask you…and then answer them in your videos. Limit the video to one question. Begin it with “a common question I get from clients is….” and carry on from there. That way, your video won’t sound scripted.

Tip #4: Speak to one person—not many. There is something about the red recording light of a video camera that makes people go stiff. But the more natural you can be on camera, the better. One of the greatest tips I ever got about being natural on camera is to speak like you would speak to another person at a barbecue. If you were in a conversation with a person at a party, you wouldn’t stare at them for the entire time you are speaking. You would look them in the eyes at first, but then up, down, or to the side. So pretend the camera is a person and speak to it as if you would speak to anyone else. Look at it in the beginning, but then look away as you speak and then reengage with it again. And for an extra special tip: spend a few moments before you press record imagining a person in your life (alive or deceased) that accepts and loves you unconditionally. Just imagine that person right in front of you and bring their presence to you. After a few moments of meditating on that person, record your video. This is how you get yourself out of your head and into your heart.

Tip #5: Distribute Your Video Everywhere. Once you have a video that is edited – (if you have a Mac, your i-Movie video editing software is excellent) – distribute your video to as many places as possible. Put it on Facebook, your blog, in your e-zine. Start a YouTube channel and put it on there. If you are thinking you will use video consistently, consider investing in a program called Traffic Geyser, www.trafficgeyser.com for getting your video distributed everywhere.

Using video can be an excellent way to market your travel business. But just like any other marketing vehicle, you must know your audience and be consistent. Video will not be a silver bullet to getting all the business you want. But if you commit to it and consistently use it, speaking to the right audience, you will see your business soar.

Meredith Hill, ex-President of Hills of Africa Travel, founded the Global Institute for Travel Entrepreneurs (GIFTE) to empower frustrated and struggling travel consultants who weren’t getting the marketing support they needed. As the fastest growing industry organization dedicated to marketing education for travel professionals, GIFTE’s mission is to revolutionize the way travel advisors market and grow their businesses.  GIFTE’s products and programs provide all the tools, resources and support travel professionals need to reach a whole new level of success in travel – one that includes making more money while making a difference in the lives of their clients. Learn more at www.travelbusinessu.com, or visit and “like” GIFTE’s Facebook Fan Page atwww.facebook.com/GlobalInstituteforTravelEntrepreneurs.

  2 thoughts on “5 tips for using video to market your travel business

  1. Anne Kulhanek says:

    Thanks for the great article. I’ve been considering videos, but didn’t know where to start. Your tips make it seem easier than I thought it would be. I’m sure practicing would help!

  2. Hi Anne – My company, SpoonDrawer Media, has been producing video for travel professionals since 2006, so we know a bit about the subject! I’d be more than happy to give you a few ideas as well. Feel free to reach out anytime.
    Adam Lapsevich

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