Vaccinations are being administered and travelers are returning to what they love—escaping their homes and exploring the world. A recent survey by Scott’s Cheap Flights revealed that 83 percent of its members are planning to make two or more domestic trips this year and 86 percent are planning on traveling somewhere internationally.
While the uptick in bookings is certainly a change compared to the past year, the way that travelers search for their next trip is not. More than half of travelers use Facebook apps (namely Facebook and Instagram) to discover destinations. And with video content greatly outperforming static images across Facebook’s platform, the time to engage consumers with video ads and content is now as they look to book post-pandemic vacations.
Given just how much has changed as a result of the pandemic, your brand will likely find the planning process for your social video campaigns quite different than what you are used to. Consider these three tips as you prepare to stand out from the competition and efficiently create new video content that delivers the results you are after.
1. Assess Your Video Content Needs
Your properties likely have captured a lot of impressive video footage from productions over the years. Depending on your location, your library may include sweeping panoramic shots of pristine beaches, footage of your exceptional culinary program or detailed clips of the comfortable amenities offered in your rooms. As you plan your next video campaign, start by reviewing these existing assets—if they visually reflect up-to-date offerings, they can serve as a great starting place.
Given how much has changed in regard to travel over the past year, however, you will certainly need to capture net-new footage as well. This shot list may include a dining room with greater distance between tables, staff utilizing personal protective equipment or employees following enhanced sanitation policies that keep your property safe for all guests.
By starting with a thorough review of the creative assets currently in your library, you will unlock a more efficient video production process that saves on both time and budget and accelerates the speed with which you can get your new social campaigns to market.
2. Secure Your Available Production Resources
Many marketing teams are leaner today than they were a year ago, both in terms of personnel and budget. If this is your reality, trying to activate new video campaigns that capitalize on the current surge in travel can be more difficult than before.
As your creative concepts take shape, make a list of the outstanding skills and resources you need to execute your campaigns and then start to consider out-of-house options that fit your budget. Local production companies you may have worked with in the past are a good option, but note that many may be very busy during this time as other resorts look to capture new footage, just as you are. Tapping into a video creation marketplace can provide easy access to a number of professional production companies (and many come with the added benefit of production supervision, further reducing the impact a new video shoot has on your team’s already limited bandwidth).
3. Test Different Creative Concepts
The past year has impacted people in a multitude of different ways—parents have been balancing working from home while managing their children’s remote learning, essential workers have been on the front lines of the pandemic and others may have been very isolated as they socially distanced for months. Each of these group’s motivations to travel likely vary significantly and your social video content should capture these important nuances.
As you plan your video production, make sure you capture enough net-new footage to create multiple different creative versions, each delivering a unique message. For example, some travelers will be looking for a very safe experience, while others may be looking for more adventure and fun after a year of strict restrictions. Approaching your social creative in a data-driven, iterative manner will ensure you are striking the right message and allow you to quickly optimize your campaigns accordingly.
Travelers are returning and with their return comes a fierce competition for their attention on social media. To capture as much of this surge as possible, it is critical that your business approaches its marketing campaigns with a video-first mindset that strikes a balance between being efficiently produced and effectively delivered.
Melissa Surane is partnerships director at QuickFrame.