In our complete guide on content marketing for hotels, we established that the art of storytelling has become a necessity in the tourism industry. Which better way to tell your hotel stories than through short films?

Video has become an ever-present part of social media, therefore, creating and achieving an effective video campaign requires some careful thought.

Identify Your Hotel Video's Target Audience

  • Who will your video target?
  • Which audience would you like to reach?

The more your target audience identifies with your video and finds a genuine interest in it; the more people will be willing to share it. Doing it this way gives you a better chance of reaching a broader audience and generating a buzz. Have fun with it and find ways to be creative while remaining constant with your brand personality.

Take a look at this Ibis hotels video on YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjDw1vsUmzc

Ibis, a French brand, is clearly positioning itself as the place to go for young and open-minded individuals looking to meet new people and share their experiences.

Platform Selection: Where to Broadcast Your Hotel Video

On which communication channels and social media platforms is your target audience most present?

  • YouTube for more traffic or Vimeo for better quality?
  • Facebook to reach a broader public or LinkedIn for industry professionals?
  • Instagram for a younger public and/or TikTok for influencers?
  • On your Website using the YouTube/Vimeo embed code, or directly hosted on your web server?

Your video format might have to be adapted to the communication channels you choose. The maximum recommended durations are as follows:

  • 10 sec on Snapchat
  • 60 sec on Instagram
  • 2 min 20 sec on Twitter
  • 10 min on LinkedIn
  • 4 min on Facebook
  • 15 min on YouTube (limited only for non-verified accounts)

Bear in mind, however, that shorter videos generally rank better on social media platforms!

Close-up of hands holding a mobile phone, taking a video of friends at a cozy cafe.
Tailor your video format to each social media channel for maximum impact.

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Crafting Your Hotel Video's Message

  • What is the message you'd like to spread?
  • What is your story and what makes it worthy of sharing?
  • Could you sum up your narrative into 'one elegant sentence' that specifies its tagline?
  • Is your story compelling or beneficial for your target audience? To which question(s) does your video respond?

A good story is both engaging and satisfying. It tells us things we’re happy to know or learn. It stimulates our curiosity, but more than that, it makes us care enough to want to stay tuned in until the end. It is very much about proposing a question to your audience that gives them a feeling of anticipation and suspense; a sense of wanting to know how it will be resolved at the end of your story, and how this story will relate and connect to their lives. Good stories are often the ones that we connect with most.

There are currently 3 main types of video content generating a buzz on social media:

  • Inspiring Videos: Beautiful, artistic, creative, motivational. These videos warm your heart with their beauty and the emotions they generate. Watch some examples here.
  • Recreational Videos: Humor, surprise, suspense, curiosity. These videos make you laugh or smile and stir your curiosity. Watch some examples here.
  • Educational Videos: Tutorials, tips, investigations, testimonials. These videos teach you something new. Watch some examples here.

Steps to Create Your Hotel Video

  • What is your budget?
  • Which video style and techniques will you opt for: stop motion, timelapse, hyperlapse, motion design, interviews, flash mob, lip dubs, etc.?
  • How long will the video last? The shorter, the better! Aim for between 20 and 90 seconds for a Facebook video, for example.
  • How will you captivate your audience?

Appeal to your audience's curiosity, especially during the first 3 seconds of your video. Finish the video with a call-to-action button where they can book a room, subscribe to your newsletter, follow you on Facebook, etc.

If you're thinking you need someone to help you manage your Social Media online, we can help.

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