Using video to showcase your destination – next big thing on the Internet
We each discovered the Internet only a few short years ago. Many jumped in; more held back. Today, most businesses (including those in the tourism industry) have embraced the use of it to promote and market their wares, either with a website, an online Yellow Pages listing, and/or have taken yet another step into the paid advertising world. The travel industry was early to embrace it knowing that showing sells faster than telling.
The future of travel advertising on the Internet will include video because getting customer buy-in is predicated on helping someone experience the destination (virtually) before they get there. Travelers compare and contrast transportation options, accommodations, entertainment, shopping and tours. Doing so with images has been the norm but coming in the future is the upgrade to video as the preferred way to explore a destination before travel.
Why video? The answer lies in human’s love for stimulation in multiple modalities. In fact, research proves that memory is better when multiple sensory input is received. For example, seeing a brand in a one dimensional image is not as memorable as the same image presented in movement with audio such as voice and/or music.
Video online has now earned some interesting marks – having demonstrated through a couple of years of research that videos are increasing “click-through rates” by 3.34% (eLocal Listings). Brownbook.net’s research shows that response rates to video are 5-9 times greater than text ads with conversions doubling. The bottom line, video says it better than any text or image advertising and the rise in video online will be akin to the enormous growth of the Internet over the last 10 years.
So, given that video is at the cusp of explosion – how do you get involved, as a tourist destination? There should be a multi-pronged approach:
- Hire a company to professionally produce a high quality video of your establishment
- Identify places to post it including YouTube, MetaCafe, Vimeo, Revver, Motionbox, etc.
- Collaborate with others in the travel industry to lower the cost of distribution and increase brand awareness in relation with others – example: Funtastic Travel Show (they promise 1 million views)
- Get your video included in your listings across the web
- Post the video to your site using a high quality player (preferably HD since the market is going there now)
Finally, make sure you script your video carefully realizing that people don’t like advertising. Make your video informative, interesting, and fun – don’t focus on features, advantages and benefits – but instead why a person will visit with you and return again – because they love your distination. Also remember you have about 20 seconds to engage them – so get that done and end your ad at no longer than a minute.
Contact us for more information: info@funtastictravelshow.com
More Cities Come Online – Funtastic Travel Show – City Portal
More cities are becoming available to jump on the SHOW – contact your local sales rep for more information: http://funtastictravelshow.com/contact.html
Denver is now live along with – the following cities:
- - Seattle, WA
- - San Francisco
- - San Diego
- - Atlanta
- - Richmond
- - Raleigh / Durham
- - Myrtle Beach
- - Hilton Head
This means that ad sales are active and a show slot is available. There are only 20 slots available per show – so please do hurry and get yours confirmed!
City Portal is the Host of the Funtastic Travel Show
The productions created by the Funtastic Travel Show are distributed across travel web properties and in its own city portal found at: www.funtastictravelshow.com. Each city (35) offers a listing opportunity if a destination cannot afford to participate in the show itself. The cost for a listing is only $99 per month. A slot in the show is $5000 USD per year with a guarantee of 1 million views per year. Contact your local representative to discuss getting into the best way to promote your destination – using video! Live today are Hilton Head and Myrtle Beach – slots will not be available for long – there are only 280 available in a city, divided by 8 categories such as dining, kids activities, accommodations, etc.
Turning Advertising into Entertainment – How?
To get the viewership online that you seek (especially viral uptake) for your online video ads, you’ll have to come up with a formula that is funny, captivating and compelling enough to share. We have created just such a product – please review and comment – let us know its strengths, weakness, and if you think we hit the target! These are all advertisements. We grouped them to lower the cost to each advertiser also!
The term we are now using for this type of advertising is: advertainment!
New Twist in Online Video Advertising
I’ve been in online advertising specializing in video for almost 6 years and have developed the latest and greatest tourism promotions using this medium. The unique twist is, each ad is delivered as entertainment, in a group. This creates viewer interest (rather than pull back from it being an “ad”) and lowers the cost to each advertiser. Watch the future of online video advertising by navigating to the newly posted YouTube version – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hrPVLhfAjdQ
Also, feel free to contact me about exploring this model in other markets or if you are in tourism and want to jump in – then join me! I have a site that supports these productions in 35 cities – 11 products per city: http://www.funtastictravelshow.com
Animated Version Released – Funtastic Travel Show
If you have been waiting to see the animated version of the Funtastic Travel show for Seattle, like we have, you have to wait no longer! Click to our site and watch now! We had a number of steps involved in producing this piece – from shooting the b-roll to doing the green-screen shoot in the studio and finally adding the animation. There is still some tweaking needed but it’s 80% there and by final first release of a full show of 20 destinations in Seattle, it will be 100%!
Finding the Magical Viral Video Angle
I think most businesses wish they could find the “sweet spot” that would make consumers send their online video ad all across the web – to their friends and family, right? If anyone could figure out what it is that compels this behavior they would be a gazillionnaire! The same holds true for, “what does it take to create a winning film?” In fact, it holds true for any business idea – what will hook everyone?
This article will discuss the ingredients that encapsulate the formula for creating just such a product or service. Let’s begin with looking at successful companies, asking yourself why as a consumer they are perceived as a “must have.”
First, it’s been said many times: “Timing is everything.” And this is the main key element of what makes something successful. Only now that everyone has a mobile phone does a new hot application get the uptake. Ten years ago, a new application for a cell phone would not have flown. So, first and foremost, the product or service must be founded at the right time.
Next is the right place. No, I don’t mean American versus Asia. I mean in an industry that has support. An example is a security application that protects information. If you only apply this solution for remote access to your set top box so you can pick your programs it’s a pretty thin opportunity. Protecting the privacy of personal data is very phat, so the right place to position a piece of security software would best be placed in that arena.
Thirdly is the quality of the product – or perceived quality of the product. Compare a Mac with a PC. The perceived value of the Mac is much higher and may be because of its “packaging,” always outstanding and as a result the pricing is significantly higher – and people pay it. So, if you want to take market share and hold it, you need a quality product. Same goes for film / video production. While a home video can be of low quality and get viral, a video advertisement hoping for that journey won’t make it unless it’s done well – to the point that the viewer is trying to figure out if it’s an ad or a “well-done” home video.
Fourth and finally, the sharing experience is stimulated by the audience’s interest in the topic, product, service or communication, etc. It has to be either funny, timely information, or helpful. What do I tell people about? What do you tell people about? We share with each other the things that we have learned or experienced that was new, exciting, funny, or in some way helped our lives.
So, when considering the development of something “viral” that will be shared, make sure it’s being placed in the right place at the right time, in a quality way that is a new and exciting way to help someone or something or make them laugh. If you can do all of these at the same time, then, it has a good chance of “getting viral!”
Hello Seattle!
The Funtastic Travel Show is just about to launch in Seattle – the first city on our tour! Check in often and watch us grow – creating videos in major cities across the USA so that people can get a sneak peak of a city before they get there! What’s to do fun, where to stay or eat – even where to shop and what tours to take! Check it out!
