By: Sheila Scarborough, Tourism Currents
You keep hearing about how you need to post more video content on your business social media accounts. You've seen the data that YouTube is the most popular social network for U.S. online adults (and it is also the second most popular search engine behind Google.) Maybe you've reviewed your Facebook Page Insights stats and noticed that video posts do well. You know that video content can help people find you, and then build their trust in your outfitter services or tours or guide expertise.
BUT….
You're a small operation without the budget to hire a freelance video pro or bring one on staff.
How can you get maximum mileage out of video with limited resources, including re-purposing content you already have? Here are 5 ways that outfitters, guides, and suppliers can do more with video:
Re-post videos to your business YouTube channel
Because people use YouTube as a search engine, relevant evergreen videos (especially how-to explainers) can bring traffic to your website for years. We see too many dormant channels that last posted three or four years ago, and we know they've shot video since then.
Make content work harder. Never let posts be "one and done" on your Facebook Page or Instagram. This goes for your Facebook Live videos, too – download that live stream recording file from Facebook and upload it to your YouTube channel.
Give your video a good title with relevant keywords, a short description (include your location and a link back to one of your related blog posts or website pages,) and tags, to make sure people can find it. Use YouTube's embed code to put your best videos in your blog posts and on your website.
Use Animoto to make themed videos out of your photos
Already have lots of good photos? You can set them to music! To get started, make one video for each of your tours or specialties. The Professional and Business pricing plans also include Marketing Video Builder templates that help you create short, punchy videos about your services or products.
Turn Blog Posts into Videos
Have blog posts that are doing well for you, or well-trafficked pages on your website? Turn the most popular ones into a video version using Lumen5's (AI) Artificial Intelligence. The initial draft video you get is rarely ready to go as is, but you can edit and tweak it with your own media until it serves as a great visual representation of the main concepts in your blog post or page.
We usually use the landscape format because (of course!) we repurpose the Lumen5 videos we make on our blog, YouTube channel, Facebook Page, and LinkedIn Page, but if we shared one to Instagram, we'd make it in vertical or square format.
Start out with their free plan and see if it works for you.
Use Google Photo's automatic video-making features
Open the Google Photos app on your phone. Create a themed video from your photos on either an Android device or an iPhone/iPad.
For this to work, you need to populate Google Photos with your photos, so turn on "Back Up & Sync" in Google Photos Settings.
If you are Team Apple all the way, your iPhone can make Memories and Memory Movies from photos.
LinkedIn Live streaming
Video is getting a lot of traction on LinkedIn, mostly because it is relatively new there, including the LinkedIn Live live streaming feature that debuted in 2019. This is an opportunity for outfitters and guides to show videos about how they do fun corporate outings, team building events, and Board retreats.
Don't be intimidated by video. Your customers are OK with you keeping it real. They just want to know that you know what you're doing, and that a trip with you is an exciting, enjoyable, fulfilling experience.
Use video to "show them, don't tell them."
About the Author
Tourism Currents teaches you how to use social media and digital destination marketing to bring more visitors and guests to your town, attraction, or tourism partner business. They offer an online course, in-person workshops, webinars, consulting/coaching, and a free biweekly newsletter. Team members are Sheila Scarborough in Round Rock, Texas, and Leslie McLellan in Lake Arrowhead, California.