Resort marketing in the traditional sense has worked very well for decades. Even the advent of the Internet did not pose much of a threat, since the relaxing and luxurious experience of a resort cannot be reproduced online.
But with high bandwidth readily available to the most desirable and wealthy clientele, more and more resorts are turning to rich media experiences to promote their properties online. At the top of the list of new technologies, web video helps break down the barriers between people looking for a great vacation experience and the resorts that provide exactly that.
reach new people
Affluent families, the most desired by vacation resorts, are very selective about where they spend their time. While a nice vacation may not be a drain on the budget, it is time spent away from their homes and businesses. They need to be sure that they will spend time having an exceptional experience.
Until recently, the only way they could be sure of a top-notch experience was to rely on the knowledge and feedback of the people they trust. Therefore, they turn to friends and family for advice and probably travel to the same places, since they have a reasonable expectation of having a good time.
This makes it even more difficult for a new or recently renovated resort to compete, since that resort would not have a large number of people to share their knowledge of their hospitality.
This is where video comes to the rescue.
By creating a video documenting the experience you provide at your resort, you help break down the barriers of fear and begin to build a bridge of trust. Thanks to some highly publicized cases in the news, people know that unscrupulous people can fake photos, enhance them, or simply take a single image at a more flattering angle, carefully omitting undesirable elements.
With video it’s much harder to fake the footage, plus there’s an audio track. If you can hear a highway near what is supposed to be a pristine getaway, that picks up and the person watching will know what to expect. But if a person watching your resort video only sees and hears the sights and sounds of nature, that will reinforce the photos and descriptions you place in your other marketing materials.
Showing wealthy families enjoying the rooms, pool, golf course, spa, and other amenities will hint to other wealthy individuals who view your video that this is the place for them.
beat the competition
There are some resort owners and managers now bringing online videos to their websites. They are setting themselves above and apart from other resorts by providing this most engaging experience. They’re geared toward people who haven’t been to your resort before, competing against hundreds of other options for unique getaways.
And they are going to win.
By embracing online video in their resort marketing, early adopters recognize the inevitable continued growth of online video. And by leading with video, they’re delivering what will appeal to first-time guests: a media-rich online experience that has them at the resort and having fun before they even get on the plane.
Resort owners and managers who choose not to dip a toe in online video are preparing for a long slide into oblivion. Quality video is taking its place alongside quality photos in the importance of presenting the resort experience online. Get familiar with it and plan for it as part of your online marketing strategy.