Video as a Marketing Tool Across The Five Stage of Travel

We’ve all heard the saying “A picture is worth a thousand words”. The team here at 360nz agree with Ankara Subbarao who takes this further, stating that “video is worth a million pictures.”

Below we share a brief rundown of using video as a marketing tool within the five stages of travel as identified by Google research into the online behaviour of travellers.

There’s not one leisure travel experience that hasn’t started with a dream. The dream stage is before people have decided where they are going. They’re receptive to inspiration from many places and open to new ideas.

Marketing For The Dream Stage

The aim of the game is to get people dreaming of your destination specifically. Getting in front of people in the dream phase with engaging content that captures attention, as well as the imagination, is crucial. It helps your offering get into this potential customer’s consideration set when they move into the planning stage.

Video In The Dream Stage

There are numerous options at this stage. Using a variety of video across your digital marketing platforms will tantalise and tempt people. They’ll dream of visiting your little piece of paradise.

Standard video gives a beautifully visual glimpse of your experience
360 degree video takes it up a notch, allowing a panoramic view of all you have to offer
Virtual tours give freedom to the dreamer to look at what they want, from any angle, in their own time, further fuelling their travel dreams

The traveller’s destination may be decided or narrowed down to a few. People are looking for more information about accommodation, transport and activities. They’re starting to focus on the granular detail.

Marketing For The Plan Stage

Putting more detailed information in front of people is crucial at this point. They are curious about your destination but now need more information before they take the next step of booking.

Video In The Plan Stage

Any tool that allows for more in depth information to be shared with the planner. Video allows you to speak as close as face to face as possible while your future visitor is still on their couch (or, more than likely, at their work desk).

Virtual tours of accommodation properties or other locations
Video calling to agents for Q&A bringing that personal touch
‘How to’ style videos giving useful and important information to the traveller about what they might expect or need to do at the destination

The Book Stage does what it says on the tin. The decisions have been made and would-be travellers want to confirm their arrangements. People will be getting in touch with service suppliers to lock in plans for their trip.

Marketing For The Book Stage

Make sure that your contact details are readily available across all promotional material. Promote any special offers where your future customers are hanging out (i.e. at the moment, very much online on social media!)

Video In The Book Stage

As above, ensure that all video content has your contact details and a call to action to get in touch.

Video calling as a method of contact is a great way to provide that personal touch
Videos promoting your latest offer will grab attention more than a static image. Just make sure they get to the point quickly

In the experience stage, travellers are out there enjoying the World and all it has to offer. This all began with a dream. It was meticulously planned and they’re now having the time of their life.

Marketing For The Experience Stage

Let’s face it, there aren’t too many off-the-grid places left out there. It’s more than likely that your customers and potential customers will be online during their travels. This is a great time to reinforce their excellent choice in picking your place.

Video In The Experience Stage

Any positive video content you put out during this stage will solidify that thinking that those dreamers made the right choice when they booked your product or service.

You’ll witness your visitors capturing video of their favourite moments, people and places on their cameras, phones, and tablets while they’re enjoying new experiences.

This is when all your happy customers humble brag about their adventures! Social media is lit up with content of people eating, drinking, travelling and generally enjoying all that wonders of the world.

Marketing For The Share Stage

Outside of the naturally occurring sharing that goes on, marketers can encourage sharing of content about their destination or activity, creating user generated content.
Using hashtags can help you track this activity and pull together the content that is being shared about your experience.

Video In The Share Stage

All that video content the happy snapping adventurers did is being shared with friends and family on social media platforms.

Think about photo/video ops at your destination and how you can encourage sharing of your activities and/or brand.
Perhaps try running promotions asking travellers to upload video of their experiences with hashtag identifiers. Offer a tempting treat for the lucky winner or winners

Being big travellers and travel & tourism industry workers ourselves at various times in our lives, we really feel for our friends in this industry at the moment. This means we’ve been thinking about how all the businesses across New Zealand (and the World) are going to reinvent and rebuild in the coming months. Business models and marketing strategies will no doubt change considerably and we believe video has become increasingly important across so many aspects of business and marketing.

With so many people unable to move around at the moment to enjoy everything the world has to offer, now more than ever, video is playing a major part in bringing joy, escapism and a very effective marketing tool to the fore.

You might also be interested in our blog about the 5 ways video content works.