Creating Travel Video Content During Covid-19

Once the reality of COVID-19 set in it seemed that the first reaction from travel companies and destinations was to flood the internet with “dream now, travel later” style videos. They looked great and kept people busy but the trouble is that they really weren’t what anyone needed. It was obvious that we couldn’t travel and I don’t think any of us were concerned that the Swiss Alps were going anywhere. Thankfully there has been a shift to more targeted videos being produced. Videos that are meeting needs and enabling travel brands and organizations to stay connected with their customers during a time when travelling has been ground to a halt. 

Before you start, answer why? 

The lazy response, yet still valid, is that more people are online more often than ever before. Facebook saw a 70% increase in usage in the month of March in some countries. People can’t go anywhere and are tuning into the internet a lot more than they were pre-pandemic. But that alone should not be your answer. Do you really just want to add more noise to a cluttered space? Or can you take it a step further? 

With the right content, you can provide value and stay relevant 

People are going online to keep themselves entertained, connected, and informed while they’re spending more time at home. So you need to make sure your video content will entertain, inform or provide a connection to your audience. Is it something your audience needs right now or are you just trying to keep busy? If it is the latter then it’s a good time to talk about ROI. 

As a destination or travel brand, you are not going to get a financial return on investment for a video, or any marketing, right now. You have nothing to sell. If budgets are tight and you are going down the “let’s produce a video” path because it seems like everyone else is posting one, then you need to stop now and save your $$. 

ROI is important, but engagement metrics such as clicks, likes, shares, comments, etc. are your gauges for success right now when people can’t buy your product or visit your destination.

Now that we got that out of the way it’s time to figure out what your video should be about.

Know your audience to determine your video content

If you want video content that is going to resonate, your starting point is to find out what your customer is thinking and feeling now and then match that with content ideas. Are they trying to keep kids busy? Wanting to stay fit and healthy while isolating? Looking for ways to stay connected with nature? Find out what your audience needs right now and provide them with a solution. Here are some more specific ideas.

Bring the experience to your audience

In the past, people travelled from afar to visit and experience your product. Now it’s your turn. What elements of your experience can you bring to your audience, virtually? Think about the highlights of your product. What is unique or special and can any of those translate into video content? A great example is from Ciclismo Classico, a bike tour company that specializes in Italy. Food is a major component of their tours with traditional cooking lessons being a highlight experience. Knowing this, they simply transitioned their in-person cooking lessons into a virtual experience through live Zoom meetings and it has become very popular. This worked because they already had the product (authentic Italian cooking instructors), it was something they were known for (experts in Italian cuisine experiences) and they met a current need their audience had (what to cook during a lockdown).

Share your knowledge, expertise or entertain

One of the most important assets of any tour operator or destination is their guides or local experts. These are the people who breathe life into a place and turn it into an experience. They help give meaning to an activity or location by telling the stories that they hold, which enables the visitor to create a connection. Austin Adventures didn’t want their expert knowledge to been in quarantine so they launched Virtual Adventures For Kids. These webinar-style videos are interactive lessons geared toward kids with each one about a different destination Austin Adventures typically travels to. And they work. They have been getting over 1,000 registrations for each webinar and around 90% stayed for the full hour-long lesson. Again, this worked because they already had the knowledge through their guides, they were known for being experts on travel destinations and they met a need families (a core market of theirs) had by helping to entertain and educate their kids. They also receive bonus points for posting the recorded webinars to their YouTube channel, which will now help drive traffic and views for years to come.

Share what is happening right now

FOMO (fear of missing out) is real. This is one of the reasons why social media is even more heavily used now. We can’t go anywhere but we still have a strong desire to know what is going on out there. There is definitely a negative side to FOMO and the point here is not to exploit it, rather understand that it is rooted in a need to feel connected. By providing your audience with a window into your world you create an opportunity to develop or deepen a connection. Look outside and see what is happening right now. If this is a time of year people visit then show them some of the things they typically come to see. Here is a pretty simple example from Zegrahm Expeditions.

Be human and make it personal

Building on the above mentioned point, it is very important to be real, which actually creates a great opportunity. Now is not the time for high production value videos. Your audience is seeking human connection, so you need to be human. The more personal you make your content the better. This is a global crisis and it is affecting everyone. This is not a time where you can ignore the elephant in the room until it goes away. The elephant broke the room and we are still figuring out how to rebuild it. If there was ever a time to show your vulnerability it is now. The opportunity in this is that we now have a shared narrative. We all share in the suffering which enables us to have more empathy for one another.  This translates into the possibility of deeper connections forming through sharing your personal story. Here is a great example from Shannon Stowell of the Adventure Travel Trade Association

But How?

If you are new to the video production world you might be stuck in how-to stage. It may seem like a daunting task but the reality is that anyone with a smartphone can do this. As mentioned before, now is not the time for high production value video. The best camera is always the one that you have and for many people that is your phone. Your approach should be to just start shooting. That is the best way to learn. 

Work with your existing footage or source assets

The companies that were able to be first out of the gate with video content were the ones with existing footage. One of the lessons from all of this should be the need to have a well organized and accessible library of videos and photos. A digital asset management system and a plan to keep it stocked with fresh content are highly recommended for almost all travel brands and organizations. If you don’t have one your future plans should include one but for the time being you can find some limited free stock footage online at sites like Pexels or Pixelbay. Just be really careful and read the licensing agreements. 

If you are keen on further developing your video production skills and/or looking for more free tools and assets, check out our Video Marketing Toolkit. 

As always, you can also contact us anytime to discuss any element of your video production needs, even if you just want to bounce ideas off of someone!