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How to be a YouTube star on your next vacation
Be yourself.
It’s easy to distinguish the corporate video from the homegrown travel production — even if you shoot both on the same camera. The commercial video usually has one purpose, says Tom Flanagan, the chief executive of the Denver-based marketing company Red Robot: to drive sales. “It is obvious that consumers increasingly demand more,” he says. They don’t just want to be pitched. They want to see videos that are interesting, authentic — and brief. Enough said.
Tell a story.
Even though you’re dealing with a new medium, a lot of the old rules apply. A popular online video has to tell some kind of story, even if it’s a simple tour of your hotel room or an argument on a plane. That’s the assessment of writer and producer Tim Street, who specializes in creating and distributing online video. “I’ve had over 30 million views of my videos online and what I’ve learned is that you can’t just make a video and expect it to go viral,” he says. “You need your video to be emotionally engaging moving two or more emotions. You also need spectacle and story.” Incidentally, there’s plenty of that in the travel industry. It’s just waiting to be discovered by you.
Be responsible.
Camera-toting tourists have a lot more power than they think. Use yours responsibly. Alexia Nestora, a consultant for a tour operator in Littleton, Colo., remembers how one unhappy customer posted a video that alleged her client was operating a fraudulent business. In the clip, he burned a T-shirt with the company’s logo and scrolled text with falsified information. More than 500 people downloaded his tirade. “We know that we lost a few sales as a result of the video, people would call after they had booked — sometimes even forfeiting their deposit because this video scared them off,” she remembers. Lesson learned? Online videos “can no longer be ignored by marketers and must be monitored,” she says. But the takeaway for us, the folks who are creating these videos, is that the world is watching. Think before you post.
I’m not sure anyone fully understands what video means to travel — let alone the Internet. As Wilson Cleveland, a vice president at CJP, points out, “Video is the best medium for bringing an experience or storyline to life.” It can provoke a visceral response from you. But is that all?
I believe it’s possible that we’re are entering an age in which a single online video has the power to transform an obscure destination into a must-visit Mecca — or to turn throngs of travelers away from an airline, car rental company, cruise line or resort.
Will this make the travel industry offer better customer service? Or will they just try to confiscate our video cameras when we’re on the road?
Better hold on to your cameras.
Every Monday, my column takes a close look at what makes the travel business tick. Your comments are always welcome, and if you can’t get enough of my column, drop by my blog for daily insights into the world of travel.
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