A video can help customers plan their next trip, check which places they want to visit and inform them how an activity works. People go to YouTube to learn how things work, and a video can even help them choose their next destination.
Many businesses already work with video as a marketing tool, and many are considering working with it because of customer demand. While we see an increase in video content for Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok, some companies might overlook one of the leading video channels for the tourism industry, YouTube.
YouTube might seem like a different effort—we understand that if you don't have a team that can film, edit and post it, taking the time to work with a YouTube strategy can be a little overwhelming. But the video platform has gotten faster and stronger.
According to The Global State of Digital 2022, from Hootsuite and We Are Social, besides being the world's second-most visited website, monthly YouTube has more unique visitors than Facebook and Instagram. Also, visitors spend an average of 19 minutes a day on YouTube.
Since video continues to grow, it's time for you to consider working with a YouTube strategy.
Why tour operators should work with a YouTube strategy
To drive more booking is one of the many reasons why video strategy can help your business. Through social media, showing content your customers want to see is key to community building and engagement.
When we think about the process travelers experience before actually booking their airplane tickets and tours and activities, we know that they go through dreaming moments where they are searching for inspiration.
As reported by Think with Google, video plays a significant role in the dreaming stage:
- In any given month, over 100 million of YouTube's unique visitors are travelers.
- 64% of people watching travel-related videos are thinking about taking a trip.
- Three out of five travelers that watch video use it to evaluate brand, destination, or activity choices.
Also, trends show that the new generation, Gen Z, prefers video. They might even prefer searching for something on YouTube instead of Google as a search engine. You can read more about it in this blog post: Gen Z: How will the newest generation of travelers impact the tourism industry?.
YouTube as a search engine
We all, at some point, research on YouTube for tutorials and how-to videos, and for travel is no different. When looking for inspiration, 65% of travelers search for videos online by destination. For example, top destinations searched on YouTube include "Barcelona," "Canada," "Dubai," "Australia," and "New York."
Keep in mind that travelers in destination are looking for real-time availability and bookings with a confirmed slot. Using software that provides an efficient alternative to outdated voucher systems makes business sense. Find out more about TrekkSoft's booking system and how it can help your business in this regard.
That's why a YouTube strategy is also a keyword strategy. Working with the best keywords can rank you on the top of the result list on YouTube and Google.
YouTube Optimization
To make the most of your strategy and ensure your video is ranking well and visible for relevant keywords, here are some tips on how to perform better on YouTube:
- Use your keyword on the title of your video - so that both YouTube and your customers know what it is they're looking at.
- Work with custom thumbnails: The text over the video can make a difference when it comes to a viewer clicking into your video. They work as billboards for your content, so check if the image and text represent your video correctly.
- Organize your content by playlists: Make it easier for your viewers to find the content they want to see.
- Highlight one video at the top of your channel: It will be the first video customers see when they go to your channel, so choose one that shows your company or activities best. Some tour businesses decide to make a presentation video showing all the activities; others prefer to highlight their main tour.
- Add sections on your channel homepage to organize your content for customers: You can divide it by "popular videos," "recent posts," "playlists," and others. Pick the way that better shows your tours, activities, and brand.
- Use the description of videos: The description is where you can add external links, take customers to your website, the specific activity page you're showing on the video, or to your social media. Like a description on a social platform, write relevant content to explain what is on the video and about your company.
- Work with tags: they help give context to the video and are essential for good ranking. For tags, you can add your keyword and its variations.
- The call to action is important to keep interacting with your viewers: Ask them to subscribe, comment, like, or any other action that fits the content and your strategy
When setting up your profile, remember to update your channel icon and banner and to have an informative and updated description in the About section.
These are some optimizations you can do on your YouTube channel. If you want to know more about it, let us know!
Examples of content for the travel industry
Whether you are planning on making your first video or just looking for information to elevate your current strategy, remember that the goal is to excite customers about the next adventure or destination. To learn how to create memorably and establish a human connection through video, read How to make your tour business stand out with Video Marketing.
Check some examples of how tourism companies can show their brand, share their tours and activities and create fun and informative content:
The channel Bologna Welcome is the tourist information service in the city. You can understand how the brand communicates over the interview.
Let customers know who your brand is and what it offers. Sharing your brand voice through video helps people recognize you, build trust and increase brand awareness.
Visit Meteora channel post videos relevant to Meteora landscape and the monasteries, as well as promotional videos of activities, tours, and events of the area.
Video is a source of information. Whether you're showing a testimonial, a step-by-step, or clips of the adventure customers will experience.
Fjord Norway, has a video that works perfectly as an example of how to create content that arouses emotions and shares the location in a unique way.
Did you know that travel blogs are the most popular type of travel videos watched on YouTube? They can contain strong storytelling to create a unique experience. To learn more about how a good story can convey a message, entertain or ignite a fire within your audience, read 10 steps to mastering the art of storytelling.
Videos can also create a great experience and increase results in other channels. To find out which channels to use to boost sales for your tour and activity business and work with a checklist to ensure your business follows the right distribution tactics for your tours, click on the image below to download our e-book.
.png)
