5 simple tips to increase your reservations with photos & videos

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We all know that photos and videos are a great way to sell your hotel or resort right?  So why is it one area where the majority of hotels have under-invested!  We are living in an age where photos and even more so videos are taking on a greater importance.   The way we all connect and interact online makes it difficult for you get your hotel to stand out from the crowd and show why you are different and better than your competitors.

In 2015, just having a picture of your exterior, lobby and bedroom doesn´t cut it.  You have to entice your prospective guests through original photos and videos.  What are your unique features?  Why are you different?  Do you have unique personalities within your team that your clients love?

Here are five simple tips to show you how to get the most from your photos and videos which will help increase your visibility and reservations:-

  • Planning – Before you even call a photographer, you need plan what photos you think the best show off your hotel.  Look at guests comments to gauge how clients see you, which parts of the hotel do they think are your strong points?  Preparation is key by having Flowers,  extra amenities.  fruit platters, suitcases, cocktails or champagne ready to decorate your rooms, bars lobbies etc.  If you have the budget, organise for a professional to decorate the spaces you want to photograph.  Warm, open faces speak thousands of words in a picture,  ensure your staff are aware that there is photo shoot taking place.   Again, if you have the budget, use models who can help you show what your guests can enjoy when they are staying with you. From drinking a glass of champagne on the terrace overlooking your swimming pool to enjoying a dessert at your buffet restaurant.  By being clear beforehand and knowing what you want, will allow you get the most from your photos.  Also, if your hotel boasts MICE facilities, Spa, Golf, etc., these also need to be prepared and decorated.  A photographer does not know your hotel; you do!
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  • Investigate – We would all love to have a big marketing department helping us, coming up with great new original ideas for creating photos and videos for your hotel or resort.  The reality is that most of the independent hoteliers cannot afford that luxury, but what we can do is look on the web and source ideas that can be adapted to your hotel.  One of my personal favorites promotional hotel videos (Shown below) was Nobu Hotel @ Caesars Palace.  They show off the whole hotel in a video that is original and engaging.   The key is to explain to your video producer is a concept that suits your target audience (business, couples, families, etc.) so that they can translate it into a video for you.
  • Editing – Once you have an excellent selection of impacting and beautifully presented photos.  The next stage is to get them adapted for your various social media pages, website, and other pages which publish your hotels photos.  Another great technique is to add a few words to each photo to perfectly describe them and show off your major strengths for example “Deluxe Room with fantastic views” or “Free High-Speed WIFI.”
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  • Publishing – With your selection of photos and videos now ready, ensure that all your agents, website, OTA´s and social media update their pages with these new images.  There are services that you can contract which can help you with this process.  The key is that wherever your prospective guest finds you, they see the same photo.
  • Don´t Stop there!! – Once you have your hotels, official photos and videos completed, which you should update once every couple of years.  You can now start to build an excellent collection of pictures of some of the many significant events, celebrities that you host at your hotel.  Videos of guests commenting about their stay are also very compelling.  If you have a cocktail bar then why not a quick  1 min video showing your guests on how to make the perfect cocktail like shown in this video below from Iceland Air Hotels.  Be creative and original, videos and photos are great at promoting what kind of guest experience your future clients can enjoy.  We all have a fantastic camera and video recorder on our smartphones, just hook them up to a tripod and with a little help from programs such as Camtasia and you will be well on your way!

Have fun, allow your staff to participate, they can also be a source of new ideas.  By updating your current photographs and videos as well as generating fantastic new content, will provide your guests who are viewing your hotel to understand in greater depth why you are unique and why they should choose to stay with you rather than one of your competitors.

Are you frustrated that your online bookings are not increasing?  Email us at info@hotelient.net for more information on how Hotelient can work with you to implement a proven online strategy that delivers results.

About the author

John Kearney has over 20 years of Hotel Sales and General Hotel Management experience working for both Independent 4 & 5* Hotels & Resorts as well as with Intercontinental (IHG) and Radisson SAS for Hotels based in London as well as across Spain.

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