SPECIAL REPORT
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WHATWE TRY TO EDUCATE HOTELS ON IS : MARKETING
SHOULD BE A CONVERSATION . EDWARD ST . ONGE , PRESIDENT , FLIP . TO
Hospitality recently launched a video series exploring the various cities of each of its seven brands . The sweet spot for video length ? Just 20 to 50 seconds .
“ It ’ s not just about the length ,” says Fiona Boyce , Two Roads ’ director of social media and content marketing . “ It really is the content of what you ’ re showing . So we ’ ve found what kind of music people respond to better , quick shots versus long , and making sure the cover image that people see for the video is really attentiongrabbing , that ’ s really important , too .”
The videos , posted on Facebook and Instagram as well as the properties ’ individual blogs , have since averaged 150,000 views .
One video , part of the company ’ s # Thompson “ Uncovered : Spotlight on Seattle ” series featured a 35-second video with quick edits depicting the city ' s top five mochas . Its launch was strategically timed for National Coffee Day , a move that Boyce says helped garner some 132,000 views and 54 shares on Facebook .
“ That really showed that if you can proactively create content around something people are interested in and talking about , you will get much higher levels of engagement ,” Boyce says . “ Sharing is the golden circle of great content .”
If anything , shorter videos should make it easier to convey brand message , says Bek Van Vliet , content director for hotel and travel branding agency Quo Global , Bangkok .
Smart content doesn ’ t have to mean elaborate shots and sleek editing , according to Van Vliet . It can be a 15-second or shorter video , and she says even “ one-shot ” videos ( waves , a city scene , sunset time lapses ) can be very effective .
And these videos can be taken using a smartphone .
“ Think about Vine and Boomerang videos on Instagram – they ’ re only a few seconds long , but you only need a few seconds to elicit an emotional response ,” Van Vliet says . “ Having said that , the emotional response needs to be the right one , which means having a sound strategy .
“ Key messages should be simple and they should be articulated them with strong visuals ,” she adds .
Screenshot from Two Roads Hospitality ' s “ Spotlight on Seattle ” series .
Screenshot from Two Roads Hospitality ' s “ Spotlight on Seattle ” series
24 hotelsmag . com December 2017