Mobile devices are rapidly becoming one of the primary ways in which we watch video, even if it’s just in quick bursts presented on a tiny iPhone screen. Going forward, customizing both branded messages and pertinent local content for the mobile space will be a crucial goal for many hotel companies, and it’s only the beginning stages.
As a starting point, experts say hotels must ensure their direct channels are optimized for mobile and for hosting video content. This includes ensuring websites are mobile-responsive and adaptive to properly showcase mobile video. Spotlighting the content amid the other choices on each website is also vital for garnering eyeballs.
“The photo and video page on our websites consistently rank in the top five most visited pages,” says Lauren Roxborough, senior director of corporate hotel and New York City marketing for SBE, a Los Angeles-based lifestyle hospitality company that develops and manages hotels, restaurants and night clubs. “Therefore, we highlight this page toward the top of the main navigation in mobile so it is easily accessible. We also make sure the action panels on our websites play video on mobile.”
And the content itself is changing in response to both the technology and culture that uses it. Experts say videos geared toward mobile should remain relatively short—some two minutes or so in length—and in many cases don’t necessarily need to be super high-budget to achieve the goal. In the age of YouTube, a DIY approach to filming is increasingly acceptable.
“If you’re creating a video that’s meant to be a brand showpiece, a sizzle, that’s really meant to bring to life what’s special about your brand and your properties, you spend more money on that,” says Eric Schwamberger, partner and chief marketing and content officer of Tenthwave Digital, New York City. “But if it’s something more social video-oriented, overproduction seems disingenuous. If it’s, ‘Look at the event we had last weekend,’ it’s perfectly all right for it to be lower-budget, lower-quality, authentic-feeling videos. People wouldn’t expect you to overspend, because as soon as you do, it feels too polished, like it was created and not experienced.”
There’s also what’s on the horizon to consider, and for many, virtual reality (VR) is the trend to watch. As the technology becomes cheaper and more readily available, so will the content, and hospitality particularly stands to gain.
“If I had to pick one trend in video to start preparing for, it’s the virtual reality trend,” Schwamberger says. “With VR headsets being given away these days, people are going to soon expect a more immersive experience when reviewing properties, particularly vacation or luxury properties. That’s something to be planning for and thinking about today.”
Contributed by Brendan Manley