5th March, 2018
With the decline in print media persisting, digital newsrooms shrinking and organic reach almost non-existent, reaching potential customers for a café or restaurant is harder than ever.
Facebook’s “Video First” strategy was put forward by Mark Zuckerberg in 2016, so it’s not surprising that now over three quarters of all web traffic relates to video content.
Unless you’re trained in social media, digital algorithms are confusing. Put simply, the algorithms are designed to elevate content that’s appealing to readers in search-engine rankings. When it comes to hospitality, the #foodporn hashtag is a good example of how simple, visually pleasing content has potential to go viral.
According to Social Media Today, video content achieves a 135 percent greater organic reach than photo content. Around 76 percent of consumers say they’re more likely to share video content, rather than photo or text content, with their friends.
“With the introduction of smartphones, pictures of food clog up everyone’s feed. We needed to find a way to make our clients’ content stand out, which is why we decided to use video content. We’ve had great feedback already!” says Moreton Horsley, Content Manager at The Atticism PR.
READ: What’s organic reach?
Engaging video content not only increases your business’ profile on social media, but is statistically proven to deepen customer trust, increase your ROI and boost profit margins. In fact, 76.5 percent of professional marketers and SMB owners are already seeing increased results with video marketing (Animoto, 2016).
Businesses that don’t adapt to the increased appetite for video content risk losing more than a few likes or shares on social media – you could get bumped to page two (or lower) on Google.
SEO expert, Clive Morley, from I am Strategist says, “In the hospitality industry, great content, PR and SEO go hand in hand. We use video content to drive user engagement, social sharing and to create a more compelling message – this leads to more bookings.”
According to Moovly, you’re 53 percent more likely to show up on the first page of Google searches if you have a video embedded somewhere on your website.
Also, eDMs that feature the word ‘video’ in the subject line receive an average increase in open rates of 19 percent, click-through rates of 65 percent and reduced unsubscribes of 26 percent.
Over 65 percent of consumers check restaurants’ social pages before making a dining decision, according to IBS.
In addition to that, people remember about 95 percent of content contained in videos, compared to a measly 10 percent when the same messages are read in text or seen on a photo.
Since we already know that customer trust and engagement is at the core of hospitality business growth, making sure initial connections with your customer are sinking in is a sure-fire way to increase patronage and repeat business. Video is the perfect tool to make this happen.
Live videos, behind-the-scenes videos, instructional videos, event videos, testimonial videos, boomerang videos… the list goes on. With so many options, what sort of video would work best for your business?
The characteristics of a successful video remain the same, no matter what the subject.
The most important factor for a successful video is its content. Fortunately, as a restaurant or café owner, great content is probably being created at your venue constantly – all you have to do is capture it.
Has your chef created a new dish that looks spectacular? Why not create a #droolworthy style video showing the making process? What about a video menu?
Does your café have a focus on specialty coffee? Why not create short educational videos about the coffee you serve, or even #howto videos about making café quality coffee at home?
Do customers love what you do? Why not take some #testimonial videos to share on social media or your website?
There’s no magic process, but videos work best when they tell a story. Stick to universal storytelling concepts like an obvious theme, plus including a beginning, middle and ending.
To really capture the customer, a simple (yet direct) call to action should be included.
Production quality is important, but it’s not always essential to hire a professional videographer. Good lighting, good sound and a steady hand are the tools for success. In fact, it’s now possible to capture high quality video with a smartphone.
But if you’re not confident in your skills, increased demand for video content means we’ve seen an increase in quality videographers. Often the cost for having it done professionally is actually quite reasonable.
“Our production costs are actually very low,” says Joe Ward from Salmon & Bear. “We are positioned as a casual diner, so we have a slightly rougher production style.
“All of our videos are shot on a normal SLR and then edited by a professional. I would say that the editing is where the skill comes in. It’s important that the footage selection and editing style convey the key messages.”
Video content is already taking over the world of digital marketing. Businesses that have mastered the art of online engagement are already reaping the rewards.
Channel your inner Spielberg and start harvesting audiovisual gold!