Vacation Rental Videos (Grow Your Bookings)

There are four main rules for filming and editing a promotional video for your vacation rental property. The first is to keep it simple, and the second is that short is better. The third is to focus on informing, educating, and entertaining your viewers. And the fourth is to target your audience. While these four rules are a great framework to start with, there’s much more that goes into creating a promotional video. In this article, we’ll cover the advantages of creating a video and then provide plenty of advice for planning, filming, and editing it.

What Are the Advantages of Creating a Promotional Video?

While photos and descriptions can do a lot, video is even more powerful. Video footage is the best way to make your property truly come to life and allow viewers to feel like they’re actually there. Plus, visitors typically spend about 88% more time on web pages with video, and it can increase your page’s viewership by as much as 300%.

Videos give potential guests a look into what your property is really like. It shows them the kind of experience they’ll have if they choose your property rather than your competition. It also answers common questions and alleviates any doubts potential guests may have about booking a stay with you. A promo video shows off all the amazing benefits of your property, and the process of making the video gives you a chance to have fun and be creative!

Before You Film

Before you jump into filming your video, planning is essential. First, you’ll want to consider the type of video (or videos) you want to create. A few popular options include a house tour, a neighborhood tour, a meet the host video, and an FAQ video.

Next, consider the kinds of themes and messages you want to get across. Who do you want to appeal to? Think about your ideal guests, and plan the video with them in mind. You always want your video to appeal to your target audience. Suppose you want to market your property to different kinds of guests (couples, families, remote workers, groups, etc.). In that case, you can even plan multiple videos to target each specific group of people.

It’s smart to write up a detailed script for the promo video that covers the shots you want, the voiceover, the captions, and any other elements you want to include. If you’re not going to film the video yourself, this is also the time to outsource the work to a professional and fill them in on your creative vision. Also, you might want to hire actors to display the vacation rental’s best amenities and give potential guests an even clearer picture of the types of experiences they can have there. If so, this is also the time to hire actors or recruit family and friends to help you out.

Finally, the last thing you need to do before filming the promo video is to set the scene. Clean and stage the property to showcase its best assets and amenities before getting out your camera.

Filming Tips

If you’re filming the video yourself rather than hiring a professional, there are a few simple tips to follow if you want to keep the final product from looking amateur. First, buy a tripod. They’re inexpensive and so much better than simply holding your phone. Today’s smartphones have great video quality, but if your hand is shaking while you’re filming, that’s going to reflect negatively on your video as a whole. Using a tripod is a simple and easy way to ensure stable, high-quality footage.

Another thing to keep in mind is that you don’t need minutes of footage for every room. Showing each room from one or two angles is plenty.

If you want to go above and beyond, getting drone or aerial footage is impressive and will definitely make an impact on potential guests. This is especially true if your vacation rental is located in an area with a beautiful view nearby–maybe a lake, ocean, mountains, or rolling hills. Shots of the surrounding nature can help to sell a stay at your property just as much as the interior can.

Editing Tips

Keep it short

Two to three minutes is more than enough for your website’s video. Any longer and viewers will begin to get bored. When posting the video to various social media sites, you’ll want to adjust the length as well. The ideal video time for YouTube is two minutes, while for Facebook, it’s one minute. The ideal video length for Twitter is 45 seconds, and for Instagram, it’s only 26 seconds. In addition, individual shots should be limited to about five seconds each.

Start off strong

Showcase your vacation rental property’s top features at the beginning of the video–don’t make viewers wait until the end to see them, or they may never get there. The key is to pique viewers’ interests as soon as possible to grab and hold their attention throughout the rest of the video.

Be subtle

While there are plenty of fun effects and eye-catching transitions available, it’s better not to use anything too distracting. Some simple background music that fits the ambiance of the location is perfect, and subtle visual effects make the video look professional without going over the top. Subtitles and a voiceover are nice additions–just make sure there are no grammar or spelling errors in the subtitles, and ensure the audio for the voiceover is high-quality.

Stay accurate

When editing, there are plenty of things you can do to make your vacation rental property look absolutely amazing–but be sure that your video is still an accurate representation of the property. Guests aren’t likely to be too happy if the vacation rental they saw in the promo video seems to be completely different from the actual property.

Remember your target audience

Just as you planned and shot the video with your target audience in mind, remember them while you’re editing the video together. The final product should hold massive appeal for your ideal guests.

Incorporate social proof.

Intersperse previous reviews and testimonials throughout your video to reinforce the amazing experiences potential guests can have at your vacation rental property.

Brand consistency is key

The entire video should maintain the same type of vibe throughout, and it needs to be consistent with your overall brand. For example, if your vacation rental is elegant and spacious, a loud video with bright colors and sudden transitions from one shot to another wouldn’t quite fit. A more refined video would be more consistent with your overall brand.

Mix still shots and video

A mix of photos and videos is visually interesting and a great way to show off your vacation rental property. You can pan across still shots in order to keep the visuals moving.

Include interior and exterior shots

A good balance between interior and exterior shots is key for a high-quality vacation rental property promo video. Travelers want to see not only the interior of the place where they’re going to stay, but also their surroundings, particularly if the vacation rental is located in an especially beautiful area.

Watch the data

Note any patterns you notice from the analytics of your promo video. You might notice that many people stop watching at a certain point or don’t get all the way through to the end. This could be a sign that you need to shorten the video or take certain parts out that aren’t resonating with viewers.

Add a watermark

Add a watermark with your vacation rental website’s URL to the video. This way, no matter where it is shared or where it ends up, it will always link back to your website.

Consider including area information

Depending on the type of video you’re creating, including information about landmarks, shopping, dining, and history can be a nice addition. If your target audience consists of adventurers and people who like to live like a local, area information could be an important component of your video.

Inspire viewers to take action

At the end of the video, a simple call to action like “Book your stay today!” encourages potential guests to take the step to actually book a stay at your vacation rental property. Be sure to include your vacation rental property’s website address as well. YouTube also has a Call-to-Action feature that you can take advantage of.

Consider promotion with paid ads

While videos on their own are powerful, paid ads can take your vacation rental promo video to the next level if you want to see dramatic results.

Main Takeaways

• A promotional video brings your property to life onscreen and shows potential visitors the incredible experiences they’ll have at your vacation rental.
• Before you film, thoroughly plan out your video according to your target audience.
• While filming, use a tripod, shoot each room from one or two angles, and get a mix of interior and exterior shots.
• While editing, keep the video under three minutes and start with your best shots. Use subtle transitions and effects and represent your vacation rental property accurately. Mix still shots with video, add in social proof, include a watermark, and encourage viewers to take action at the end.