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Whether you’re a buyer, seller, or just a plain old real estate marketer, you know the importance of maintaining a strong, reputable, and attractive presence for your target audience. In such a competitive industry that hits so close to home (couldn’t resist), it is critical to market your business effectively and find ways to one-up your competitors.
If you have not hopped on the video bandwagon, then it is time to buck up and take the leap. Real estate video has increased in popularity among marketers – and for good reason.
Real estate listings that utilize video marketing receive 403% more inquiries than those without video! Yet, if you are new to video, this can feel quite intimidating. As a past employee of a video hosting and marketing company, I understand this far too well. But I’m here to tell you that there is nothing to be afraid of! Video is not only a fun medium to work with; it is also one that can take your business to the next level. Here are eight tips that will help you sell more homes with video.
Tip #1: Set aside an appropriate budget
This first step towards video marketing success is ensuring you have quality videos. You may have been encouraged to just jump into video and not worry so much about production quality. While this might be true for certain instances (like sending video voicemails or other one-to-one interaction), for the real estate industry it is important that your marketing videos looked polished and perfected. It makes sense, right? This industry is all about aesthetics. If a property is not visually pleasing, then you are not going to have much luck getting it off the market.
If you don’t have the budget for something this glamorous, don’t fret! There are ways to do video in-house professionally that won’t cost you an arm and leg. We’re lucky enough to live in a world where a lot of us carry around high quality video cameras in our pockets every day.
It is also important not to forget that you need to set aside budget for promoting your videos on platforms like Google, Instagram, and Facebook, so keep this in mind when doling out your video cash.
Tip #2: Plan ahead
Video marketing is not just an off-the-cuff strategy to throw together and implement quickly. It takes time to plan the types of videos you want to create, how you’re going to film and edit your videos, where you’re going to place them, etc.
Before diving into video, take the time to strategize. Identify the videos you want and the videos you need. Figure out how to prioritize producing those videos. Develop a detailed plan for how to promote the videos.
The video production process itself can involve many steps, like finding actors, scripting, props, lighting, sound, or editing.
Don’t be overwhelmed, though! Planning will help all of these components come together in a reasonable time frame. Do some research, meet with your team, and make a plan to tackle your video goals head on. We’re confident you can do it!
Tip #3: Make your videos human!
Buying (or selling) a home is such a personal experience. Not only is the process financially significant, but it is also emotionally involved. And guess what? People often act with their emotions. People also relate to other people, not properties. This is why you need to get into the habit of storytelling.
Doesn’t that just give you all the feels? Don’t you just want to work with this real estate firm to buy the home of your dreams?
I’m not lying to you: Emotional appeal is by far the most effective strategy to win over your client’s heart. Go forward, and get those emotions rolling with powerful video!
Tip #4: Leverage the power of 360 video
When you’re selling something tangible online, it can be hard to represent the beauty of the physical product on a flat two-dimensional surface. Of course, this is where video is valuable for industries of this nature. Real estate is no exception, but since this industry needs to capture such a large, multi-functional spaces, standard video is often not enough.
This is where 360 video comes into play! This video experience allows your audience to become immersed and tour around the space without having to remove their slippers.
While diving into this somewhat new technology might seem intimidating at first, I’m confident you have the skills.
Tip #5: Sell the lifestyle and location, in addition to the property
Thinking beyond the apartment or home is critical for real estate marketers. It’s important to remember that you’re selling the location just as much as the features of the property. This shouldn’t be forgotten in your videos.
Not only does this video sell the luxury of the building, but it also sells the big city lifestyle! With beautiful views of the New York skyline, this video sells a city rather than just an apartment.
Tip #6: Build trust with testimonials
Trust is a challenging component in this industry. Not only is the decision to purchase real estate a financially significant one, but it is also often a lifestyle choice that affects your everyday. The best way for real estate marketers to instill trust in their leads is by letting someone else do the talking. Happy homeowners are the “someone else” I’m referring to, because these are the folks who have already been through the process.
Hopefully in your company’s time in business there have been pleased clients who have worked with you. Reach out to these individuals to see if they’d be willing to film a quick video testimonial describing their positive experience. Getting this type of endorsement from a real person will help new leads see that your organization is one worth working with.
To ensure your happy clients will be willing to do this, make sure you treat them like royalty even after the deal is signed. Surprise them with a celebratory bottle of champagne or a gift card to a renowned restaurant in the area. If you do this, they won’t be able to refuse when you ask for them to star in a short video.
Tip #7: Place your videos strategically
Remarketing to your clients active in their buying process with an emotional client testimonial video could encourage them to go ahead and sign the contract on their new home with confidence.
If you’re running a campaign to promote brand recognition, though, it might not make sense to promote a video that features testimonials. Instead, these leads would probably benefit from a video that raises awareness about your location and services.
Placing your videos strategically is such an important part of the video marketing process because all of your effort creating and editing your beautiful videos will go to waste if you’re not reaching the right people.
Spend time planning your promotion strategy for each video to ensure you’re targeting the right audience with the right content at the ideal time.
Tip #8: Keep your videos under five minutes
To end with a simple tip, keep your videos short and sweet!
Every second your video plays viewers will be lost. This is just how viewing behavior goes: the average video only retains 37% of videos through the last second. As videos start to turn into movies, viewers are going to lose interest and move on. Your story is also likely to be more compelling if you only include the really engaging stuff.
At the end of day, if you’re able to master video marketing, your real estate firm is going to benefit. So, what are you waiting for? Go forth and film!
Drones are quickly becoming a staple of the maritime industry. In January, the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) issued the largest ever civilian maritime drone contact, valued at €67 million.
Under the contract, drones will be used to assist with border control, search-and-rescue operations and monitoring of pollution, as well as the detection of illegal fishing and drug and people trafficking.
External Vessel Inspections.
Big names in the maritime industry have all shown strategic intent to revolutionize their operations by embracing drone technology, and many maritime operators are now following suit.
All ship owners know that traditional methods of external vessel inspection can be a costly affair. Now that high-definition, camera-equipped drones are widely available and affordable, it is becoming more common to use them for external vessel inspections to assess structural conditions. Identifying substantial corrosion, significant deformation, fractures, damage or other structural deterioration can be done quickly, easily and cost-effectively using drones.
Tank Inspections.
The visual inspection of cargo tanks was traditionally performed by workers suspended on ropes to inspect the tank structure. The sheer size of modern-day vessels means that access methods including staging, rafting and climbing are often used by surveyors to access tanks.
In contrast, drone surveys require no human access to the tank and, since no access equipment is required, there are no setup costs, and inspections can be completed within a quicker timeframe.
Bathymetric Surveys.
Accurate and reliable information on the features of water bodies and their shorelines is vital to navigational safety. Bathymetric surveys gather the information, which is then published for use on nautical charts. Rather than using a fixed-wing airplane or helicopter, bathymetric sensors developed for drones allow this type of survey to be carried out flexibly and at a fraction of the cost.
To operate effectively in the harsh maritime environment, the technology has been developed to withstand storm force wind and heavy rain, snow and salt spray.
As technology advances, so does the flight time available on drones, meaning more area can be covered in a quicker timeframe.
Floating Flare-Tip Inspections. Drone surveys typically exist to provide close visual and thermal inspections of high, live or difficult to access structures offshore, and there’s nothing more challenging to access than a flare tip, 70 meters above water, on a floating production facility.
Drone survey inspections for flare tips remove the need for a shutdown to inspect the flare and offer reduced costs compared to aerial surveys carried out by helicopter or plane.
Offshore Wind Energy. The wind energy sector is growing fast. Storm force winds, erosion, lightning strikes and even build-up of insects can have an impact on turbines, and blades need to be inspected for deterioration. Inspectors have traditionally had to scale the turbines with the help of ropes and cables.
The maritime surveying company uses a drone fleet designed for turbine-blade inspections onshore or offshore. Qualified and trained pilots quickly and accurately identify and assess faults.
Fully Autonomous Drones? Fully autonomous drones could be the next big thing for maritime surveying. The drones can be pre-loaded with a 3D model of the ship. This allows the drone to autonomously work its way around the vessel, stopping at points of interest to obtain detailed video or image data.
Advancing this further, a drone could be designed to create its own 3D map of the vessel before carrying out the survey independently.
The COVID-19 pandemic is currently the top concern for environment, health, and safety (EHS) professionals worldwide. If this is you, then your immediate remit has been to halt the spread of the virus to your employees, clients, and communities. But what about all the other day-to-day responsibilities that you have? They likely didn’t just disappear. Despite the current health crisis and responsibility for keeping people safe, EHS managers are still accountable for EHS business-related functions, including environmental due diligence. However, carrying out due diligence activities, like site reviews, during COVID-19 can be tricky given resourcing constraints, travel restrictions, and limited facility access. To keep your EHS function from delaying important due diligence activities, we offer some technology-enabled options to help you support your M&A teams and maintain your seat at the table. More specifically, these solutions focus on remote inspection, providing real-time interaction, data, and visuals without the need for travel or onsite access.
Drones
Drones seem to be everywhere these days. From your local neighborhood enthusiast to Amazon Prime Air drone delivery service, more people and industries are beginning to embrace this remote technology. The practical uses of drones in the workplace are continuing to expand as companies find they can eliminate health and safety hazards by using technology to complete potentially dangerous tasks instead of employees.
EHS Applicability:
Drones can be used for environmental site assessments to gain a general view of the property, help identify features of concern and provide real-time documentation through maps, figures, and 3D models. Drones can be especially helpful when dealing with sites that have particular safety concerns that prevent access by foot or vehicle. And while drones cannot provide a physical inspection of infrastructure (like opening a manhole or looking inside a shed), they can identify surface expressions of infrastructure (buildings, tanks, rail lines, power lines) and important topography changes (pits, lagoons, stained areas, stressed vegetation).
Smart Glasses
Smart glasses comprise wearable, augmented reality technologies that are seeing a resurgence in popularity after years of beta-testing and iterating. An optical head-mounted display, typically designed in the shape of eyeglasses with viewable and interactive screens, these technologies allow remote participants to collaboratively view 2D and 3D content and imagery.
EHS Applicability:
Smart glasses can be used to visually audit and inspect a property and its operations – both inside or outside -- and stream or record data for interpretation, interactive Q&A and photo documentation. Via computer and secure interface, multiple people can engage remotely in real-time review of facility operations and site features. While cell phones and tablets can offer similar access, smart glass works with and without internet access and allows for secure storage of facility images and data.
Construction professionals are increasingly turning to technology to help keep projects on schedule, within budget, and ultimately successful.
Construction cameras which can take time lapse video are among the most popular technologies that are impacting the construction industry today, but why are they so popular?
It’s All About the Benefits Time-lapse Brings
1. Time-lapse construction cameras give contractors a compelling way to tell a complete story about their project from start to finish in crisp, UltraHD 4K resolution.
Construction cameras with time-lapse features allow companies to share detail-rich 4K photos and movies on websites, in press releases or eNewsletters, on social media channels and more!
3. Time-lapse is helpful to construction companies for spotting inefficiencies throughout the construction process.
From improper delivery and storage of materials to subcontractors that are habitually late to show up, construction cameras with time-lapse features allow you the opportunity to address and resolve inefficiencies earlier, rather than later.
Take The Plunge with Time-Lapse
With such a wide range of benefits, it’s no wonder why time-lapse construction cameras continue to grow in popularity year after year. If you have yet to experience the benefits of time-lapse cameras firsthand, there’s no better time than now to get started!
When it comes to a solid corporate video production strategy, you have to cover all of your bases. You can’t just write good content on a blog anymore. You have to go above and beyond when it comes to creating amazing content. This means taking your message and spreading it in different ways. Video is an especially important avenue to take your content down. Here are some important reasons why you need to incorporate amazing corporate video production into your online marketing campaign.
1. EVERYONE LIKES TO CONSUME INFORMATION DIFFERENTLY
There are different types of learners in this world, and when it comes to content, your goal is to educate. You may be teaching someone why they need your services, how they can use your products, when they will need your training, or where they can best apply your coaching in their lives. No matter what you sell, your basic content creation goals will all boil down to educating a targeted audience.
When you just write content on your dblog, you are only catering to read-write learners. By creating corporate video content, you will also be catering to visual and auditory learners. If your videos include easy instructions that people can follow along with, you can even tap into the kinesthetic learners who like a more hands-on approach to learning.
By incorporating corporate video productions into your content, you will attract content consumers who love video. You can even get the best of different worlds by transcribing your video in text beneath the video on a blog post. This will give read-write learners something to enjoy and help with the search engine optimization of the page accompanying the video. You could also scrape the audio portion of your video and turn that into a downloadable MP3 or podcast for iTunes for auditory-only learners.
2. GOOGLE LOVES VIDEO
It should be obvious since acquiring YouTube in 2006 that Google loves video.
Google now incorporates more than just links into their search results – they incorporate video results as well.
All the business would have to do to capitalize on this spot is make sure that the link to their website is on the video itself and beneath the video in the description. Someone might watch the video, realize they could do this themselves, and then order a new set of tires from the business. Learn more about how videos on YouTube and your own website can help with search rankings.
3. VIDEO IS EASY TO SHARE
Video sharing sites like YouTube and Vimeo make it easy to share video using a link to the video or the embed code provided by the site. This makes it much more likely that people will share your amazing corporate videos on their blog, Facebook page, or other social media account. This means that if you create a great message with your video, you don’t have to make it your life’s mission to share the video. After a little promotion by your business, you could have others promoting it for you! You can see the many ways that video can be shared in this post on top 10 ways to embed video into a web page.
Promoting your own video isn’t necessarily that hard either. Easy ways to start the sharing process on with your own audience includes adding it to your own website, blog content, Facebook page, or Google+ page. The more times a video is shared, liked, and commented upon on networks like YouTube, the more likely it is to come up in search results and gain viral popularity.
THE BEST PART ABOUT CORPORATE VIDEO
What’s the best part about corporate video production? If you’re not a fan of writing content, then creating videos for your business could be a great alternative. Once you get the hang of it, videos could become an essential part of your overall online marketing strategy.
Do you find yourself enthralled by the power of drones, but struggle to find how it could benefit your business? Then you’re in luck because we’re about to explain just that! There’s a common misconception when it comes to drones which is that they can only be used to capture massive facilities for large corporations. However, this couldn’t be farther from the truth.
Practically any business can benefit from aerial drone photography and videography. The key is understanding when, where and how to get the most out of these incredible devices. To help give you some ideas, we’ve included a few examples of creative ways to harness the power of aerial drones below.
EVENT PHOTOGRAPHY
Hosting an event? Drones are a great way to take event photography in a unique way. One of the many advantages of having a drone at events is that, not only can you get footage from a great vantage point, but attendees are usually more than willing to be featured in the shots. Another positive is the variety of footage that you can get. A perfect example of this was when we teamed up with Hospice Niagara to do a drone shoot at their Hike for Hospice Niagara event. Not only did we capture great shots of people as they hiked the 5 kilometre, canal side trail, but they were more than willing to add to the footage by smiling and waving.
Our drone pilots even captured an aerial photo of the attendees in the shape of a heart. The footage was then used on local TV news networks and will no doubt be used to promote Hospice Niagara and their event in the future. Hospice Niagara, a non-for-profit, is just one of many examples of how organizations of all shapes and sizes can harness the power of drones.
CAPTURE AN EXPERIENCE
Now you may be thinking “but what if we don’t host any events?” Well, we have news for you…you can still use drones to promote your brand! Capturing a unique user experience on camera takes both skill and expertise…especially when that lens can be as high as 270 feet in the air! Thankfully, that’s where we come in. From filming the walkthrough of a house on the market to capturing a unique process within your business model, there are still ways you can take advantage of what drones have to offer.
There’s another important feature here too, notice that we say aerial videography and photography, that means that you’re not just stuck with one or the other, but have the option of both. Some companies, wineries are a great example, even hire drone pilots to capture footage of their property for research and development purposes.
SHOWCASE A COMMUNITY
Still trying to think of how to incorporate drone marketing into your strategy? Depending on your industry, you can also use drones to capture your community. Let’s use realty firms as an example. When people look for a home, they’re looking at obvious features such as the house’s size, style, number of bedrooms, bathrooms, etc., but people also want to know about the surrounding community. Is it hectic and busy or peaceful and quiet? How about amenities nearby? Attractions? Things to see and do. Remember that people are choosing a neighbourhood and way of life too…and what better way to capture the “feel” of a community than through a jaw-dropping video taken from a bird’s eye view?
