Our last two blogs covered how to organise guest information (before populating your digital guidebook), and then explored how to go beyond the basics to engage guests with Touch Stay's Special Topics.
Now it’s time to bring your digital guidebook to life and take your content game to the next level by adding videos! They say a picture is worth a thousand words… so, what’s a video worth?
Videos are a simple but powerful way to communicate information to visitors. They can be used to provide instructions, show off your property and even introduce yourself to your guests - all of which create a personal connection, put guests at ease, improve guest communication, and ultimately save you time by reducing questions.
Of course, everyone is different and has a preferred way of consuming information; however, we've discovered that most guests, when given the option of reading about something or watching a quick video about it, will usually choose the latter.
Even if your guests don't speak the same language as you, they can often understand videos because they can see what’s happening visually. This makes videos a perfect solution for digital guidebooks used by visitors from all over the world.
- Showcase your property
- A warm welcome
- Provide clear instructions
- Offer tips and advice
- Tips for creating videos
- How to add videos
- Use QR codes
Showcase your property
When you share your digital guidebook with guests pre-stay, use videos to offer a sneak peek of what to expect when they arrive. This can help build excitement and anticipation, and will also help your guests feel more comfortable and familiar with their surroundings upon arrival.
Sibllye Kim, owner of the stunning Villa Ausblick in Vermont, USA, sums this up perfectly:
...because the app is so playful, the experience for the guest is so engaging. I sense more of the pre-arrival excitement from the guests. They go, “Oh my God, I can start feeling this vacation already! I can start seeing it in front of me!” - so people can fight in the car on the way about who’s getting what bedroom.
Show off the views from your balcony, offer guests a virtual tour around your glampsite, chat about local activities available, or show prospective students what facilities your school has to offer - the options are endless!
Click the guidebook below to see how Jim from Asheville Hillside Hideaway in North Carolina, USA, nails guest communication by showing off his property (inside and out) with a simple but beautifully-shot 90-second video:
Or click the guidebook below to watch the gorgeous promo video that Visit Moray Speyside in Scotland has added to the introduction of their digital guidebook:
A warm welcome goes a long way
Offering a friendly welcome video lets guests make a personal connection with you by putting a face to the name. Use this opportunity to introduce yourself, welcome them to your property or event, and thank them for coming. They chose you out of all the other places in your area - now that’s something to celebrate!
By injecting your personality into your welcome video, you’ll provide a personalised experience, set the tone for their visit, and strengthen your brand identity and values.
We love the friendly welcome video Jayne at Fields Lodge Boutique B&B in Pembrokeshire, UK, added to her guidebook! Click below to watch:
Provide clear and concise instructions
Videos are a great way to explain how to use appliances, operate features in and around your property, or even complete processes, like checking in or out. This will save your guests time and frustration, while helping to reduce the number of questions you receive.
Have an air conditioning unit with complicated controls? Is there a knack to opening your garage door? Use videos in your digital guidebook to convey any info your guests will need to know.
Jim from Asheville Hillside Hideaway's guidebook is back! Click the guidebook to watch how one short video can be used to deliver complex instructions in a clear format:
If you’ve got valuable features at your property that need a little TLC to operate, explain this with a video! Click below to see how Nat and Tyann from Branson Family Retreats in Missouri, USA, use videos to provide clear guest communication on how to use their hot tub:
Use videos to offer tips and advice
Videos even let you go beyond simple operating instructions to offer your guests valuable tips and advice, like how to use local public transport, how to get to the nearest beach, or what to do in case of an emergency.
Mark from Avanti Motorhomes in Kent, UK, rents out RVs to visitors from all over the world. He includes helpful tutorial videos in his digital guidebook covering everything from the basics, like ‘How to drive a motorhome’ and ‘Common mistakes when driving a motorhome’, to explaining more advanced motorhome navigation, such as ‘Driving in Scotland and other tricky roads’.
These videos not only keep his customers safe, but help protect his motorhomes from returning damaged. Click the guidebook below to watch some of Mark’s handy motorhome videos:
Tips for creating engaging guidebook videos
Once you’ve chosen the right Topics and taken some time to plan them out, follow these tips on creating effective videos for your digital guidebook:
- Keep them short and sweet: guests are more likely to watch and remember shorter videos, so aim for videos that are no longer than 2-3 minutes each.
- Use clear and concise language: avoid using jargon or technical terms that your guests may not understand.
- Consider adding captions: this will make your videos accessible to people who are deaf or hard of hearing, and will also help people understand them if they’re watching them in a noisy environment.
- Be visually engaging: use high-quality video and audio, and make sure your videos are well-lit and well-framed.
- Most importantly, add personality! Let your personality shine through in your videos. This will help to make your guests feel more connected to you and your property.
How to add videos to your digital guidebook
Embedding videos in your Touch Stay digital guidebook couldn’t be easier! Once your video is uploaded to YouTube, Vimeo, or Wistia, simply copy the video URL and paste it into the relevant guidebook Topic via your Content Hub.
For more info on how to add videos to improve guest communication, head over to our Knowledge Base article or watch this video:
Use QR codes to link to your videos
Want to make things even easier for visitors? You can now generate QR codes from within your digital guidebook. These QR codes can be printed off and stuck to any feature in or around your property - from the washing machine at your campsite to the coffee maker in your Airbnb kitchen!
When a visitor scans the QR code, they’re taken directly to the video about it in your guidebook. Pretty cool, huh?
Running an event can cause serious headaches for the organisers - we know, we've been there! But by placing QR codes at strategic locations around your event - each linking to simple explainer videos in your event's digital guidebook - you can cross answering repetitive attendee questions off your to-do list.
Already created your digital guidebook but need some help making it shine?
We offer a Tune-up Service that helps to get guests diving deep and loving your guidebook. Our Touch Stay digital guidebook pros will spend time reviewing your guidebook and provide a list of ways to optimise it and improve guest communication, including:
- category, subcategory and topic organisation
- use of collapse/expand, internal links and other features
- optimal presentation of your brand
- finding the perfect balance between informing and inspiring guests
And don’t forget to join our Touch Stay Rock Stars Facebook community - it’s full of fun, helpful and knowledgeable Touch Stay users from around the world who are always willing to offer friendly advice and handy hosting hacks!