Adding a video to your site listing is a great way to market your space. It gives potential guests a good feel for how amazing a space is and can transcend the static barriers of a photo by making them feel like they’re already there. Over the years, our videos have accumulated over 500,000 views through our YouTube and social media channels. Using our experience and expertise, we’ve gathered our top ten tips for creating your own brilliant video.

1. Think about your target audience

Our guests enjoy being outdoors and are often looking for an experience-based holiday that connects them to nature. Consider whether your space attracts couples, families, and large groups or hen parties, for example. Then begin planning from there.

2. Emphasise the experience

Use your video to showcase experiences that guests of your target audience will enjoy. It could be roasting marshmallows by the campfire or swimming in the lake, romantic imagery like sipping wine in the sunset or even a family BBQ. Drover’s Rest have done this well in their video. As a family-friendly camp, they have shown togetherness with a large group of people enjoying a campfire under a sunset.

3. Make your videos engaging

You want to capture your audience with your video, showing them that time in nature and wildlife is fun and enriching. Ultimately, creating an engaging video will ensure that any potential guests will keep watching and enjoying.

4. Add an element of surprise

This is another great way to get a hook into potential guests. Showcase anything your space offers that may be surprising and enticing. Do you have resident llamas? Or donkeys? An outdoor bath? What about a hidden sauna on the roof? Showing off these elements of your experience could really capture a potential guest and encourage them to turn their curiosity into a booking. Have a look at Sergeant Troy’s video for inspiration.

5. Get the styling right

When planning your video, aim for a ‘professional amateur’ style that conveys a professional image but does not look glossy or over produced. For this, we’d suggest avoiding using drones, and going for a hand-held style instead, this will make your video look more authentic and approachable. For a good example of this style, look at Stargazer’s Wagon’s video.

6. Make it personable

Our guests love the personal touches of a stay, so try and bring this across in your video. Adding people not only makes it personable, but also allows you to show off the real experiences that are offered at your space.

7. Be honest

When shooting footage for your video, ensure that you keep it as close to what a guest can expect from their stay. Don’t try and make rooms look bigger than they are or add experiences that you can’t really offer once a guest books. Making a completely honest account of your experience will avoid any disappointment and possible negative feedback in the long run.

8. Make it natural

Making a video that’s too posed will take away from the authenticity of your space and the experience. To achieve a natural look, why not ask a group of people to stay for the night or the weekend and participate in the activities and experiences as if your guest would. For some inspiration, Secret Meadows has a great example of a natural video.

9. Quality over quantity

Once you’ve collected your footage and begin producing the video, aim for a length that’s approximately 1:30-2:00 minutes. You want to ensure you’re your video is concise and snappy, engaging the viewer and any potential guests. For a brilliant example of a video have a look at Gwennol.

10. Think carefully about music

Once you’ve made your video, consider which kind of music your target audience would like. Music is an important aspect of a video but should only remain a background element! Also, do make sure that you have permission to use the music, you can ensure this by choosing something from a site with free permissions.

Using these tips, hopefully you can create a video that shows off all the best elements of your space. For more expert advice, read our top photography tips or feel free to get in touch with your Account Manager on 0117 204 7857 or by emailing owners@canopyandstars.co.uk.