How to promote sightseeing tours via video

Using video to promote sightseeing tours is not as hard as one might think. Thanks to the developments in camera and internet technologies people are used to watching and sharing videos online. A travel video can be more vivid than static photos. Tour guides should take advantage of such modern technologies to promote various sightseeing tours via video and build client trust to book them.

See tour guide with video

1. Choose a tool to record the video.
A video camera can provide high quality movies, but it is not a must. One consideration with video camera is the file size. The bigger the video file is the faster your internet connection is required to save it. No one wants to spend a whole day uploading one video, right? Cameras are widely available. Most cameras nowadays have a video option and the quality is pretty ok. Many mobile phones also have a camera tool. Some computers have built-in cameras which you can use directly. Remember the purpose is to promote your unique sightseeing tours or show your personality and English fluency to potential clients. Blurred images create nothing but negative impression. Choose any recording tool that is convenient and fit for the purpose of your sightseeing tour promotion.

2. Select the best background and thing to say in the video
What will help your clients confirm the tour and increase client bookings for you? Again, do not forget the purpose of your videos. This is not destination promotion but to promote your tour service. The clients will be more confident when they see and hear you directly. You can show your favorite part in the destination where travelers can’t find in any guide books. The most famous or impressive scenic spots may also work with you doing the introduction. It is easy to identify the sightseeing tour location when you present by the most famous views.

3. Some editing work may increase the promotional effect.
For example, add a subtitle to tell where you are or who you are, edit video length to present the key information, reduce noise in the background to complete a higher quality presentation … Microsoft system has windows movie maker for easy editing. Ulead VideoStudio software is also a good choice for beginners. Short videos less than 3 minutes are good. Also put the best content or most important messages at the begging. Because, 1) the file is not too large to upload onto the internet, 2) leave more sightseeing tour introduction to your actual meet with clients, 3) internet surfers may not be interested enough to complete the whole video, or their website connection is too slow to load.

4. viral your videos
You can upload your video to platforms like YouTube, DailyMotion, MetaCafe… Share your video link among friends or networking sites like FaceBook. Tell more people via social media sites e.g. Digg, StumbleUpon. Promote through tour guide websites like OurExplorer, where video presentation is allowed.

Think creatively! Videos allow the tour guide to present sightseeing tours in a vivid way and motivate a client to booking your tour services.
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Tour Guide Survey with Jose in Acapulco

1. What is the best thing you like being a tour guide?

The best thing be a tour guide is to have the opportunity to meet people from other countries and tell them about the history and customs of our people.

2. What is your most memorable moment in guiding so far?

The most memorable moment well there are many ones, I had great experiences when we had big groups of tourist coming and we didn’t stop doing tours all day long for six months.

3. What is most challenging for you in this career? Have you coped with it?

It’s a challenge to take the same tourist to different tours and still they enjoy them.

4. What is your favorite place/thing that you want to show your travel clients?

My favorite place is the cliff divers show, the tehuacalco archeological ruins and the museum of san diego fort.

5. What if you were not a tour guide? What do you imagine yourself to be?

I don’t know my first job was a taxi driver at the age of 18 years old and I loved the experience.

See more on tour guide Jose in Acapulco

OurExplorer started a Tour Guide Photo Contest!

Have you got some memorable travel experiences with your local tour guides?
Did you take fun pictures of your guide during your overseas trip?

OurExplorer present you a great opportunity now to win 5 free private tour guides for your next overseas trips - you can activate them anytime.

Join Tour Guide Photo Contest 2010 – OurExplorer Now!
Submit a photo of you with your tour guide or just the tour guide on his/her own. Put in a phrase what best describes your tour guide in the photo.
Example = “my best tour guide”, “my funniest tour guide”, “my most clever tour guide”...

The deadline is 31st August 2010. Waiting for your great photos!

With a private tour guide, you can have an authentic yet customized adventure overseas. OurExplorer has now over 2,100 local tour guides in 140 countries.

Win client bookings - Critical Information

When you create your tour guide profile on OurExplorer.com, you have input a lot of information e.g self introduction, tour guide license, tour guide services, sightseeing tours... This is all necessary information to let clients know you and trust you. The more information, the more trust you will build up with potential travel clients but do you know which elements are critical to win a final client booking?

From OurExplorer client feedback, they usually choose the tour guides with a personal photo, highest "tours booked" number and some positive ratings/reviews given. As we know, most important elements shall be put at the top position of the page. You can see that tour guide photo and tours booked are displayed above the fold of the webpages. Moreover, a most recent client review has been presented directly following the tour guide self introduction. Thus, visitors don’t need to scroll down to the bottom of the page reading important client testimonials. In most cases, web surfers do not finish all the page contents to the very end of the page. That’s why we design the tour guide profile layout as you see now.

What can a tour guide do with these fields to win more client bookings?

A happy smiling photo is best to give a good first impression to your clients. You can display a welcoming smile photo like tour guide Diana in Athens, or a cheerful photo of you with happy clients like Nairobi tour guide Paul. It is also fun to display you in your working environment. See Kasane tour guide Clive playing with the elephant.

"Tours booked" numbers and client reviews are closely related to each other. The more bookings a tour guide receives, the more client reviews after the sightseeing tour is completed. When a tour date and terms are agreed, ask the clients to confirm by booking at your profile webpage. When the tour is finished, ask your client to rate your service on OurExplorer.

The clients also have more confidence in booking a tour guide with a license and video presentation. A scan of your tour guide license/certificate builds more trust. What can be better than a brief video of you taliking passionately about your job? It adds great value because clients like to see and hear the tour guide. With a live video, tour guides can present their character and language skills. See Istanbul tour guide Nesrin and Bangkok tour guide Choojai .

If you are a tour guide, do you agree with the critical elements mentioned above? Any tips to better present yourself for more client bookings?