Video is a great way to show your vacation rental, and to gain momentum in your Search Engine Optimization. 

Video is fast becoming one of the top requests from potential renters.  It increases confidence on the renters side….and the benefit to you is two fold….you’re showing renter’s exactly what they’re getting and you’re engaging them for longer on your site.  Another key benefit is that video gives you yet another opportunity to rank for your keywords on YouTube and other video sites.

Video shows that you’re serious about renting and want to show renters exactly what they’re booking.   VRBO features a separate tab with a video icon to highlight your video.

Top Tips for Creating a Video

1.    No video camera?  Don’t worry, you can also make a video using a slide show from your current photos and save it in video format.  Keep reading because many of the tips below will still apply to you!
2.    Stage your home….remove all clutter, put out flowers or wine, make it look welcoming and inviting.
3.    Use a tripod, you want an even shot.
3.     Feature all areas of your rental.  While you’re limited on number of photos to include on the listing sites, and some rooms are more difficult to get good photos of (ie bathrooms)….a video provides the perfect solution in really giving the full tour of the house.  You can even include the laundry or BBQ areas so that the renter’s really get to know your property.
4.    Make sure your video is well lit and everything is easy to see.
5.    Narrate your video.  You can do this while you’re filming or afterwards depending on how your technology is set up.  Either way you want to plan out what you want to say so you cover all the key sales points about your home.
6.    You can consider using background music to open and close the video, and create a mood.  For example, if you have a beach vacation rental, you can start with the surf, or seagulls.
7.    Keep your video under 3 minutes.   The reason for this is two-fold.  Many sites have restrictions on video length, AND you will lose people’s attention after 3 minutes.  3 minutes is actually a very long time and you will be able to fit in a lot of information about your property.

Here’s an example of a slideshow video that I produced for “At the Bay’s Edge”.