Dated 26th May 2020
We have said it once (or twice!), but we will say it again – every single wedding venue must be making use of video tours or LIVE virtual tours. By prioritising revenue generating marketing efforts, such as using video tours to get new business, you will support the future of your business and get through this challenging time.
At this moment, the Government continues to keep wedding venues closed. Wedding venues should not be hosting in person show rounds, even with distancing measures. Luckily, virtual tours are an incredibly effective way of giving a prospective couple a real ‘feel’ for your venue, even if they can’t visit you. A Bridebook survey showed that 86% of venues who offer virtual tours have received at least one booking as a direct result.
If you are unsure whether virtual tours will be a fit for your venue, look at the huge host of venues already offering them and their success stories. The team at Hedsor House have been offering virtual tours for over 2 years, and have seen huge revenue generating success. Hedsor even has a room dedicated to virtual tours in a nearby outbuilding, as a way of hosting tours even if there is an event happening in the main house. They also find this a crucial way to convert couples from abroad!
Richard Blewett from Pengenna Manor, Cornwall, kindly shared his experience of creating his first video tours for his venue during the peak of coronavirus. Within the first three weeks of publishing them, he converted 4 brand new bookings as a direct result of the video tours. If you aren’t sure where to start with your video tour, we recommend reading Richard’s experience above and taking Hamish Shephard’s advice on how to create one for the first time.
Whether you decide to create a pre-recorded tour or offer LIVE virtual tours via Facetime / Zoom, you must market these to ensure couple interaction. Your first step should be to upload these to your Video Tours section of your Bridebook profile (please note, this feature is only available for VenuePro members*) and let us do the promotion for you! We’d also recommend advertising these on your own website and social media platforms.
We look forward to seeing all your wonderful videos on Bridebook soon. Keep in touch with us on the UK Wedding Venues Slack group – we’d love to hear your venue’s experience with virtual tours!
* VenuePro Lite memberships are available for FREE until the 6th July. Click here to upgrade – no payment details required.
At Bridebook, we feel very lucky to have such a collaborative and inspiring community of venues. It has been heartbreaking to see the devastating impact of coronavirus on businesses, in all aspects of our industry. We are determined to continue to be a pillar of support through these tough times. We aim to do so through both educational content and building innovative product features.