Most of us in the tourism industry enjoy being around other people and look forward to the times we can see our friends and colleagues in person at trade shows, meetings or on sales calls. But in the time of Covid, we are being told to stay apart as much as possible. Many of us are using Zoom on a daily basis ( have you seen this funny video?) but there is another tool that I want you to check out.
Loom is free- and fun
I heard about Loom while listening to two different podcasts. My rule of thumb is if I hear about something new three times, I make sure to investigate it. Both podcasters raved so highly about Loom that I didn’t wait to hear it a third time. This free tool allows you to easily create short videos that can include a video laid over a website, a voice-over while viewing a website, or a full image of you speaking. Loom ( download it here) is very intuitive and easy to figure out. Below are some of the ways I think tourism industry folks can benefit from using this.
Are you a DMO?
Here are some ways I think Loom can help you.
Save time
As it states on the Loom website: For every 10 seconds of video you record it is equivalent to 81 seconds of typing.
If a client asks a question, record a short video and send the link as a response. You can customize it by using their name. That should help you stand out from the competition!
Make training easier
Training temporary staff can be easier when you record videos that highlight areas of your website. Want someone to be able to make changes to listings on your site? Record a video that will help standardize the training.
Reach out to potential visitors
How cool would it be to have some local folks record a short video of their favorite places in your destination? Hold a contest to have residents submit Loom videos with your Home page in the background. Switch them out periodically.
Record videos and send to travel trade
Whether you are working from home or heading back to an office, it will still be a while before we can meet in person. I suggest creating a short loom from the Group Tour page of your website and highlight some of the information available. Customize it for your top 5-8 tour operator clients and send it off.
For the operators that might need information on dining options, you could record a short video from that page. For those needing photos, you can record a customized video from the page where you store those. The bonus will be that you can do a bunch of those in one afternoon!
Do you work at an attraction?
As attraction staff, there is never enough time or money. I think Loom can help solve both of those problems and help you stand out from the competition.
Send personalized videos to tour operators
Just as I mentioned above, Loom is a great way to conduct follow up to tour operators. Help build the relationship by letting your personality shine through. Thank them for their business and tell them you are looking forward to seeing them in person again soon.
Training for frontline staff.
One of the challenges with frontline staff is providing consistent training. As the season picks up, it gets harder to take the time to properly train staff. Many of you will have to be wearing multiple hats this year so create some Looms as you work your new roles.
Record some short videos featuring information about your website for new staff. You can show how to click through steps on a website while recording.
Are you a Tour Operator?
Keeping in touch with your customers and helping them get excited about traveling again can be done via Loom. How about recording short customized videos talking about trips you think they would like. If I received one of those from my favorite tour company, I would feel special and it would definitely make me think about getting back on a bus. I suggest doing that for your top 20% of clients.
Create a few at a time and send them out. Once you get in a rhythm it’s actually pretty easy. And don’t worry about how you look on camera. I have learned to ignore my Covid hairstyle ( very long with gray roots!) and just press record.
My Loom debut
I am sure no Hollywood producers will be contacting me anytime soon, but these are fun to make ! Here is a quick one I did:
Some of you have received Loom videos from me as a quick follow up when you have reached out and asked a question, or with me sharing information about some of my online programming. If you send your personalized Loom video to me at Sally@sallydavisberry.com, I will feature it in an upcoming blog post. Free advertising for you!
How can I help you in May 2020?
Have you checked out Tourism Pro Academy? There are free resources, online courses and more. Take some time to learn something new during our National “Pause”. I am adding new courses this month so check it out! Click here to access the site for free.
DMO’s – Are you looking for ways to provide some value to your members during this time? Would you like to offer a live webinar “Continue your Career from Your Couch” that I will host? Join organizations such as
- SYTA,
- Circle Michigan,
- Pennsylvania Bus Association, and
- Visit Baton Rouge who have hired me already this year to educate and inform their members.
- Click here for additional information on the Online Tourism Training Program.
New! Profile Sheet 911. We know that your profile sheet is your sales ambassador in the Group Tour market. Is yours doing it all it should? Is it effective in answering tour operator questions and making your business sound appealing? Get ready now for when group tours start picking back up.
Sign up for the new Profile sheet 911 program. For only $69 you will get a customized review that is also recorded. Click here for more details. I am here to help you create your best profile sheet that will make tour operators pick up the phone!
My friend Jonathan Elkoubi has teamed up with some other Tourism Pros and created HTTA and asked me to share:
If you have recently joined the ranks of the unemployed and furloughed of the US Hospitality, Travel, Tourism and Activities Industries, we invite you to register now at www.HTTA.us. HTTA is a benevolent, confidential and secured database meant to allow you to remain connected to the Trade Associations and DMOs you were involved with, which are unaware of your current work status. We will be adding new functionalities to benefit you once recovery starts, such as industry job boards, a continuing education resource center, and a recovery information repository.
Can I ask a favor? Could you share this post with at least 2 of your colleagues who would benefit from reading it? And then they can sign up here to receive my posts directly to their inbox. Thank you.