An Introduction.

Capturing a massive virtual tour can be daunting. Some specialize in large virtual tours. Others might only get one or two a year. Either way, being ready is vital. You need to plan and organize. In this blog we will discuss just that. From must have equipment to post production strategies. We’ll even go over setting expectations. Lastly, we’ll talk about how to roll one big job into the next.

But first, a note on pricing. It is important you charge the right amount for the tour. Or, you get what you pay for. In reality, virtual tours will bring the institution six and seven figures in added revenue. If an institution isn’t ready to make the proper investment, then they simply aren’t ready for this kind of marking. Seeing as this is the trending future, it’s important for photographers to remind clients, they do ultimately get what they pay for.

So, here are the first top TEN considerations you need to make when capturing a large virtual tour.

Time on site.

When capturing large virtual tours, Here’s a question that will come up sooner, rather than later.

“How long is this going to take?”

World Wide Massive Virtual Tour

And it’s a good question. It’s tempting to try to make the offer more attractive by citing a lower number. Let’s do the math. Depending on shooting conditions, one can capture 1,500-2,000sq ft/hour when using Matterport. If you are structuring your tour with 360 panos in a software like 3Dvista, then the space you can cover largely depends on the look and feel of the desired product.

In the end this is an important consideration. A large virtual tour is generally considered anything over 100,000 sq ft. So 100,000 divided by, at best, 2,000 equals 50, or 50 hours. 50 hours can be done in a week. Five, ten hour days. But this takes generous considerations. Ideal shooting conditions- and no breaks.

From an operations standpoint, that is a large consideration. Unless the space can be closed, people will be on the tour. Especially with Matterport, where post production options are wildly expensive or not possible.

For fast capturing and a lot more customization, lean towards 360 virtual tours and not 3D. Momentum has captured spaces as large as 1.1 Million interior Square Feet in 47 hours using 360 cameras and drones. This was using a single person team.

If time on site is a deal breaker, then consider subcontracting to save the deal. It’s better to have help than to be stuck with a frustrated customer.

Shooting methods and options.

Snag a massive virtual tour for your portfolio!

Large virtual tours take time, as mentioned. But this can be largely controlled by the SOP used for the job. The client needs will dictate a lot here. Construction progress might demand 3D. A university might be squarely focused on marketing. HDR is the way to go there.

There are several assets you can use for large virtual tours. Drone 360 panoramas can be a real winner. Not only do they help navigate, but it is an impressive and unique way to view all of a space. Drone can be helpful when connecting buildings either way. 360 video is another thought. Being able to show the atmosphere of a space as it is, is the closest thing we have to taking someone to a space. Adding a few features like this into a tour can make it the crown jewel of the marketing department.

Massive Virtual Tour Equipment.

There is a gauntlet of options. You can spend between $300 and $20,000. You’re going to get a lot of opinions on 360 cameras. The Ricoh Theta Z1 is a fantastic option. At only $1,100, it’s a great choice. And, the price point is where it is ideal (demanded) that you carry a spare while on site.

Make sure you have the right gear!

Regarding 3D cameras, Matterport is its own. You can get used Pro2 for $2,000 on up. Just make sure you send it to Matterfix.io for a tune up. We’re not endorsed, they’re literally the only operators in that space. And they have a UK location. In all transparency we have done business with them before, so at the very least I can say their service is great.

Virtual Tour Location Preparation.

Momentum 360 has a shoot prep guide. This helps set expectations. But for capturing large virtual tours, you are going to have added considerations. You need to think of some broader issues.

Getting a facility with hundreds of employees on the same page is hard. You need to strategize. Email blasts from HR leading up help. Also, posting signs in several spots. Letting people know they may need to clear the area, work from home, or suspend operations.

Scheduling goes a long way. Calculate how quickly you can work. Get the sizes of various spaces. Come up with a rough outline of what to expect. You can help keep things much more fluid.

Don’t forget other considerations. Making sure areas are tidy and clean. If places need to be staged, that is it done. Have groundskeeping or maintenance do spot fixes the day before. When capturing massive virtual tours, it’s a team effort. And not just you and the marketing department. Make sure to make yourself available for questions.

Point of contact orientation.

When capturing massive virtual tours, it’s important to have an orientation. Not with the entire facility, but with one or two key people with enough seniority to get things done in a reasonable manner. This can often best be done by shooting a prerecorded video, and distributing so people can watch when it works for them. Be available for emails and follow ups.

Learning about virtual tours

Often, a virtual/face to fact kick off meeting two to three weeks in advance is a good idea. You’ll want to go over exact details regarding execution. What can and cannot be fixed after the image has been captured. Now is a good time to review cancelation policies, and the added cost of needing to come back if an area needs to be recaptured for whatever reason.

With massive virtual tours, there will be errors. So it’s important to pass that off to your client to set expectations. We’re going to cover expectations more, next.

Expectations.

Setting expectations is important. There are so many moving pieces when making a massive virtual tour. You need to help your client understand the process. This can cover many areas. Like production, post production, and utilization.

Let the customer know that over hundreds or thousands of panos, there are going to be a few people on the tour- it is simply inevitable. When capturing a massive virtual tour, it’s a guarantee. Helping the customer understand this in advance will help. Also, reiterate murphy’s law. Anything that can go wrong, will. So it’s important to cover certain areas. What happens if the gear breaks down? Or there are storms? What about last minute work being done? And of people with the right keys not being where they need to be at the right time?

Massive virtual tours are a task all their own. It’s important you set the same distinction.

Massive Post Production Expectations.

Each editing style has its own timeline. Make sure you understand your workflow. Massive virtual tours take massive amounts of time to complete. Setting these expectations in advance with your client will go a long way in not only building trust, but making sure there is a good experience all around.

When it comes to utilization of massive virtual tours, here are some things to keep in mind. First, location. Get the virtual tour everywhere you can. From Google street view to your own home page. Don’t forget, QR codes can be a very easy way to distribute the tour on print or physical media.

Virtual Tour Execution.

It’s time. Appointment set, departments briefed. Your first massive virtual tour is before you. Let’s talk about the few steps before and the few steps that follow from this point. First off, you’re going to need proper sleep. Not just the night before, but try to get several good nights of sleep in a row, before your multi-day venture.

Don’t forget to check your gear. Put it through its paces, after updating firmware. Make sure you understand any new features (or bugs) before you get into the field. Massive virtual tours have little room for error. Make sure all maintenance has been completed, and all other auxiliary considerations are up to speed.

To keep timelines down, you might need to keep breaks down to a minimum. Make sure you have a strategy to generate or store power for use throughout the day. It’s also important, finally, to stay fueled and hydrated. It can be tempting to do things in a single shot. But making sure you get a chance to eat and drink water is very important.
Lastly, speak to your doctor. Some massive virtual tours can require tens or hundreds of hours on site. This is a massive physical undertaking for some. Make sure you have been cleared to engage in this level of physical activity. It seems simple, but 50 hours in, you’re going to wish you considered it.

Massive File Management.

It’s hard to over emphasize this. When shooting massive virtual tours, you need a file management plan. When the raw assets number in the thousands, you need to make sure you are staying on top of things. A really easy way to double your post production time is to not take this seriously.

File management comes in handy in two ways. First, it keeps you organized. Which is highly important when capturing a massive virtual tour. Secondly, it allows for spot quality control. You want to be able to catch onto things like file corruption way too early, so you can circle back with minimal interruption.

Conclusion.

Don’t let massive virtual tours scare you. If you’re in the industry long enough, you’ll get a chance to quote one. Don’t forget, don’t undersell the industry. Remember that you are bringing massive value to the table for the customer. Charge accordingly. Massive virtual tours come with a massive price tag, and there is no breakdown for size. That is a backwards model. Make sure you have a clear understanding of your time on site. Consider all the various shooting methods and options available to you. Make sure you have the right equipment, and enough of it as back up if needed. Make sure the location has been prepped. All practical precautions have been taken.

Make sure the onsite contacts have been briefed. They are key to ensuring the overall success. Make sure expectations have been managed, and are crystal clear. Have a defined understanding of your execution. From first step to last. And lastly, a comprehensive file management plan.

In the end, massive virtual tours are exciting, profitable, and doable! So don’t be intimidated and remember, charge what it’s worth.

What are the things to consider while choosing a Hotel Digital Marketing Agency? 

Nowadays, selecting a hotel digital marketing agency to collaborate with can be a difficult and intimidating undertaking. There are a lot of agencies out there with different specializations, and picking the correct one might mean the difference between blowing up your marketing budget and taking your company to the next level.

With the digital world expanding exponentially, there is no end to the number of rapidly growing digital marketing businesses in your area. Choosing a digital marketing agency can be tricky, with new ones popping up daily and each claiming to be the best at their job. Let’s discuss the things to consider while choosing a hotel digital marketing agency:

Reference 

A sales pitch may be tempting, but it will leave out crucial information you need to know before hiring a hotel digital marketing agency. Looking through the agency’s portfolio, asking for references, and speaking with the marketing agency’s clients are the greatest ways to figure out who you are working with.

They can tell you if the agency is responsive, easy to work with, and capable of consistently delivering the outcomes they claim. Get references from reliable persons and pin the agency which was referred by many people commonly.

Background & Age

Because Hotel Digital Marketing Agencies are constantly springing up, many will still be considered “new.” The age of the agency, as well as the backgrounds of its staff, are critical factors to examine. But many hotel owners forget to consider this factor and face the consequences later.

If this is the case, you should carefully analyze the background and experience of their key senior staff members, as well as how they may apply that knowledge to help your company reach its goals. If you find any bad background for their employees, avoid that agency and move to the next.

Location  

As you will have to meet face to face at some time, you will need to think about the route. Although most things can be done over email or phone, there are instances when a face-to-face encounter is required. If you are headquartered in one place, and the agency is in a faraway place, someone will have to travel a great deal to make this partnership work.

That isn’t to suggest it won’t work, and it just could be more difficult than if the agency were 30 minutes away. To manage the digital marketing for your hotel, you should hire the agencies nearby and avoid the agencies out of the city.

Working culture 

It is a personal question for many, but it must be addressed. You would be assigned to the agency for a specific amount of time. Your working style and vibes must be compatible. You should research the agency’s working culture.

Your hotel range will grow better with them. Because you need to see if they support extracurricular activities, if meetings are formal and serious, and what the management style is like, among other things. These factors will influence how the team functions. You can expect good results from them if there is solid teamwork.

Pricing

Do you check the price of the Hotel Digital Marketing Agencies? How much of your marketing budget have you set aside? What is the maximum amount you can spend on marketing consultants? Never be careless with this factor, and as a hotel owner, you should spend time considering it.

Specialists suggest contacting an only some different digital marketing businesses to see which one best matches your budget. Request a quote or look at their published prices. However, keep in mind that cheap does not always imply quality. Low-cost agencies may lack the experience or abilities needed to get the desired results.

Lists of services

Since each company’s objectives are different, what worked for your competition might not work for you? Hotel owners and business people must first establish which digital services they will require to fulfill your objectives. Make sure that they are skilled enough and can serve your requirements.

Choosing the best digital marketing services agency will also save time because you won’t have to go to another agency for future digital and tech demands. Check to see if the firm you are considering can design you the greatest website and is also on top of their SEO, paid marketing game, and social media.

Consultation 

A possible digital marketing agency must spend time learning about your hotel and its marketing requirements. They must offer you with a admiring consultation to assess your powers and shortcomings.

Additionally, they will provide you with their recommendations and costs from here. It is a critical phase in the procedure. Remember that just because a firm offers you a free consultation doesn’t mean you have to hire them. Consider the other factors properly and make the final decision.

Marketing Audit

Request an audit of your current marketing activity from the hotel marketing agency you are considering. This in-depth examination of your online presence and placement on all major search engines will give you a clear picture of your digital footprint.

The audit will give you a starting point to compare future marketing efforts to, and a reputable agency will present you with a list of adjustments they would make, allowing you to gauge their readiness to fulfill your marketing needs.

Techniques

No agency will be completely transparent about their techniques because they don’t want to reveal their trade secrets but a good agency should be willing to share a few of their techniques related to the work they’re proposing for your company.

If a company offers you 300 article links, 1000 blog comments, and 500 directory submissions in exchange for link building, they might not be the right fit. And this is where you must concentrate. Are the methods they are describing applicable? Check that also.

Online presence 

Examining an agency’s social media profiles, blogs, and other online presences is one of the finest methods to determine how good they are at what they do. The quality of an agency’s internal work can indicate the level of service it can deliver.

Online presence is one of the best proofs for the hotel digital marketing agencies as the best one. You can bet that if they don’t have enough online power over their firm, they won’t have any over yours. As a result, consider how good they are compared to their competition.

Reporting

A good hotel marketing agency will provide detailed monthly reporting, showing you where you are in terms of online traffic, marketing effort, and ROI. Examine the reporting tools that the marketing agency advises utilizing.

The top hotel digital marketing agencies will use industry-standard tools like Google Analytics and Google Webmaster Tools instead of their proprietary reports, which may leave out essential attributes.

How do the hotel’s digital marketing agencies help you? 

You might ask why you should spend this much time and consider various things to appoint them. Because once you hire them, they will help you in multiple ways, and they are assured of the growth of your hotel. Here are the lists of benefits of having digital marketing agencies for your hotel:

• Flexible and scalable solutions – Clients can use digital marketing agencies’ flexible resources. Depending on the client’s demands, they can scale the crew up or down. It enables a flexible team structure that can adapt to changing situations quickly and effectively.
• Take Advantage of Expert Advice – The fact that it is their area of expertise is perhaps the most compelling argument to seek assistance from a hotel marketing company. It means they are not only marketing experts, but they have also applied their knowledge to the hotel sector.

• Deadlines must be met on time – It is important to realize that achieving your business goals will be simple once you have a sound marketing strategy in place. It’s important to remember that a competent digital marketing agency can assist you with the development and planning stages of reaching out to the media.
• Your concentration is always on progress – Having a digital agency as a partner allows you to concentrate on the most critical areas of your company’s growth. Sure, it involves incredible digital marketing, but you can reduce a lot of the burden when you have a team of trustworthy, accountable experts taking care of the details.
• Taking Advantage of Content Marketing – High-quality content marketing is another area where hotel marketing agencies may shine and provide genuine value. Everything from email marketing campaigns to social media management to influencer marketing, video marketing, blogging, and copywriting falls under this category.

Wrapping it up:

Hopefully, now you have a clear idea of how to choose the hotel’s digital marketing agency by considering the given factors. Working with a company dedicated to your brand’s success is critical. When looking for the right digital marketing agency, it is a good idea to ask you a few questions.

However, you also want to know that you are working with someone who can offer exactly what you desire. Before putting together a bespoke solution proposal, the top agencies should take the time to learn about you, your organization, and your goals.