How an African safari specialist is using drone imagery to boost sales

Using great video footage and imagery is a no-brainer for destinations

There is nothing quite like a herd of stampeding wildebeest, a cheetah eyeing its prey or a wide deserted sub-tropical beach to capture the imagination of travellers in search of adventure.

There is also nothing quite like video to get your marketing message out. That’s if you believe the forecasts - according to Cisco’s Visual Networking Index (2014-2019), by 2019 video will account for 80% of all consumer Internet traffic, up from 64% in 2014.

It was for this reason that safari experts Africa Odyssey decided to splash £8,000 on revamping its website to include far more visual imagery with a strong focus on video.

BEFORE

  

 

“We wanted to put the video content front and centre on the site so new visitors could feel like they were getting a real insight into what Africa has to offer and go some way to truly experiencing it,” says Marc Harris, Director at Africa Odyssey.

The footage was sourced from a videographer who drove up and down Africa with a drone to capture the images,

Unsurprisingly, a growing number of marketers today are using drone footage to deliver fresh perspectives on destinations. And with this online marketplaces like Airstoc have sprung up to offer stock footage specifically created by drones.

Indeed, the new site places much greater emphasis on video content and imagery. It’s also fully responsive to engage the increasing number of users accessing the site via mobile and tablet.

AFTER

 

In setting key performance indicators, Africa Odyssey is looking to improve overall traffic through search and other sources, as well as bounce rates and time on the site. “We are also using more qualitative measures such as feedback from new and old clients,” Harris says.

The aim: to generate more enquiries and increase turnover by 20%.  

So far, so good. Last month 11,000 users visited the site, up 20% on the same period the previous year.

The firm’s target audience is mainly in the UK and US – honeymooners, families and retirees. And the focus: mainly the luxury end of the market, though it’s not confined to it.

When it comes to its other marketing efforts, Africa Odyssey is reaching out to bloggers to see if they'd be interested in using some of the footage. Promotions also happen via its YouTube channel and on other social channels like Facebook and Twitter to engage users.

Key aspects of the redesign include:

  • A fresh, modern appearance 


  • A focus on imagery and stunning video 


  • Responsive functionality for mobile and tablets 


  • Creating a more comprehensive informational resource for users 
researching what Africa has to offer


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