There are a lot of benefits to giving away photos and videos to guests that aren't obvious if you're still thinking about photos from a souvenir sales perspective.
This post outlines a few areas where providing photo memories really changes the entire relationship between guests and your staff and business.
Customers recognize and truly appreciate the value of giving them their photo memories for free. Read this amazing, unprompted, customer feedback:
It was an absolute extra bonus that our guide took these pictures and sent them to us free of charge, one of the only experiences spent on Kauai that we weren't asked to pay to take our memories with us. That bonus alone makes me 100% more apt to advise friends and family to go on a similar adventure with Kauai ATV.
Customer
Kauai ATV
It’s so cool to see the impact these photos have. It’s obviously something that our guests really value. People are giving us fantastic reviews and photographs are a huge part of that.
Amanda Dooney
Co-owner, Ride the Bine
It can create a negative experience if you're running a group activity and guests who don't plan to buy photos have to wait while you take photos. Taking photos that must be purchased can make guests feel like they are held hostage for something they will have to pay for later.
Guests are a lot happier about photos being taken. They know it’s already included and it’s free. Now instead of taking time out of their tour to do something that’s just going to be an upsell later they know that the time spent taking photos is only for their benefit.
Kyle Werner
Marketing Manager, American Adventure Park Systems and Screaming Eagle Adventures
Another interesting perspective was provided by Joyce Belcher, Executive Director of Red River Gorge Ziplines. Thinking about your guests and how they might perceive up-sells and add-ons when they can't afford them is a very empathetic perspective and directly leads to a more positive experience for all guests.
Although some people buy their photos you always have that family that can’t. They’re on a budget and maybe they can’t buy their photos. Now it’s a good feeling because they all get to take their photos home.
Joyce Belcher
Executive Director, Red River Gorge Ziplines
When guests are looking for an activity, whether they are local or travelling, they are looking for value. They want to know they are getting the best experience for an affordable price.
If you were a guest browsing for activities for an upcoming trip, free photos could be the deciding factor between your business and the one down the road.
Here's how Historic Banning Mills advertises their offering.
Kyle Werner, Marketing Manager for American Adventure Park Systems and Screaming Eagle Adventures provides a very clear endorsement of advertising free photos.
The benefit of giving away photos is guests don’t have a need to bring their own camera. There’s not that negative feeling of ‘I don’t want to purchase these photos.’ They know they’re getting the photos for free ahead of time. Now when my guides are out on the course and are taking photos for the guests, they don’t feel the need to take out their personal phones because they know they’re going to get all the photos the guides are taking.
Kyle Werner
Marketing Manager, American Adventure Park Systems and Screaming Eagle Adventures
Everything we've learned at Fotaflo by providing photo marketing solutions for over 10 years highlights something very important: memories aren't products. Photo memories are a unique class of media that can be an amazing marketing asset because they create an authentic emotional connection between your guests, your staff, and your business.
When guests must purchase their own memories it can feel tacky. They're forced to have a poorer experience, especially if they bring their own devices and try to take photos of their own adventure.
Treating guests with respect and empathy and realizing that giving them their photo memories simplifies your operations and makes them happier. It also makes you stand out from the competition during the guest buying journey, and ultimately means you're providing a better experience. And that's what your business is all about, isn't it?
If you'd like to begin providing guest photos book a 1-on-1 demo of Fotaflo and we'll show you how simple and easy it can be.
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