Living in the digital age, social media is arguably at the crux of our existence — it’s how consumers are finding honest reviews about products, searching for new lifestyle inspiration, collecting tasty food and drink recipes and discovering every other niche topic in between.
However, as the desire for instant gratification goes up and our attention spans go down, video content is proving to be an especially beneficial marketing tool for brands big and small. The engaging and bite-sized format makes information far easier to consume and retain, and travel advisors have the unique opportunity to tap into this market. Here’s how industry professionals can capitalize on video creation in addition to insider tips and tricks from fellow peers.
Travel and Short-Form Video Go Hand in Hand
Social media, once a form of communication for users to stay connected with one another, has quickly blossomed into an online search engine for travelers. As Hannah Bennett, head of travel at TikTok, noted in a recent USTOA webinar, these digital consumers are actively sifting through content to help them generate itineraries, find underrated destinations or get activity and food recommendations for their trips.
As industry experts, advisors who can produce entertaining content to meet these travelers’ needs are reaping the benefits of a larger following and increased bookings. Fran Trahan (@frangirltravel), advisor at The Travel Collective, has nearly 48,000 followers on Instagram and attributes her success to social media and video creation.
“Video content has been my ‘secret sauce’ for growing my social media and client base! It brings destinations to life in a way that static photos just can’t — think epic views, real-time adventures, and those ‘you had to be there’ moments,” said Trahan. “When people see me actually experiencing a destination, they trust my recommendations … and that’s what turns casual viewers into loyal followers and happy clients.”
Echoing the importance of video creation for her business, Alanna Guzmán (@alytravelsofficial), owner and advisor at Aly Travels, explained how visual content encourages meaningful client relationships.
“Video content has absolutely helped me grow — people get to see me, hear my voice, and get a sense of my personality and expertise,” said Guzmán. “It builds trust faster than anything else. A lot of my clients tell me they felt like they already knew me before we ever talked.”
The beauty of content creation is it looks different for each advisor based on their individual business goals, though this also means travel professionals need to have an idea of what those are. Is it brand awareness? Is it positioning yourself as a thought leader and educating your audience? Or are you creating purely for enjoyment and entertainment?
Additionally, advisors need to do some further research into who they’re trying to target, and which platforms are best suited for those demographics. For instance, a 2024 Adobe survey found that Gen Z favored TikTok over other platforms for short-form videos, while 55% of Baby Boomers preferred YouTube. Social media isn’t clear-cut, so if advisors have a presence on one platform over another, it might be best to stick with the audience that’s already established. These are just some of the factors to consider when deciding what’s best for your business.
Content Ideas To Consider
Once advisors have narrowed down their preferred platform(s) and target audience, here are some video ideas to get started with.
Problem-solution: This is a great way to pose a rhetorical question with a solution only you can solve. Start the video by asking, “Want to visit [destination] but don’t know how?”
The Journey: We all know and love this one; it’s the classic, “Come along and spend a day with me at [destination/resort/etc.].”
Tips and Tricks: Who doesn’t love a good travel hack? Try something like, “Here’s how solo travelers can save money when visiting [destination/resort].”
Listicle: Show off your expertise of a location with a listicle-style video — “Here are my top 5 things to [eat/do/visit] in [destination].”
Sneak Peek/Promise: There’s some flexibility with this one as advisors could start the video by showing a clip of something that happened (good, bad, exciting or a hiccup), and then rewind back to the beginning to show viewers how you got to that point. Another option is to open the video by stating, “I guarantee you’re going to want to [visit here/do this activity] after watching.”
Remember, regardless of the type of content advisors choose to post, authenticity is key. Online users want to see all sides of your vacation or trip because they’re using it as a resource. Being honest with followers about your experience is a great way to establish credibility both as a creator and travel professional. In the wise words of Guzmán: “People connect more with real than polished.”
Tapping Into Your Niche
Many advisors have a travel specialty or niche that distinguishes them in the industry, and it’s also a fantastic component to leverage online as well. Guzmán, for instance, is a bilingual creator, producing content that speaks to both of her audiences.
“If I’m talking about something more detailed, like Disney planning or resort tips, I’ll often do it in Spanish because a lot of my client base prefers it. Lighter content or relatable mom content might be in English or even Spanglish,” she said. “The challenge is keeping it balanced — but the opportunity is huge. Speaking both languages allows me to reach and build trust with families who often feel overlooked in the travel space.”
Travel pros who follow in similar footsteps will find that capitalizing on their unique skill set is lucrative. By showcasing their authenticity and separating themselves from the crowd, advisors are much more likely to attract a loyal audience with interests that align with their own — this is one way to turn followers into clients while also fostering a tight-knit community.
Tips and Tricks for Video Creation
The reality for many advisors is that content creation is not their primary responsibility — working with clients and booking dream vacations is! One way to maximize your social media and content curation efforts is to implement the reverse pyramid method. With this approach, advisors can film one video around 60 seconds and then trim it down to a 30-second and 15-second version. By tweaking each clip, they should be different enough to share across multiple platforms and at various times — one piece of content, three unique posts.
Playing around with editing features such as transitions, text overlays, captions and general movement are other great ways to diversify an advisor’s output. Sound in particular is an underrated feature, as using a variety of audio — music, voiceovers, ASMR or natural background noises — can make the video both visually and auditorily appealing.
Admittedly, though, constantly brainstorming fresh content can leave advisors feeling creatively stumped, but luckily, inspiration is never out of reach. Jess Harding (@road_jess_travelled), advisor with Vic’s Vacations, shared that she looks to other creators for video ideas.
“I watch a lot of reels on Instagram from other creators, and not just from the travel industry,” Harding said. “Inspiration is everywhere, and bringing new ideas from other industries keeps your content fresh.”
Watching others’ videos is one way to get the juices flowing, but these travel pros also recommended asking for help from outside sources, too. Trahan recalled using ChatGPT to help her generate copy while Harding shared that she recently took a class with an influencer for more content ideas.
“Adding amateur filmmaker to the list of things we do as travel advisors seems like a lot, so give yourself grace,” said Harding.
Advice From the Pros
Starting the process of creating video content can feel like a big task, especially for advisors who are still getting comfortable with marketing on social media. But as Trahan advised, “Just start! Videoing or social feels scary and overwhelming, but what is scarier is not trying and never knowing what may have been.”
Guzmán added to this, sharing that mistakes are normal and jumping into the deep end is the best way to approach video creation.
“Start messy. Don’t wait until you feel ready. Just show up, talk to your audience like you would a friend, and focus on helping them. Think of video as a conversation, not a performance,” she said. “And don’t worry if it doesn’t go viral — the right people will connect with the real you, and that’s more powerful than views.”
Originally appeared in the Summer 2025 issue of The Compass magazine
About the Author
comments