The Age of the Drone: Using Flight to Elevate your Brand and Business

It's eye-opening to know that in our technology-driven digital marketing world, everything is pretty much fair game. We can state that for many "cool toys" that could primarily be used for leisure; such as a drone. But as we all try and keep up with the amazing technologies rolling out, digital marketing professionals are revamping their tools to solve complex solutions for clients. 

The one I have kept a keen eye on is the use of drone footage for branding and video. There are some companies today that legitimately build their business around drone footage, so this may not necessarily be breakthrough news to some. But as we know, there are several ways you could boost or kill your brand no matter your strategy. Drone footage is no different, but I have some pointers on how you can positively boost your brand and business from drone usage.

Your Workplace & Culture

I am going to give the safety disclaimer: IF YOU FLY YOUR DRONE INSIDE OF YOUR OFFICE DAMNIT BE CAREFUL! But some of the cooler shots involve using a drone both inside, and out. 

Unless you have an amazing camera stabilizer, a drone is the best way to capture smooth footage of your team and culture. Keep in mind, most drones are not silent, in fact far from it, so make sure you schedule time out and alert your team that you will be flying that bad boy through the office and it may get loud. People want to get a glimpse of who you are, you certainly don't need a drone to capture culture videos to help express your company, but it does make it way more crisp and balanced. 

A lot of companies focus on the videos that drive business and sales, not a video strategy that shows who they are. When people can empathetically connect to you and your organization through a computer screen, it builds trust and rapport before even meeting you.

What about the outdoor footage? Especially when you work in an awesome location...like Golden, Colorado for instance, it makes it easier to get outside and capture picturesque video footage that connects with your audience whether you know it or not. 

Virtual Tours

Virtual tours are certainly not for every business, especially when customer foot traffic is low or non-existent. But let's say you are a doctor's office, or a business park that leases temporary office space; why wouldn't giving potential customers a virtual tour via drone be a win-win? Let's hone in on the doctor's office example for a little bit.

Going to the doctor's is sometimes not easy on your psyche, and depending on the type of appointment it is, it can be downright scary. Especially when you have new patients that have never been inside of your office, you want to make sure their comfort level is as close to happy and relaxed as possible before they even step in the door. One of the easiest ways to achieve this is via virtual tour. You can easily take a drone and cover your whole office in mere minutes. 

So what do you do with the footage? Here is the pro tip you've been waiting for. After someone books an appointment, you send a confirmation email. The email gives them all of the important info, but it also has a clickable link to your office's virtual tour so people "know" where they are going before they even walk in. I tell you from personal experience (I was, and am STILL scared to go to the dentist), that if you know the environment before going in, it sets you a little bit at ease knowing that you have seen the office atmosphere, whether from a virtual tour or previous visit.

Highlight Your Philanthropic Initiatives

One of the best ways to use a drone to build your brand is elevating your interaction with your community. Every company, big and small, is looking to not only get involved with your community but to give back in numerous ways. From volunteering at a food bank during the holiday's to planting a tree in a local park, there are so many ways to capture the moment and share it internally and with your audience. These initiatives are not meant to drive business, but to warm the hearts of your followers, your friends, and your family. 

Your company and team need to feel empowered, whether it's a team building activity to give back or to just have a little fun, get out there and capture it...with a drone of course!

Everything Else

This is a small sample size of how you can use a drone for your digital marketing and branding efforts. You should never discount any idea that could help capture your brand and messaging, especially when it comes to video. We have seen the shift that video is taking in our space, everything is shifting from text to video (especially with how easy it is to whip out your phone and capture video on the spot).

Think about the way you interact with content today, would you prefer to read a 5-minute article or watch a 2-minute video that drives the same message home? It's a pretty easy answer, so as you shift into the video marketing era, consider how a drone can help you take your efforts to new heights (pun absolutely intended). As consumer's brains are wired to digest video faster than text, it's not enough to just begin dabbling in videography for your business. I will leave you with this tid-bit from HubSpot's INBOUND 17 conference: If you're considering your next hire as a content person...don't. Your next hire NEEDS to be a videographer.

If you're curious on how drone footage can help your brand and business, reach out to the expert pilots that fly "Rev Force 1" here at our office.