Gastronomic marketing is audiovisual and there are multiple applications for its development in the hospitality industry.
We live in a purely visual world when it comes to marketing. Visual social networks are growing a lot: Instagram, Pinterest, Snapchat, Facebook, etc. On the other hand, others, like Twitter, which are not so visual, lose steam.
Of all the social networks that are growing a lot, YouTube is the one that concerns us today. The term “youtuber” is already part of the common lexicon and of the day-to-day activities of many young and old.
Have you thought about creating a YouTube channel for your restaurant?
Although it is not difficult and practically with a good camera mobile you can start it … perhaps it is a better idea to know how to do it professionally.
We will briefly mention here why it is good to have a channel, what you need, and the keys to having a good YouTube channel.
Advantages of having a YouTube channel for your restaurant
Do not think that working on your YouTube channel is wasting time, on the contrary, you may lose more if you do not have it. I briefly explain the advantages of having your YouTube channel:
- You reach the audience in a closer way: they will be able to know you, your restaurant, how you cook, they will even be able to see, your audience and potential clients, the ins and outs of your restaurant in general
- Get out of the comfort zone to whoever is in charge of the production of the videos: challenges are very good for everyone, it implies leaving the comfort zone, and that, believe me, it is very good for everyone
- You offer your full potential: In YouTube videos you can show without the corset of a menu everything you know about cooking, experiments, and other things that you cannot show in your day to day and that you want others to know
- You modernize your business: We mistakenly associate content of this type with young people and their things, but it is false, since we all consume videos … it is estimated that each person in Spain consumes an hour of YouTube videos.
- Credibility: Uploading videos, involves a considerable time to record, edit, upload the video … which brings trust, credibility and a feeling of closeness to your clients and potential clients
Equipment needed for your YouTube channel
Opening the channel is extremely easy: all you have to do is use your Google account to start, or associate it with your restaurant’s Google Local account, and do it under its name. And to record, then, simply, a mobile or a camera.
But we want to show you that you can do more than just home videos, and that it is not difficult or expensive to start your channel and your recordings with quality.
This is the equipment that experts recommend having. Obviously, they are not mandatory and are only for high quality recording, and everything is optional.
A camera
There are cameras for all kinds of tastes and budgets, some even go as high as € 20.000. Obviously I will not recommend this one, but it is to give you an idea.
The camera you choose should have at least Full HD resolution, but if it has 4K, it would be ideal, since YouTube already supports this resolution, which is the highest right now on the market, which is flexible, and, above all , light.
The Panasonic DMC-LX100EGK is excellent, it costs only € 595, and you can also use it for the photos that you upload later to other social networks.
If your budget is tighter, you can opt for an innovative and different camera for the kitchen: the GoPro Hero5 Session, which costs € 250, and with 4K resolution for video, excellent audio and 10 mp photos.
The objectives
The lenses will help you to make a better image quality when you have to zoom, something very common and almost mandatory, in videos related to gastronomy and cooking. It depends on the camera you have, the budget varies, but you can find very good lenses for € 60, in the case of Panasonic.
If you use the GoPro, or your mobile, you don’t need it.
Lamp for lighting
Perhaps one of the key elements in all types of audiovisual content is lighting: if you record with natural light, it will seem that you are making an amateur video and your food, and you too, will not look as it should.
You are obviously not a professional, but playing with a good lighting kit, you will notice the difference when you shoot.
We recommend the Amzdeal which costs € 40.
The Camera Stabilizer
I could recommend a tripod, which is what we all know, and which is very cheap, but a gastronomy video requires movements and you are not a filming expert.
The solution? A steadicam.
The steadicam is a tripod that stabilizes the camera automatically: you hold it with your camera, and move it, zoom in or out, and there will be no movement in your video, as it prevents it from turning, destabilizing, and other annoying things.
It is not that expensive, the Afunta stabilizer costs € 60, and there are cheaper ones, and others even more professional.
A microphone
While the camera may have excellent audio, it’s best to make sure of the quality – you’ll record the voice, but also the sizzle from food, fire, fans, silverware, and saucepans, which can saturate the sound quality.
With a microphone you make sure you only capture the voice and that it has a very good quality. In Amazon you can find them from € 10.
Remote for the camera
Whether someone else holds the camera or you do it by yourself, having a remote control for your camera comes in handy, both for photography and recording. The price varies with respect to the model and brand of your camera, but they do not exceed € 20 and they are really useful.
Good editing software
It is key to edit a video well. More than key: it is vital.
In addition, we know that it implies having a good computer, internet connection, ample camera storage and USB cables that quickly transfer a large amount of data.
But the important thing is the editing software, and we are under the assumption that you are a hobbyist and not an expert.
If you are an Apple user, Apple iMovie is a free program that edits easily and of very good quality. If your budget is large, you can choose Adobe Premiere for € 30 per month.
If you are a Windows user, you can also opt for Adobe Premiere at the same price, or use Filmora, which has free packages, up to one that costs € 60 for life.
There are more professional and robust options, but they are around € 300 and it may be better in this case, that you hire a professional directly for the edition.
All this is for an amateur recording, but with a good quality, and although it seems difficult, it is not so difficult.