I was at the boat show conducting video interviews for Yachting Image and all of the yacht manufacturers/Brokers I interviewed said the same thing, this is the best sales they have had in years at this show and sales are on a steep upward trend. Horizon Power Catamarans had their new PC58 power catamaran there, and their booth was packed with people every day.

Welcome to the Miami International and the Yacht & Brokerage Show in Miami Beach Florida. Spanning three locations-The Miami Beach Convention Center, Sea Isle Marina and Yachting Center, and Strictly Sail at Miamarina at Bayside, with in excess of 2.5 million square feet of exhibition space it is one of Florida’s largest and most popular annual events.  This year there will be approximately 2,000 exhibitors, and over 3,000 boats ranging from Power Boats, Sports Fishing, Sail, and Luxury Yachts from all over the world.

The Miami Boat Show is a great show to build brand recognition, generate qualified serious leads, and receive media attention for any new innovations or products that have been released and networking with industry professionals and enthusiasts.

Boating is a passion shared by many yachting enthusiasts, over 104,000 attended last year’s show up 14% from the previous year and there are more expected to attend the 2012 show drawing a worldwide audience from over 80 countries including the U.S, and Canadian markets.

NMMA is partnered with Progressive Insurance and has created a free App for this year’s show containing maps, event schedules, boat and product listings, exhibitor listings, directions, special attractions and real-time show alerts and more available for Iphones and smart phones or on ITunes for Androids.

NMMA is publisher of Boat Show Exhibitor Magazine which provides exhibitors with comprehensive tools and the latest information for developing the best strategy that will yield the best results from boat show attendance.

Horizon Power Catamarans will be exhibiting at the show.  On display their latest model the PC58 designed for elegance and stability a Luxury Yacht that integrates the latest marine technology with superior performance and style.  The PC58 can be configured to meet the needs of the most discerning yachting enthusiast.  For more information contact Stuart Hegerstrom 954-257-8717.

The 2012 Miami Boat Show is expected to be a success continuing the upward trend and recovery in the yachting industry overall.

Yachting Image hopes to see you there.

Dates and Times:            

Thursday, Feb. 16 – Monday, Feb. 20, 2012

Thursday, Feb. 16 (Premier Thursday): 10 a.m.- 6 p.m.

Friday, Feb. 17 – Sunday, Feb.19: 10 a.m.- 8 p.m.

Monday, Feb.20: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Sea Isle Marina & Yachting Center and Miamarina at Bayside open every day from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Locations:           

Miami Beach Convention Center

1901 Convention Center Drive, Miami Beach

Sea Isle Marina & Yachting Center – Miami International Boat Show’s in-water display

1635 North Bayshore Drive, Miami

Miamarina at Bayside – Strictly Sail Miami at Bayside

While pictures paint 1,000 words a real life, on-location video tells the whole story and is worth a million words delivering a highly impactful visual experience in full HD video.  Yacht videos are the perfect way to show the client the features and elegance of the yacht you are representing for charter and deliver a higher number of sales for yacht charters and brokers.

It’s easy  to advertise our  yacht videos to your yacht charter clients. Just copy and paste the format below in an email to your clients.  Feel free to use our content or change and add your own with your contact info.

If you have any suggestions or questions contact us through the comment field below and we will be happy to respond and get back to you.

See email template below

Dear (Client’s Name)

This may very well be the Caribbean Yacht Charter you have been looking for:

Caribbean Dream Available for Charter in the British Virgin Islands

The following link to our video on you tube contains the link you can use to embed the Caribbean Dream video in your own email as shown above:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXyZ74OcS9c

A Unique Charter experience, we invite you to step aboard the Caribbean Dream and bring to life all of the splendor, mystery, adventure, and romance the Caribbean has to offer. Explore the world’s largest water playground in style.  This luxury catamaran accommodates up to 6 guests in supreme comfort. An endless supply of fun and adventure awaits you on board the Caribbean Dream, all it takes is for your dream to create the reality of a lifetime.

Contact us for more information:

Your Company Name here

Your Name

Phone

Email

Website/Facebook/Twitter links

Yacht Video done by Yachting Image www.yachtingimage.com

(Please mention our name as referenced above in your email. We are a leader in Yachting Marketing Services and are here to help individual Yachts and Yacht Charter Brokers to achieve the highest possible success. Thank You.)

While pictures paint 1,000 words a real life, on-location video tells the whole story and is worth a million words delivering a highly impactful visual experience in full HD video.  Yacht videos are the perfect way to show the client the features and elegance of the yacht you are representing for charter and deliver a higher number of sales for yacht charters and brokers.

It’s easy to advertise our yacht videos to your yacht charter clients. Just copy and paste the format below in an email to your clients.  Feel free to use our content or change and add your own with your contact info.

If you have any suggestions or questions contact us through the comment field below and we will be happy to respond and get back to you.

See email template below

Dear (Client’s Name)

This may very well be the Caribbean Yacht Charter you have been looking for:

Luxury Catamaran Zingara for Charter in the Caribbean 

The following link to our video on you tube contains the link you can use to embed the Zingara video in your own email as shown above:

http://youtu.be/3D_BVw7-Nhc

A Luxurious Catamaran Charter experience, we invite you to step aboard Zingara with unrivalled spaciousness and comfort, live your Caribbean dream of adventure, mystery, romance and fun. Explore pristine crystal clear waters and at the end of the day indulge yourself with fine wine and delicacies made for the most discerning pallet or enjoy a casual dinner with friends and family your choice. This luxury catamaran accommodates up to 10 guests. A once in a lifetime opportunity for the best vacation/holiday in the Caribbean, you won’t want to miss.

Contact us for more information:

Your Company Name here

Your Name

Phone

Email

Website/Facebook/Twitter links

Yacht Video done by Yachting Image www.yachtingimage.com

(Please mention our name as referenced above in your email. We are a leader in Yachting Marketing Services and are here to help individual Yachts and Yacht Charter Brokers to achieve the highest possible success. Thank You.)

How do I develop and get my Yachting business page on Facebook noticed?

If you are not familiar with Facebook Pages and want one for your yachting business the best place to start is to hire social media experts to navigate you through the social media sea of information and help you develop the best strategy for your company.

Having a professionally designed landing page for your Facebook Page is a fun and creative way for people to like yourpage. It encourages a person visiting your page to “Like” it which adds to your fan base. The picture to the right is an excellent example of a landing page for Regency Yachts, designed by Yachting Image.  Landing pages are an inexpensive way to introduce your company to first time visitors to your Facebook Page and convert them into Fans. An important note to make once you have 25 fans/likes you are now able to establish your own custom url for the page that will turn up in searches on Google.

Once you have your Facebook Page and landing page set up reaching out to your existing network to Like your page and refer you to their friends is a great way to launch your business on Facebook.

Advertising on Facebook with a professionally designed Facebook ad can rapidly build your fan base and reach your targeted market.  Facebook has made advertising user friendly and businesses can set up highly targeted parameters for who they want their ads to reach.

A new development in Facebook is the advent of keyword targeting for advertising.  Now you can target your ads by topics similar to Google Adwords. This allows you to target people interested in Yachts, Yacht Charters, and Yachting in general for your ads.

How do I create a Facebook Page that will keep my customers coming back for more?

Check out AC Sailing and Next Level Sailing both based in California as an example of doing it right.

Make your Page fun and interesting.  Post professionally done videos, videos from cell phones and cameras and videos of related topics from YouTube videos such as scuba diving, snorkeling videos, marine life and destination videos for yacht charter companies.  Showcase your yacht out on the open water during sea trails and have a professional yacht video done for gorgeous interior and exterior footage posted on your facebook page for yacht broker/dealers/manufacturers.

Facebook is social; interact with your fans. When they make a comment make sure to respond it’s the same as answering the phone. You want to encourage them to comment again and again and share their comments with friends.

If you’re having fun with it and find your Facebook Page interesting chances are your fans will too and they will return again and again to see if anything new or exciting is happening.

How does having a Facebook page help my business (generate sales)?

Bottom line, you are in business and sales are your lifeline so having a Facebook Page needs to be worth your time and effort, or why have one? Let’s face it, buying most anything including yachts and yacht charters is more of an emotional event then it is analytical one. You are building relationships; people are on Facebook more than they are on the phone today.  They come to Facebook to have a good time relax enjoy and interact, in other words it’s social.  When they are ready to charter a yacht for the day, for a week in the Caribbean, along the coast of California or in the Med or make a purchase, your brand will be the first one they think of because they have been seeing your updates, enjoying your posts, and having fun interacting with you and/or your company on your page plus they have watched your videos and with backlinks from your Facebook page to your website chances are your fans have visited your website on numerous occasions. Fans on Facebook have become a lead conversion source.

If you’re not on Facebook your competitors more than likely are, this is a whole new world and new way of how business is done.

Do you have a Facebook Page, if so what is your experience with it?  Are you posting videos of your yacht charter, yacht and other related topic videos?  Have you advertised on Facebook to build your fan base?

The social media and networks have been around long enough now you have heard about or even participated in some form of social media.  With the advent of internet marketing via search engines, social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Google Plus, and countless blogs, your advertising dollars can now be maximized to reach yachting enthusiasts worldwide.

Why is it so important to join in? The main answer to that question is exposure. There are approximately 600 million people on Facebook, 200 million using Twitter, and the latest social network Google Plus has over 30 million very active users and is growing rapidly each and every day.  YouTube is one of the top 3 visited sites in the world and websites with blogs are known to drive 55% more traffic to a site then websites without blogs.

What will social media do for my yachting company?  If you haven’t already noticed the yachting industry is all over the internet from State-of-the-art websites employing top-notch SEO strategies, to yacht videos for yacht charters and sales, to highly interactive Facebook and Twitter accounts plus more.  Social Media aids in increased search rankings, builds your brand, and gives you an edge over those companies who do not choose to participate.

How do I get started and/or take my social media marketing to the next level?  Developing a strategy is the most important first step when implementing any digital marketing program to your company.  There are numerous methods, tools, and practices that will allow you to minimize you time and maximize exposure.   If you have already deployed a social media component to your marketing campaign and have hundreds of fans, followers and viewers but would like to increase the amount at a greater rate, or if you are just starting out, hiring a team of social media experts is a good place to start.   A team of social media experts will be able to optimize and tailor a program to meet your particular needs and train you and your company on the do’s and don’ts implementing a highly effective campaign.

The real question: Will a social media marketing strategy generate a large enough ROI that is worth the time, money, and effort?  There are numerous methods, and tools available that will help to minimize the amount of time needed for an effective social media campaign.  Time no longer has to be a major factor.  When interacting with fans and followers today it is the same as what picking up the phone used to be.  More and more people are reaching out through their social networks on the internet and having fun in the interim.  The cost to run an effective social media campaign can be nominal compared to the exposure you can receive.  Your advertising costs can go along way reaching more people that are interested in your particular yacht, yacht charter etc… and the amount of effort can be minimized with the right social media team.

Happy New Year from all of us at Yachting Image!!!  Start the New Year off right and get engaged in the conversation or take your social media marketing to the next level either way make sure it’s your boat at the dock when someone comes looking for theirs!!!!

Appealing to today’s yachting enthusiast and consumers overall is a digital marketing game played at the top of the search ranking lists.  The highest ranking websites, videos blogs win, right? Not necessarily, if the quality of the video just isn’t there and the website content does not hold the interests of the viewers then they bounce right out and you are still not seen, that is why you need experts to guide you through the internet jungle. Let’s face it you would not go on a tour of the Amazon on your own without a knowledgeable guide and the ins and out of SEO. Social Media and blogging should not be undertaken without an expert as well.

For superb quality yacht videos your first point of contact is the videographer.  When hiring a videographer for filming your yacht make sure they have the following qualifications to produce a magnificently orchestrated, creative first class video.

► The yacht videographer you are hiring needs to have knowledge and experience in the yachting industry.  You can find out by checking for references or checking out the videos that they already produced. Of course feel free to view the videos on produced and filmed by Charl Jordaan of Yachting Image.

► The yacht videographer needs to understand and be on top of the latest video marketing trends on the internet in general and within the yachting industry. What’s working and what’s not.

► The yacht videographer needs to be working with state-of-the-art equipment. Make sure your video is being produced in full HD (High Definition) You want the best quality.

► Creativity counts merged with technical prowess.  Achieving the perfect balance between both creates a high energy marketing magnet for your yacht and/or company.

►The yacht videographer needs to be able to film on location. Wherever the yacht is located the videographer needs to make all of the proper arrangements for filming inclusive of helicopter, models etc. to produce optimum results.

►The yacht videographer needs to work with you and/or the captain and the crew on  a video production schedule to ensure all of the details are covered and everyone and the yacht is in the right place at the right time to successfully capture the lighting and right atmosphere to produce a highly marketable video that will capture the viewers attention making them wanting to take the next step to contact you or your company.

Your yacht video is one of the most valuable investments that you can make in marketing your yacht along with your website. Make sure you have the right team behind you that cares about your success. We know at Yachting Image that your success is ours and that is why we go out of our way to create the best videos, shoot the best yacht photography, develop a high quality website, Optimize your Social Media, through You Tube, Facebook, Twitter etc. and get you top rankings thorough our SEO expertise.

Happy Yachting and we wish you much success in the future of your business.

Everyone at Yachting Image is looking forward to a good year and wishes you much success., if we can be of any service let us know, we look forward to working with you in the New Year..

YACHT CHARTER SHOWS

April 30 – May 4, 2012

24th Annual MYBA Genoa Charter Show

May 12-16, 2012

30th Marmaris Yacht Charter show

June 18-22, 2012

28th Annual Newport Spring Charter Yacht Show

December,  2012

Antigua Charter Yacht Show

BROKERAGE SHOWS

Jan 4-8, 2012

New York Boat Show

Feb 3-5, 2012

Melbourne Summer Boat Festival

Feb 16 – 20, 2012

Miami Yacht and Brokerage Show

March 13-17, 2012

Dubai International Boat Show

March 22-25, 2012

Palm Beach Boat Show

April 12-15, 2012

5th Annual Antibes Yacht Show

Sept. 12-17, 2012

Cannes International Boat and Yacht Show

Sept. 14-23, 2012

Southampton International Boat Show

Sept. 13-16, 2012

Newport International Boat Show

Sept. 19-22, 2012

Monaco Yacht Show

Oct. 4-8 2012

U.S. Sailboat Show

Oct. 11-14, 2011

U.S. Powerboat Show

Oct. 10-28, 2011

Athens International Boat Show

Oct., 2012

Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show

REGATTAS

Jan 7-15 2012

Charlotte Harbor Regatta

March 22-25 2012

St. Barths Bucket Regatta

March 26-April 1, 2012

BVI Spring Regatta and Sailing Festival

August 24-26 2012

Newport Bucket Regatta

Which Boat Show’s will you be attending this year?  Are you expecting a better year for your business in terms of sales and/or Charters?  What other shows or events would you like us to add to our Calendar?

It seems counterintuitive that while other businesses and your competitors are scaling back, to invest in marketing. Increasing visibility, branding, and recognition are vital in a down market. Your competitors that cut costs just opened up an opportunity for you to pass them by, likewise, if you are the one that cuts marketing costs, you could be the one that is passed by while others ramp up marketing to gain market share at a critical and opportune time.

If you have lived long enough, had life experience or learned about the basics of business and/or economic cycles you understand that this too shall pass and the economic and business climate will change for the better once again and be in full swing…

There are several reasons why now is the best time to increase your marketing efforts with the latest technology available…

Competitors that have cut back on creating new content for their blogs and websites such as blog posts, new yacht videos, new yacht photography, new websites optimized for top search rankings, and most importantly SEO and social media, have opened the door wide for you to maximize your ROI.  Right now your marketing dollars go farther and are more important than ever.  In the yachting industry there is still business to be had, yachts to be sold, vacations, and holidays being taken by yachting enthusiasts worldwide. In other words there is still an ongoing market, people spending money; and most importantly, those that invest now will be in top positions for when the economy turns around as well as capture more market share now.

So then what….

The internet has eclipsed traditional marketing and digital marketing is now the most effective form of advertising, especially for the yachting industry.  As the business and economic cycle recovers it will take a greater amount of marketing capital and/or effort to obtain high ranking positions for keywords.

A great strategy is to invest now and establish your brand and search positions while you can get more exposure per dollar spent and get out in front of the pack on the internet.  Building your brand during a recession is a great strategy since you increase market share now and establish a stronger presence for when the economy heats up as well as competition.

Increasing traffic on your site today increases your market share now and firmly establishes your position tomorrow. Chances are that if people like what they see they are bookmarking your site and saving it to favorites then when they are ready and able to turn their dream into a reality Click… they will go right to your site and contact you first because you were there the whole time at the top of the list and they don’t even have to search anymore because they have been doing their research all along.

Now not only have you survived the tough business cycle by picking up the existing business that is available, you have been seen by many others creating the opportunity and positioning for you to be a market leader when everything changes. Your long time ranking on the internet will make it easier for you to remain at the top as more and more businesses start investing and clamoring for top ranking positions.

Be the best now to ensure your spot as a market leader tomorrow.   

Are you investing in marketing your business right now? Have you updated your website recently? Created a new video? Are you writing blogs and spending time in social media? Do you see the market changing?

A photograph taken with the right angles, lighting, equipment and a keen sense of what needs to be conveyed to the viewers will say much more than words ever can.  The right professional yacht photographer can draw viewers in so they feel as if they are already there and part of the picture.

Since the yachting industry is our primary focus, from a purist standpoint the professional yacht photographer needs to come from a higher level of understanding.

► Who is the intended, targeted market for a particular yacht.  Brokers, high-end yachting enthusiasts, recreational day use charter etc…

► What is the style, essence or experience that needs to be portrayed to capture the targeted market.

► Where is the best location or vantage point that is available to the yacht in order to accomplish the optimum goals of the shoot.

► When is the best time to shoot each particular photograph for the right lighting.  For example interior shots are best performed at night for the right lighting effects.

► Why is the shoot taking place?  What is the medium(s) and purpose of the shoot?  Is it part of the web design and development for your company, a  magazine layout associated with an article, is it for a brochure for brokers or yacht charter consumers etc…

Knowing the answers to all of the above will determine the photography schedule.  Will your professional yacht photographer need to shoot the yacht itself exclusively, exquisite interior and high quality exterior pictures only or do they need to capture the surrounding beauty of exotic destinations inclusive of marine life, water sports, the romance of a gorgeous Caribbean sundowner, the rich hues of the Mediterranean, the local nightlife and/or hot tourist destination spots.

Professional yacht photography is more than an art form, it places an emphasis on the quality and excellence of each photograph combining the elements of a marketing and a bit of a photojournalistic mindset, creating a superior product for the end user.

What is your experience with yacht photography?  Were you satisfied with the layout and how your yacht was portrayed?   Did the yacht photographer produce pictures that helped you to meet your goals and objectives from a marketing standpoint?

At Yachting Image we are always interested in your comments and your stories at Yachting Image we shoot to create excellence in all areas inclusive of our yacht photography.