Social Media and the Yachting Industry
The online world and social media, in general, are changing the way people interact, shop, and purchase goods and services. Social media platforms such as Instagram, are now making it easier than ever to shop and buy anything and everything from clothing and cooking products to real estate, and now the same can be said about yacht sales.
Social Media Opportunites in Yacht Sales
Before the heavy utilization of social media, online boat buyers typically searched for yachts on MLS sites such as Yachtworld and Boattrader. Now, this information is delivered straight to audiences, right where they are at via social media feeds. Stunning imagery, especially video content, capture the attention of new viewers and demographics, along with consumers who were not initially looking to buy.
Social media, particularly Instagram and TikTok, are quickly becoming a more prominent way for companies to increase brand awareness and sell products or services. For the marine industry, social media is proving to be a surefire way for users to easily engage, search, and browse yachts for sale.
“At Galati Yacht Sales, we are always adapting and continuing to make marketing investments for our listing clients to get the most exposure to sell boats as quickly as possible,” stated Mary Strauss, Director of Marketing. “We dedicate a large amount of marketing spend to content every year, simply because we understand the importance of social media and the sales opportunities that come along with it. IG posts and stories from our “behind the scenes” media shoots engage followers and, most importantly, interested buyers and we’ve seen an increase in qualified sales leads from this type of video content before boats officially hit the market.”
Not only are these online media sites imperative for listing exposure, but social platforms are continuously developing and trending in the marketing world, raising the question of how video content and imagery resonates with consumers and new generations. And how that will, in turn, influence buying patterns. Data is already showing that some of these social platforms are among the most visited sites on the web, taking over industry giants like Google, which means short/engaging video content is crucial in this day and age for brand awareness and product sales.
The Rise of TikTok
In 2021, TikTok surpassed Google and Facebook as the most popular website, according to Cloudflare, while Business Insider reported that nearly 40% of Gen Z prefer to use IG and TikTok for online search versus Google Search Engine. In more recent news, TikTok’s increased popularity is taking market share/attention away from social giants including Facebook and Instagram. It’s been revealed for Q2 of 2022 that TikTok app users globally spend on average 95 minutes per day scrolling through the never-ending feed of videos, while users spend about an average of 51 minutes on IG and 49 minutes on Facebook. Time will tell if the popular video platform will hold its #1 title for 2022 amid press challenges and growing concerns. Nonetheless, it is almost certain both TikTok and IG will remain near the top of the list.
Boating Influencers
With that said, we want to introduce the maritime team making waves in the media industry, Nautical Network (NN), a contemporary global creative and media agency with expertise in social-first digital solutions and delivering impactful business results. Galati Yacht Sales has developed a strategic partnership with NN that allows us to take digital advertising to new heights while capturing the attention of a larger population of potential consumers.
With 20+ years in the boating industry, an in-house creative studio, and an expansive network of influencers, Nautical Network offers a unique opportunity to reach a large global audience while engaging in high-end, high-priced shopping. They have a network of over 3.5M followers across all social media channels, with a large majority of boat owners and enthusiasts engaging with their content regularly. Some of their pages include @BoatsGoneWild, @Dreamboat.network, @Boating.network, @Sportfishing.network, @Yachting.network, and @Performanceboat.network.
Nautical Network is truly your modern-day boating magazine, with 4 million minutes of video content watched per month across their channels, reaching close to 8 million people. All in all, they are helping influence buying decisions and helping yacht brokers, brokerages, manufacturers, and dealerships complement sales. Fun fact: 90% of people are influenced and buy from brands they follow on social media.
Native Video Content
While impressively talented in photography and other means of digital enhancement, NN’s bread and butter are native video content and videography. Native, meaning creating real-time content that works on Instagram and TikTok, whereas more high-produced videography content works better on Facebook and YouTube. They say a picture is worth a thousand words. If that’s true, how much do you think a video is worth? Well, to give you an idea, as of 2020, 78% of people watch online videos every week through social media.
Anytime the team at NN films a listing video for Galati, they create native content that gets distributed across their channels and social media pages, along with ours. The distribution of this real-time native content, along with the actual listing video, allows our brand to stay relevant and engage with consumers throughout the buying/selling journey. While pretty images are great to display on social sites such as Pinterest, video content attracts the attention of consumers differently. It also allows yacht brokers to educate followers on what they value and notice in a yacht. Having this understanding and connection with followers while creating a sense of community has positively impacted our brand immensely.
The Importance of Social Media as a Yacht Broker
As an active user of social media, yacht broker Jason Lozeau understands first-hand how critical social media is when selling a yacht. Here is what he has to say about the importance of it and the success he’s seen in his career:
Why is social media important to you and how has it helped your career as a yacht broker? “It gives you a much better way of communicating and staying in touch with all of your clients. It allows them to raise their hand when they need something because you’re always in contact with them.”
What was the most impressive sale to date that occurred because of a social media platform, and how did it happen? “The 121’ Benetti. My client saw the yacht on social media and tagged me on the post to find it and sell it to him.”
How does social media help you connect to prospective clients/and or customers? “Before I even have time to get a listing completed on Yacht World, friends on social media that see my post or stories end up sharing the content or tagging their friend’s in the comment section that may be interested in the boat.”
Today’s Social Media Standards
Today, it’s more than just advertising and making a sale. 64% of consumers want brands/businesses to make a real connection with them. Unlike traditional mediums of advertisement — i.e. magazines, TV, and Radio — consumers today have the ability in real-time to engage with a brand online and ask questions. “To connect with your consumers, you have to be present where their attention is focused. Not only that, but you have to be active to engage in those conversations as well,” stated Brandon Chapman, Chief Marketing Officer for NN. “The best part, unlike traditional advertising, businesses can track how many people clicked a link to visit a website after viewing any type of social media content.”
Top-of-Mind Marketing
When it comes to our customers, we are always actively searching for ways to enhance their experience, whether that entails buying or selling with us. Our partnership with Nautical Network continuously allows us to stay in front of potential customers until they are ready to buy or sell. While quality images and videos help a brand stay pertinent on social media, using the right social media accounts through the right people is what helps to stand out above competitors. Creating a strategic partnership and using social media influencers, such as Nautical Network, who can reach and engage with the right audience, allows us to stay top-of-mind when it comes to exclusive yacht sales.
