Drones are everywhere. Whether you love them or hate them, drones (also known as UAVs or Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) are surging in popularity and are increasingly being used in a wide range of industries. From the Real Estate industry to Wedding Photography, drones are are entering mainstream content strategy and into diverse marketing initiatives.

While there are a lot of UAVs on the market, models that offer 4K video and beautiful still photo capture technologies are helping marketers tell new types of stories. However, while drones may seem like an exciting new way to create content, marketers who are looking to break into aerial storytelling need to be aware of certain regulations.

Even though UAV regulation is in its stages of infancy, the FAA has some pretty clear cut rules about what drone operators can and cannot do. For instance, marketers will have to hire someone with a FAA Section 333 waiver, if they’re looking to fly drones commercially. The FAA also prohibits drones from flying within 5 miles of an airport and over an altitude of 400 feet.

While you may be tempted to jump on the drone train, it’s important that you do your homework and familiarize yourself with local, state, and federal guidelines to avoid breaking the rules and accidentally injuring others in the process.

Drones vs. Helicopters

One of the main benefits of drones’ HD video transmission is allowing users to see video in detail. Unlike composite video, HD video is clearer, making it easier to get the shot you really want to capture.

Drone aerial video and photography is a great alternative to renting a helicopter, which can run anywhere from several hundred to thousands of dollars per day. Imagine having to spend that kind of money only to get in the air on a cloudy day. With drones, if you or your company owns one, rescheduling a shoot by a couple of hours or even a few days isn’t a big deal and won’t burn a hole in your budget.

Drone technology and its portability gives you a lot of leeway when it comes to moving shooting locations as well. It’s also easier and more cost-effective to reshoot scenes using a drone than it is with a helicopter. Given these benefits, you may want to consider purchasing a drone if you’re a freelance videographer or a creative agency.

Industries Using Drones to Create Exciting and Memorable Content

As drone technology continues to improve in leaps and bounds, many industries are using them to create stunning visual content.

Architecture

According to ArchDaily, drones are a cost effective solution for shooting aerial photography and video; certain drones give artists access to software that allows them to map an area and produce more accurate topographical visualizations.

Instead of performing costly surveys of hiring high-end photographers, architecture firms now have the option to incorporate drones into their visual mapping and marketing strategies.

After all, think about how much more of an impact an aerial, 360-degree view of a new apartment complex can motivate a purchase versus a floor plan or traditional static photos or video.

Real Estate

Zillow, a real estate site lists several drone applications for the real estate industry; an aerial camera can provide Birdseye view of a property or land,  detailed views of a neighborhood and local businesses in the area, property maps, and much more.

Just like with architecture, buyers want to get a real sense of the property and the area they’re looking to make a purchase in. Giving them broader views of the area can help them determine if a property is a right fit and help real estate agents connect with truly interested buyers, saving them both time and money.

Wedding Photographers/Videographers

One industry that’s seeing a huge surge in the popularity of drones is wedding photography and videography. This type of technology is being used to capture beautiful shots of outdoor weddings and other events in addition to traditional DSLR photography.

If you’re a photographer who wants to differentiate yourself from others in your field, you may want to consider adding an outdoor drone photography or videography option into your existing DSLR or video package.

Other industries like travel and tourism and sports are also using drones in their marketing initiatives. A leading figure in the drone marketing world, CEO, Chris Bonnet of Drone Dispatch talks about the various drone marketing initiatives that he and his company have helped take to new heights”

“We have done many types of marketing initiatives such as “dronies” from cruise ships, dropping swag from our drones, Under Armour and Bulleit Bourbon online video campaigns, livestreaming from our drones during a SXSW event, and many more. We receive all sorts of unique requests from great companies who are looking to spice things up with drones…

Using drones in your marketing initiatives allows for more out of the box creative content from brands. The dronie hands down is my go to favorite for engaging drone content. A dronie is a 15 second video that starts level with the participant’s head and then pulls out and up to hundreds of feet in a matter of seconds to showcase a festival, event, or a scenic backdrop.”

Travel and Tourism

What better way to give prospective travelers an idea of what your city or country has to offer than with a short aerial video? As drone technology becomes increasingly adopted by marketers and video production companies, we’ll be sure to see videos that not only capture the beauty of a hotel and its surrounding property, but also give travelers a sense of the place they’re visiting.

The video below was created by Drone Dispatch and captures the Texan landscape, enticing visitors to check out beauty and experiences the state has to offer.

Marketers are just scratching the surface of how drone photography and videography can be integrated into their current campaigns.

As multisensory marketing becomes more prevalent in the coming years, we can expect to see drone footage being incorporated into more national and international campaigns as well as virtual reality and augmented reality experiences.

It’s an exciting time to be a marketer, and if you want to stay ahead of curve, it’s critical that you don’t let drones go under the radar.