The Many Uses of Aerial Drone Video & Photo Services

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), commonly referred to as drones, have many business applications across various industries. A PwC study estimates that the value of the global market for drone-powered business solutions is over $127 billion. The study expects the number to grow sharply as the costs for commercial drone services continue to drop and more companies explore the plethora of opportunities presented by the explosion on drone popularity.

“Drones are widely perceived as gadgets of leisure that are sent to the skies to shoot impressive aerial photographs and high-definition video,” says Axel Smits, Chairman and Senior Partner at PwC Belgium. “While they’re commonly used for entertainment, our study reveals that there’s also a range of business applications for drones across various industries, resulting in a significant potential market that can be expected to grow exponentially.” As drones become more advanced, an increased amount of expertise is required in managing safe operation of the aircraft. The FAA has recently come out with a set of guidelines for drone operation in the U.S. These guidelines come with a complete pilot test in order to receive your clearance to fly commercially. That means that if you want to use a photo or video in any monetized way (TV commercial, website, youtube video, real estate photography, etc.) you’ll need to have a Part 107 Remote Pilot License from the FAA.

That said, drones have become staggeringly advanced, with the ability to shoot ultra high end 4k video and take incredibly detailed and accurate photos. If you don’t want to spend the $150 on a test for a pilot license and then master the techniques and skill required to capture breathtaking photos and video, trust in the photo/video experts of Promotevents. We are fully licensed and experienced drone pilots and photographers/filmmakers.

Real Estate

Drones help sell properties by taking photos that stand out in the sea of real estate listings. Drones are most often used to capture a property’s exterior, creating dynamic and dramatic images.

The National Association of Realtors reports that 44 percent of its members use drones for marketing, know someone in their office who uses drones for marketing, or plan on using drones for marketing, indicating that the interest in using drones for real estate marketing is already pervasive.

“Drone technology offers a tremendous opportunity for the business of real estate and the broader economy,” says Tom Salomone, President of the National Association of Realtors. “That’s why NAR continues to support the integration of drones into the National Airspace and a regulatory landscape that allows for the responsible commercial use of drones.”

The number of realtors hiring drone operators is likely to continue to grow, meaning that high quality photography will become more and more important over time. Already, digital photography is one of the most important aspects in selling real estate. The convenience and speed of the internet has revolutionized the way homes are sold; and now this development has led to a demand for higher quality photography in real estate listings.  

Media

The unique bird’s-eye view perspective provided by drones makes them ideal for use in media coverage. Aerial shots of events, activities, and various happenings were available only to large media corporations with pockets deep enough to afford a helicopter. Thanks to drones, even small businesses and independent journalists can readily capture 4K aerial drone footage at a tiny fraction of the cost of hiring a helicopter crew.  

What’s more, drones can get much closer to a subject and capture footage that would be impossible to capture otherwise due to various safety issues. “We’re able to use the drone to capture things that you simply cannot capture from a helicopter, which would create that much more noise and cost you that much more money,” explains Greg Agvent, Senior Director of National News Technology at CNN.  

Promoters like to use drones to showcase events from memorable perspectives and create viral marketing campaigns with professional Hollywood look and feel. In fact, just about any video project can benefit from aerial drone footage, regardless of whether it will be presented to an audience of dozens or millions.

Agriculture

Modern agriculture is highly knowledge-intensive and driven by data. The more information farmers have about their crops, the better outcomes they can expect. Drones can help track everything from crop health to irrigation status to heat signatures. Some farmers are even deploying drones to compare the number of plants in their fields to the number supposedly planted, so they can hold the planter accountable for any discrepancies.  

Farmers who embrace drones in agriculture can expect strong returns on investment. According to a study published by the American Farm Bureau Federation in 2015, farmers who use drone services to monitor their crops see a return on investment of $12 per acre for corn, $2.60 per acre for soybeans, and $2.30 per acre for wheat. The drone technology has improved significantly since 2015, so it’s highly likely that the figures would be even higher today.  

Insurance

With large-scale wildfires, floods, hurricanes, and other natural disasters making the headlines on a regular basis, people who live in disaster-prone areas are turning to aerial drone services to take detailed pictures and video footage of their properties for insurance purposes.  

It’s very common for access to disaster areas to be restricted for several days, which makes post-disaster inspections very difficult to conduct. Modern drones provide effective control range of several miles, allowing insurance claims agents to remotely conduct a physical inspection of a property and capture still photos or videos to be used to process claims.

According to Deloitte, leading insurance companies secured FAA permission to use drones for aerial data collection, catastrophe response, research and development, underwriting, and claims resolution support as early as 2015. More insurance companies have begun using drones since then, reporting improved efficiency and effectiveness in claims adjudication, claims processing, and customer experience.

Conclusion

The use cases of aerial drone services span across most industries. Because of how inexpensive professional drone services, such as those offered by us at Promotevents, are, anyone can reap the benefits of this exciting, new technology and capture high-resolution pictures and video to attract more customers, increase operational efficiency, or generate additional revenue. If you would like to learn more about aerial drone services, we encourage you to contact us and let us take care of your needs.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]