Drones are crewless aerial vehicles operated by a drone pilot. Some drones are about the size of a large insect, while other drones can be up to 20 inches long. Although recreational drones gained popularity in 2015, the first drones were developed in the 1930s, and thousands of drones were used by the military during World War II.
Drone operators in the United States must comply with Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) guidelines. The FAA requires drone owners to register with the FAA and present their registration information when flying their drones. Recreational users are prohibited from using their drones for business purposes. Obtaining a commercial drone pilot license will ensure you’re able to use your drone to support your business, or you can opt to hire an expert from the drone industry to capture video and images for you. Whether your company sells restaurant equipment or real estate, there are several ways drones can help your business.
Sell Products
If you operate a restaurant equipment company, you’ll want your company website to appear among the first sites listed when people Google “restaurant equipment Seattle.” Using a drone to generate aerial photos of your products is one way to ensure this happens. A drone can fly over and around your freezers, refrigerators, pizza prep tables, and sandwich prep tables, ensuring you can capture images from all angles. You can also capture drone footage of other equipment you sell, including ice machines, dishwashers, and equipment stands.
Adding keywords to photographs and videos hosted on your site will ensure your images rank high on Google searches. For example, you can promote your mixers and commercial ovens to bakery owners by including the word “bakery” in your image tags.
Whether you sell pots, dinnerware, glassware, or apparel, aerial photography is a great way to feature your products and capture exciting and compelling images.
Make Movies
If you aren’t in retail or commercial sales and wonder how to make money with a drone, you could consider entering the movie business. The film industry used to rely on helicopters to get aerial shots. Helicopter pilots would transport camera operators above the ground while scenes were being enacted. Renting a helicopter is expensive, but it’s possible to capture the same images for a low price by hiring a drone pilot. With a drone license and experience using your drone’s video equipment, you can become a videographer and work in the film industry.
Film Weddings
Couples typically spend thousands on photography. Most couples consider it crucial to capture images of their wedding. With your drone license and experience as an aerial photographer and videographer, you’ll be in an ideal position to market your services as a wedding photographer. Some couples are eager to find new ways to set their wedding apart, and your ability to capture aerial images is one way to add a unique component to their wedding photos. With a drone, you can navigate above the audience during the ceremony and capture shots of the couple exchanging their vows from every angle. You can also take drone footage of the bride tossing her bouquet and other significant moments from the festivities, such as the couple’s first dance.
Sell Real Estate
Real estate agents use photographs and video footage to promote homes and properties for sale or rent. Since it’s possible to fly a drone through the sky and capture aerial images of a building, hiring a commercial drone pilot to photograph properties you’re listing is a great way to attract interest from potential buyers. Buyers will be reassured by images showing the roof is in good shape. Roofs that are in bad shape may leak, which can cause water damage inside the home. Replacing a roof and fixing water damage is expensive, and alleviating buyer concerns about these potential costs can generate more interest in the property and help you sell it faster.
Drones can be used to capture aerial images and video footage. They’re efficient, and it costs less to hire a commercial drone operator than it does to hire a helicopter pilot. Whether you sell products or real estate or work as a filmmaker or a photographer, drones are an effective way to capture images. You can create a company featuring drone use, expand your current business operations by adding drone services or hire drone pilots to generate the images you need for your company.