Property Marketing 101 for New Vacation Rental Managers
When you first launch a vacation rental management company, you have one goal. You want your properties to have 5-star reviews and be booked on a consistent basis. If you want to receive 5-star reviews, you must offer 5-star experiences. This means top-of-the-line amenities and guest services that are second to none. You need to showcase what you have to offer and expand your visibility. Allowing potential guests to see what you have to offer is the best way to get them to pre-book in advance.
Use Professional Photographs
Hire a professional photographer to take photos of your rental properties. You will need about 50 photos in total. Have a few taken during every season to showcase its best features all year round. A professional photographer knows all the angles and can highlight your units’ best features. They shouldn’t need to use filters to enhance the home’s beauty. Once you have your professional photos, you can begin to upload them onto the best booking sites.
SEO, SEO, SEO
With the right keywords in your listing, your rental property will rank higher in all of the major search engines, including Google. This is one marketing tool that cannot be overlooked. If you want your property to beat out the competition, you need to focus on the right keywords and place them strategically throughout your content on the property listing pages of your website.
Competitive Pricing Is a Must
In most areas, your rental home will compete with many other properties. Make sure that you set your price as competitively as possible. Add a few simple amenities to make your property more appealing. Keep your prices as close to your competitors as possible. Offer a discount if they book for seven nights instead of five. It’s the little things in the pricing game that will spin a traveler around, so they keep coming back to your properties.
List on All the Top Sites
The next step is to list your property on as many top sites as possible. Using multiple platforms will get you more views across the board. While Airbnb and Vrbo seem to be the most popular, other OTA sites cater to a more specific type of guest or geographic location. Last-minute travelers may use Whimstay, the most downloaded travel app of 2021 was Hopper, and there are many more. Explore the options that you think will appeal to the guests looking to travel to your market.
Explore Social Media
Explore your social media options. Create a business page on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. Add photos of your properties and create posts about the listings and open dates. Encourage potential customers to reach out to you. Encourage them to provide reviews and feedback on the page so that others can learn more about your property and all of the amenities you are offering. Use your social media messaging options too. Never turn away an opportunity to communicate with your potential customers.
Respond Quickly and Efficiently
Any time you get a message on any of your platforms, you should respond as soon as possible. Never let a message set unopened for longer than 30 minutes on your platform. This may make someone feel as if they will not be a priority if they rent your property. Always send answers as soon as possible to show your clients that you are attentive to their needs.
Go After Those 5-Star Reviews
Set your standards high! Go after those 5-star reviews. Strive to impress on every possible level. Encourage your guests to give you feedback. Use that feedback to improve your offerings and continue to upgrade your services. 5-star reviews are a good way to catch your client’s eye. Make sure your reviews are placed front and center on your website and use them for email and other marketing campaigns.
Marketing your vacation rental properties involves using multiple tools to spread the word across many platforms. Your marketing strategy will determine how far your reach is and how effective it is. Optimize your website and use professionals whenever you can to maximize your rental potential. Once your strategy is established, you will begin to notice that you have fewer vacancies and more satisfied guests.
