Step 2: Show Everyone Your Brand’s Value
Getting your new vacation rental business to run smoothly is quite the accomplishment, but don’t stop there! Once your business has hit the ground running, it’s time for it to grow. The best way to increase bookings at your rental is for more people to know about it, and the best way to make that happen is through lots of publicity. Getting publicity for your rentals can sound intimidating, so here are some things to know to get you started:
1. Being Visible is Not Vanity
Before you can start to get publicity, you need to have the right mindset. Getting as much publicity as you can sometimes feels like unnecessary vanity, but it’s the only way you can help your business get to the next level. Sharing your hard work can feel intimidating, but the more publicity you have the easier it gets and the more your business grows. If you don’t feel ready to start reaching out to reporters and influencers, start by working on your own social media accounts. Posting regularly can help you gain new followers who just might turn into future guests, and your social media also gives potential guests the ability to learn more about your properties before booking their stay.
2. Increase Your Brand’s Value
Attention to detail is everything! Making your brand as cohesive as possible will increase its value and make it seem more authentic. For example, at Your Family’s Place, one of our key values is nostalgia. This plays into all of the decisions we make, even the small ones. Our logo is in black and white with a font that isn’t modern, pointing to the older times we want you to feel transported to. We also have a consistent color scheme and aesthetic. And as much as it’s important to consider what all the details should be, it’s equally important to consider what they shouldn’t. Your Family’s Place aims to be nostalgic and outdoorsy without being too campy or over the top. Those little details might not seem to amount to much, but all combined they increase the rentals’ value and make them a cohesive, comfortable place to stay.
Another often overlooked aspect of increasing a brand’s value is email marketing. Having an email list and sending emails regularly is extremely effective advertising. Your weekly or monthly emails will keep your business relevant to previous guests and make them want to come back again.
3. Drive Direct Traffic to Your Site
Your website is the best place for bookings, because it’s personalized to show your properties at their best. On top of that, you don’t need to deal with giving a percent of the sales to booking sites like VRBO or Airbnb. Driving traffic to your website will get your brands more publicity at no cost to you, so do everything you can to get people there. Having an email list is the perfect way to boost sales: the weekly or monthly emails remind previous guests about your rentals. Furthermore, linking articles from your website in your emails will bring people to your site. You can also bring people to your site by mentioning it on social media and providing discounts to people who book directly. The more use your website gets, the better!
4. Be the Go-To Person
You want your business to be the default. If you’re a vacation rental, you want to be well known as the best vacation rental in your area. But how do you (and your business) become the go-to? First, and most importantly, make sure your rentals are what the people want. Take guests’ feedback seriously, and make changes accordingly. Making your rentals as perfect as possible is crucial, but good rentals alone won’t make you stand out. You also need to promote the business as much as possible. Go to local events to advertise, go to conferences, get in the news. The more of a household name you and your company have, the more business you’ll get.
5. Content Creators Need Content, So Make Their Lives Easier
Pitching for podcasts, articles, or other interviews can feel like begging a creator to give you a shot, but it’s really the opposite situation. Many full time content creators’ jobs rely on interviewing interesting people, so they actually need you! It’s mutually beneficial, so why not apply? Being on a podcast, in an article, or in an influencer’s Instagram Live is a great way to show a new audience your vacation rentals. Apply for anything that has even a little bit to do with what you’d like to talk about- reporters and influencers need variety in your content, and you could be exactly what they’re looking for. Once you get your first bit of publicity, be sure to mention it in your future pitches. It’ll show people that you have experience, and might convince them that you’re the right person for the story.
In Conclusion…
After your business is running smoothly, the next step is to share it with as many people as possible. You have a great thing, so don’t keep it to yourself! The more well-known your business is, the more guests you’ll get and the more brand value you’ll have. Publicity is here to help you- it may be stressful to pitch to articles and podcasts, but they’re just a tool to show the rentals you’re proud of to the world.
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