The holiday rental market is getting more saturated and competitive with each passing year. The increasing number of options has made renters start digging a lot deeper while doing their research. In turn, marketing has become much more sophisticated.
Among the ever-growing competition, you might wonder how to capture attention with your rental, let alone make it go viral. Whether you have a resort or a cabin, the first step is to remember that you can no longer post a listing and call it a day. You’ll have to advertise!
Why Vacation Rental Advertisement Is Important
The vacation rental industry has been seeing a steady expansion and performance increase in recent years. A shift in renter behavior has followed as a result. Today, along with the desire for unique experiences, there’s also a growing demand for professionally managed properties.
Travelers expect better amenities, higher safety and security, and professional customer service from owners. Their patience for poorly managed properties has decreased significantly, especially because of the infinite options every guest has at their disposal.
So, determine ways to represent yourself as trustworthy and then follow through on what you promised. The reviews and word of mouth will make your investments pay for themselves in the long run.
Let’s explore some strategies that help your property go viral, attract eager renters, and thrive year-round.
Awaken Imagination with Visuals
Imagine yourself browsing through vacation rentals online. Would the well-written description or the number of bedrooms be the first thing to catch your eye? The answer is likely no.
While the previously mentioned factors are still extremely important, it’s key to remember that people are visual creatures. Tired individuals looking for the best place to stay during their off days want to see pretty listings that meet their criteria, and they don’t demand much else.
Visual content is the best way to capture attention, encourage viewers to give you a call, and help them anticipate their vacation even more eagerly.
Images
Every listing website comes with filters that ensure visitors only see properties that fit their requirements. Once they reduce the pool of options to only plausible listings, they’ll start clicking on the best-looking properties.
Your rental photographs have to leave a good impression to draw potential guests in. Keep them up to date, accurate, and high-definition to boost those bookings.
Videos
Pictures do wonders for getting viewers interested in the offer, but video content seals the deal. If the listing meets their standards and you tell a compelling story with a short video, they’ll be dialing your number the next minute.
This is your moment to get creative with content that shows guests having the time of their lives in your vacation rental. The viewer will do the rest of the work for you, putting themselves in the shoes of those in the video.
While video creation has to display dedication and quality, you won’t need a professional team of editors to make it work. All you need to do is find a high-quality video maker for business owners, and you’re good to go.
Employ Influencer Marketing
Finally, why not utilize a widely accepted advertising strategy? Influencer marketing works – take advantage of that. After all, it’s your goal to go viral, and social media personas are all about creating such posts. If they promote your property, their large following is likely to follow suit and check it out.
Setting up a deal with an influencer shouldn’t be a challenge, either. You’ll offer a chance for a free holiday, and they’ll advertise your rental home in return.
Vlogging about their vacation experience makes marketing seem much more authentic, helping you both avoid accusations of being disingenuous. Have the influencer mention and praise the primary benefits of spending time in your rental. They can even organize a conversation with you, the owner, disclosing the details and advertising the listing for some extra exposure and a future client base boost.
Gamify the Process
Competitions rouse people’s spirits and inspire them to become interested in your rental. Think about it – how many times did you consider a product you saw on social media only because there was a contest attached to it?
Award the Lucky Ones
Lowering the cost for ten people who book a week at your rental creates a long-term profit. However, you can do better than merely offering discounts – why not boost engagement by making people work for it? Follow these steps:
- Monday – announce that you have a special offer for vacationers this summer. You’ll advertise them on your other, private Instagram profile.
- Tuesday – publish the images of your rental on the private account and tease about the offer.
- Wednesday – disclaim that you’ll give 20% off to people who win the competition.
- Thursday – set the rules and publish a form. You’ll take into account only those who share your post with their followers and tag you.
- Friday – keep posting about it.
- Saturday – the final day, the promotion stops at midnight.
- Sunday – choose ten followers at random and give them the discount.
A week gives more people time to see your advertisements. Even those who don’t win will have you in mind the next time they’re thinking about their holiday location.
Incentivize Referrals
People are much more likely to accept suggestions from friends than anonymous people online. Why not capitalize on that tendency and offer the most vocal property visitors some extra perks?
For example, those who publish five photos of the rental or its surroundings and tag the owner during their stay get to choose the date before everybody else the next time. You’ll see engagement grow organically in no time.
Key Takeaways
Your advertising strategies don’t have to be complicated to hit the mark. Producing genuine-looking, promotional content that emphasizes quality is something that always triggers curiosity. Providing a positive experience makes visitors want to suggest your property to others.
Once you kickstart the promotion cycle, it will only keep giving back. You’ll soon enjoy an entire season of happy customers, increased exposure, and continual growth.
