STR Marketing Strategies
Effective Marketing Strategies for your Short term rental
Getting your short term rental property ready, in a great location, well-furnished and registered on a platform is considered enough preparation ahead of bookings. However, guests are not always readily available and it can take a while before you get your first booking. The only effective way to get clients is through marketing especially through the internet. Here are some of the most effective marketing avenues for your short term rental.
Travel and Vacation Rental Forums
Forums have over the years become trusted sources of traffic for many businesses. This is mainly because they bring together people of similar interests making it easy to get noticed. Travel forums connect people with interest in travelling and as such they are also interested in where to stay during their travel. There are hundreds of such forums and you need to identify those that relate to your geographical area and start your marketing journey. The era of short term rentals has helped breed forums dedicated to this niche. They are also in their hundreds and are some of the best places to market your property and also connect with other hosts and investors in the industry. Remember you need to be careful not to break the forum rules as they are quick to block those who do so.
Influencers
Marketing has a lot to do with perception and that’s where influencer marketing comes in. People love to be in known places and follow known people. There are many influencers in in this field and can be found in blogs, social media sites and other internet channels. Getting a mention from a celebrity, an opinion leader or a known professional in the area of short term rentals can completely change the way people think about your property and land you good business. Influencers charge for their services but are generally much cheaper than many marketing channels.
Local vacation sites
Every State, County and Country has vacation sites where people keep visiting over the years. If your property is located in these areas you stand a chance to get part of the business if you position your business strategically. Local vacation sites mainly highlight the site offerings and sometimes include other amenities for the comfort of guests. These kind of websites are visited by many people before coming to the destinations. A banner or a profile in these sites has the potential to drive traffic to your rental property.
Blogs and Social media sites
Social media is big and it’s only big because of the number of its users. It the virtual meeting place for all and sundry and discussions are about the full circle of life. Similarly, blogs and bloggers are always on the internet with breaking news, celebrity gossip and other information as they search for followers and more money. Any person looking a short term rental will most likely have mentioned or read about it in a blog or a social media site. You need to have your photos and descriptions here with the relevant hashtags to attract the right audience. Instagram and Pinterest are some of the places you can post your photos and get quality leads.
Remember, your property will only stand out if it is designed to do so. You need quality photos, descriptions, catchy phrases and offers to even be seen.