In order to book new guests, guests must know your vacation rental business exists.
In order for guests to know your vacation rental business exists, you must market your business.
To effectively market your business, you have to stand out from the increasingly crowded vacation space!
Below we cover some of the tried-and-true tips on how to build and promote a beautiful vacation rental brand.
ESTABLISH BRAND IDENTITY
When it comes to marketing your vacation rental, a strong brand identity is your foundation. Your brand is more than just a logo; it’s the personality and values of your rental properties.
Start by defining what makes your vacation rentals unique and appealing to guests. Does your cabin have an outdoor hot tub overlooking beautiful mountain scenery? ‘Rugged luxury’ could define your brand identity, and by extension, brand messaging. Not to mention, not everyone cabin competitor in your market may have that specific feature available in their rentals.
Once you’ve identified your unique selling points, weave them into your marketing materials, website, and social media presence.
Stay consistent in your messaging! Ensure that your brand’s voice and visuals remain cohesive across all channels, helping you stand out in a crowded market. This facilitates “stickiness” with your audience, meaning your brand sticks in their mind when making their next vacation decision.
BUILD BRAND AWARENESS
In today’s digital world, having a compelling online presence is vital. Start by creating a user-friendly website that showcases your vacation rental’s best features, amenities, and nearby attractions. Think of what your user journey looks like when trying to book your own vacation.
If you like a certain property listed on a site, your next question may be, “How close is this to that brewery so-and-so recommended we go to?”
This could lead you to create a taxonomy page based on the best food and dining in the area, which anticipates your guests’ needs.
Similarly, promoting your brand on social media gives your audience the opportunity to get to know your brand. Creating content on social media can be relatively affordable and can boost brand awareness. Again, consistency is key here! Post quality content on an established, regular cadence to engage with your current and prospective followers.
Platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest make the most sense to invest in. Since these social media channels monetize primarily based on visuals, it presents the perfect opportunity to share photos of your rentals and surrounding area.
You can share stunning visuals of your property, local hotspots, and guest experiences. Remember to engage with your followers by responding to their comments and messages promptly. This adds an extra positive touchpoint with you and your future guest!
INVEST IN AESTHETICS
So much of our vacation industry is rooted in aesthetics. Use this to your advantage!
If your vacation rental brand looks the part, new guests will take a chance on you if they like your ‘vibe’. Younger generations especially look for vacation rentals that have an aesthetic that aligns with their own personality.
Take to social media and direct booking websites for this. Using content marketing tactics can effectively share your brand aesthetic and values to attract new guests. Common strategies for this include starting an image-heavy blog (complete with brand typography, colors, and photos), branded travel guides, and/or branded vlogs or video diaries.
It helps to have certain features, amenities, or local partnerships to curate this brand aesthetic. To increase your brand awareness in an organic way, think of what you could provide your guests that will make them say, “Oh, we should post this on Instagram!”
For some, that could be niche photography experience add-ons, like tin type photographers in the desert.
These visuals and aesthetics help your guests become brand ambassadors. It enables them to share user-generated content, which adds authenticity to your brand. Engaging content not only keeps your audience interested but also improves your search engine rankings, driving more organic traffic to your site.
Leverage guest reviews and testimonials
Satisfied, happy guests can become your fervent brand ambassadors. Knowing how to solicit and promote their positive reviews and testimonials will elevate your vacation rentals’ brand reputation.
Critically, you need a vacation rental software that has the capability to both request and publish these guest reviews and testimonials to your distribution channels with ease. Without the right vacation rental software to do so, you risk sacrificing your brand image.
Streamline vacation rental software has a robust integration marketplace that allows property managers to gain full access to distribution channels like these. Our software makes it easy for you to work with the best tools and integrations to publicize your guest reviews.
If you want to see what Streamline can do for you, book a demo with us today.
Bottom line
Remember, effective marketing and branding takes time. Regularly review your marketing strategies, track their performance, and make necessary adjustments to stay ahead of the competition. With a strong brand, digital presence, and engaging content, you’ll be well on your way to attracting new guests and achieving vacation rental success!