In this age of internet and social media, if you are not making clever use of digital marketing, you are certainly missing the bus on reaching some potential guests. This is particularly true for a business-focused Short Term Rentals. Obviously, we know the importance of professional pictures.  You must be using beautiful photos of your property to entice potential guests.  But… are you placing videos to promote your vacation rental, too? Videos catch the attention of large numbers of guests and have become very popular in the STR Industry, especially in vacation rentals.  It’s the latest trend!

Here are some tips to make the most of these promotional videos.

Photos are Good.  Videos are Better.

It is almost criminal not to make use of technology when it is available to you for free. By making promotional videos of your vacation rental, you can get two steps ahead of your competitors who are still trying to catch the attention of...

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5 Ways to Stay Ahead When the Competition Gets Tough

01) Back to Basics

Take a look at your Headline/Title of your Listing.  Does it highlight your best feature?

What about your photos?  Please, tell me you had them taken by a professional.

02) Know Your Competition

Use sites like AirDNA to keep an eye on your competition.  What is their average room rate?  What is their occupancy rate?  Put a spy in their camp!

03) Don't Compete for Last Place!  

You can't win the game of undercutting your competition, so don't even try to go there.  Instead, be better and charge what you're worth.  Use dynamic pricing tools like Wheelhouse to price your units.

04) Make Your Place SHINE!

Use a theme or and anti-theme to make your place stand out among the rest of your competition.  Make certain your place looks amazing!

05) Go Above & Beyond in Service

Make certain that you offer something or do...

Running a vacation rental business seems attractive and easy but it is not a cakewalk for most owners. You must be prepared to face stiff competition from not just hotels and hostels in your area but other vacation rental owners in attracting guests to your property. You must spruce up your property and provide amenities that appear attractive to potential guests.  

Here are some useful tips to keep in mind when launching your vacation rental business.

Use More Than One Platform

I use two platforms for my properties.  One is great in the west and the other is better in the southeast.  The success of your vacation rental business depends upon whether you can reach your target group of guests or not. By using different platforms, one at a time or more, you can make sure that your property becomes visible to all tourists coming to your area whenever they conduct a search online. In addition to listing your property on Airbnb and other short-term...

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THEMES WE FOUND ON THE INTERNET:

Castles

Tree Houses

Safari

Honeymoon

Ocean

50 Shades of Gray

Rock n Roll/50's Diner/Sock Hop

70's/80's Themed

Roaring 20's/Speak Easy

Wine Cellar

Cruise Ships

Vegas

Farming/Sustainability

Eco-friendly

Futuristic

Space

Soda Parlor

Arcade

Circus

Carnival

Fun House/Magic

THEMES TO EXPAND ON:

Board Games: Candyland, Monopoly, Risk...

Video Games: Mario Bros., Pacman, Fortnite, Minecraft, Zelda...

Theme Parks: Disneyworld, Universal Studios, Six Flags, Sea World...

Western: Cowboys, Horses, Saloons, Westworld...

Books: The Hobbit, Harry Potter, Alice in Wonderland...

Superheroes & Cartoon Heroes: Ninja Turtles, Batman, Ironman, & on & on...

Brands: Oreo, Coke, Pepsi, Starbucks...

Holidays: 4th of July, Christmas, Halloween...

WHAT BOOKS, PRODUCTS, SERVICES, OR LINKS WERE MENTIONED...

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[00:21] Hi, this is Michelle, the master of money mindset, and this is the short term rental revenue podcast and in today's episode we are talking about something that is extremely important. Actually, it might be the most important part of getting guests, of obtaining new guests and getting people to come to your property. What do you think it is? And it doesn't matter, really. Let's, Let's clarify. It doesn't matter what platform you're using. You can be using Airbnb, vacation rental by owner Homeaway. It doesn't really matter the platform. Don't use craigslist. Okay? I'm, I'm asking you not to politely because craigslist, God bless, craigslist, that guy who started that, what a...