Perfecting Your Vacation Rental Profile

Whether it's your website, your business page on Facebook, or your airbnb vacation rental listing - nailing your digital presence could mean the difference between business, or lack thereof. No matter the channel, successful digital marketing most always stems from identifying your target client and marketing to their pain points. Therefore, perfecting your vacation rental profile means knowing your ideal guest, understanding their needs, and positioning your rental as the best solution.

In addition to being the solution to your guests vacation needs, you must also cut through the clutter of ALL the other listings, and provide an authentic, positive and memorable guest experience before your guests even step foot in your home. To  make things even more interesting, this all has to happen within the confines of your listing site. To do this well can be challenging. However, given the current travel market, the drive for authentic experiences, and the surge of shared-economies - I deem this a challenge worth pursuing. If you are reading this, I'd say you do, too. To make this challenge a bit more manageable, here are a few tips to consider when perfecting your vacation rental profile: 
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​​Use Quality Photos
Snapping photos with your iPhone is certainly an easy way to get the job done. However, for the cost of one or two nights stay, you could hire a local photographer for an hour to come in and take some high quality, professional images of your space. It may be the features of your property that end up closing the sale, however it is almost always the photos that draw the user in. 

Position your listing a step above the rest with superior imagery.

Show Off Your Best Features
These days, you've only got a few seconds to capture someones attention on the internet. Determine the best features of your property and list them first. Use bullet points or short sentences so the consumer can quickly skim. Use your million dollar image as the main photo for the listing. Don't let your biggest selling points get lost in lengthy and overly-descriptive paragraphs.

​Don't Over-Promise and Under-Deliver
When making large ticket purchases on the internet, such as a vacation, convincing your consumers to trust you is one of the biggest hurdles. One of the best ways to grow trust is though social proof, meaning - guest reviews. Now, the quickest way to get yourself a bad review is by not being upfront or honest about your offerings. To avoid this, definitely do not over-promise and under-deliver, and don't leave out important information that would change the guest experience.

That said, there are ways to be honest without selling yourself short. For example: if your house is a block from the beach, do not list it as "oceanfront." However, be sure to let your guests know just how quickly they can walk to public beach access. If your loft is in the middle of a busy, downtown district, I wouldn't say "city noise is a problem." But I certainly would say something like "located in a lively, urban area," so guests know what to expect. 

Market to Your Ideal Guests
If your property is an ultra sleek bachelor pad in the nightclub district, I probably would not describe it as "family-friendly." If your property is a yurt on an organic goat farm, I wouldn't recommend marketing to business travelers. These examples are extreme, but you get my drift. Often times we are afraid to define a niche because we don't want to "miss out," however I assure you there are plenty of business travelers, just as there are plenty of families looking for rentals. If we can identify and market to our ideal client, we end up offering a much more positive guest experience. This leads to better reviews and more business. 
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​Add Some Character
Remember how I mentioned to make the experience memorable? Now's your chance. Give your property a catchy name that captures the essence of the property, rather than just a description, for the title. After you list your best selling features, share what is unique about your property. It can be really fun and impactful to start an Instagram account for your rental. Let your guests know the hashtag, then re-share your guest images (bonus: added social proof!). There are so many creative ways to give a little personality to your property which will make the user experience so much more memorable.  

Location, Location, Location
As much as you love your vacation rental, chances are your guests have selected your property because it fits their needs and the location is right. When marketing your listing, don't miss out on the value of marketing the destination. Highlight authentic experiences that you love about your city. Use your rental listing Instagram account to show off the destination and tag your favorite local businesses. Guests want to feel like they are "living like a local" when staying in someone else's home, so be sure to provide lots of insider tips and access to local information. 

There you have it, folks - a few tips to help perfect your vacation rental profile. Oh, and one last piece of advice - don't forget to block out a few weekends for your own enjoyment before your listing calendar fills up! If you need any assistance putting these tips into action, email me - I love this stuff.