Smart Ways To Boost Your Vacation Rental Bookings

Panama City Beach Vacation Rentals

There are just about as many beach house rentals out there as there are fish in the sea. So how do you create a listing that swims against the stream? If you’re thinking of diving in, here are our expert tips for standing out in the audience.

Choose a Punchy Title

You only have a matter of seconds to grab the attention of potential renters. So instead of titling your listing with something generic, such as”Luxury Beach House,” select something more click-worthy:

“Beachfront Paradise with Infinity Pool and free SUP boards, just 350 steps from the beach” has a nicer ring and the power of visuals. All of a sudden, renters can picture themselves relaxing in the pool and walking to the beach with a SUP board tucked under their arm.

Befriend a Blogger

In the digital age, advertising doesn’t always mean what it used to. There are bloggers everywhere that have thousands of eyes on their websites and are constantly looking for fresh content.

Find one with a hefty social media following and a target audience similar to your own, and offer to partner with him or her by exchanging a complimentary stay for free promotion on their site. Bloggers will offer up information on their monthly traffic and report back to the achievement of articles related to your rental.

Understand the Power of Pretty Pictures

As good as your filtered iPhone photos seem, nothing beats the quality of professional photography. Consider hiring a pro to capture your rental in its very best light (literally).

Typically, bright and airy photos are better for vacation rentals than darker, saturated images. Also, create a shot list for your photographer — and don’t leave out details such as an outdoor shower or a group of framed fan coral.

Create a Killer Website

Listing on Airbnb and VRBO is great, but having your own website for your rental adds an extra level of professionalism.

Website-building tools such as Squarespace and Wix make it easy (and affordable) to create one from a template, with small bonuses such as a contact form and guest book where past renters can share photos and stories from their stays.

Be Social

Social media is the gift of self-promotion and a requirement if you want to grow awareness for your rental. Platforms such as Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook are particularly useful; YouTube is perfect for sharing fast video tours of the home, while Instagram can lure renters with beautiful photos of both the home and your town.

Facebook is great for engagement and for targeting audiences in specific locations through their sponsored content tools (available for a small fee).

Tag It

Part of becoming socially savvy with your rental is understanding how to use hashtags. Create one that’s unique for your home (#BahamasJewelBox is far better than just #BeachHouse). In addition, use hashtags that might be searchable for a particular topic or location (browse local bloggers or visitors bureaus to see what others are doing) to give your articles broader reach.

GeoTagging, which allows your photographs to be searchable by location, is another great resource.

Team Up

Whether you have several rentals in 1 location or know of neighbors who also rent out their beach homes nearby, advertising more than 1 location on your site is a great way to target larger collections. If you know the choices in your area, you can make it clear that 25-person reunions are just as welcome as a family of four is in yours — and others’ — homes.

Use AD’s

If you’d rather not put as much time into promoting your rental, let Google do it for you. Google AdWords is an online advertising tool that aids your website reach prospective renters based on specific criteria.

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