Whether you’ve just launched a new holiday home or are looking to optimise your holiday let marketing, deciding how to gain the maximum exposure and boost occupancy rates is a common predicament for many property owners.
To help you secure all-important holiday let bookings, here we highlight the key areas to achieve the bookings your cottage deserves, from how to write property descriptions to the best websites to use to attract customers when advertising a holiday let.
1. Understanding your target audience
Before you start promoting your property, think about who it is best suited to and who you would ideally like to attract.
For example, if you have a rural short-term let in the Lake District, you may want to attract walkers. Or, perhaps you’ve got a luxurious holiday cottage in Cornwall for couples looking for a romantic break? Alternatively you might prefer to offer short term city breaks in Liverpool or Bath with good transport links for tourists and business travelers.
Think about whether the features and experience you’re offering match your target audience – for example, walkers may want to bring a dog so will look for pet-friendly properties, while couples will potentially look for unique features to wow their other half, such holiday homes with hot tub.
An important thing to bear in mind is that your potential customers are looking for a holiday and not just accommodation, so writing in an informal tone of voice will help inspire potential holiday goers to book your property for their next holiday.
Rather than just listing all of your property’s features, add some descriptions about appealing local attractions and what makes the area unique, so potential customers can start to picture themselves there.
Photographs are a crucial part in selling the experience to your potential guests as it helps them visualise the experience. It may be worth investing in a professional photographer to really show off your rental home and, in return, increase bookings.
An experienced holiday letting agency will take care of the photographs and descriptions, ensuring your holiday let marketing is both effective and hassle-free.
3. How to sell at the optimal price and maximise revenue
Choosing where to pitch the price for your property is another common dilemma for rental owners when advertising a holiday let. If you go in too high, you may put people off; too low and you’re losing valuable revenue. As a starting point, look at what other properties in the area are charging and think how you compare facilities-wise to them.
Here at Sykes, we have a flexible pricing strategy that ensures out owners receive the highest possible revenue by altering prices inline with market demand. On average, Sykes owners who have signed up to this earn 10% more than those who haven't.
4. Which are the best websites to advertise your holiday home?
Here, we're referring to third party websites that can increase your holiday let's exposure, often linking back to your own website. Homeaway, TripAdvisor, Booking.com, Airbnb... there are many sites out there that are perfect for increasing your holiday let's exposure.
When looking for third party sites to advertise your holiday let on, think about where you’ll reach the maximum amount of potential customers. You should also look for sites offering a good customer experience - even better if they can securely take payments and show availability via a calendar.
How much does it cost to advertise a holiday letting?
Another factor to think about when placing your holiday home on a website is how much it will cost you. Some sites work on a subscription basis where you pay a fee to advertise your property, but you keep all of the money from bookings, whereas others work on a commission basis, whereby you can advertise your holiday home for free but the site keeps a percentage of each booking made.
At Sykes, we have a portfolio of third party websites we work with to ensure our owner's receive the maximum amount of bookings (this is included as part of our service to our owners, at no extra cost), including Airbnb, Booking.com and many more.
Having a verified Google Business Profile is also a free and easy way to increase visibility and help generate traffic to your holiday let.
Exposure to 500+ Partner Sites
Increase your property's reach by utilising our partnerships with some of the industry's biggest brands, including Booking.com & Expedia.
5. Do I need to be on social media as part of my marketing?
You might be wondering, 'can I advertise my holiday let on Facebook?'. According to research by Ofcom, adult internet users spend an average of 3 hours 57 minutes a day online and 93% of adults who are online have a profile or account on a social media or messaging site or app. So, having a presence on a social network could make a huge impact to your holiday let marketing.
Many customers want reassurance before they part with valuable cash and having active social accounts with user reviews, tips and advice from you, as well as answered comments, will show them that your property is reputable and one they can trust.
You can also use your social media accounts to talk to potential customers and build up a positive relationship – which may give you the edge over a competitor.
6. How to respond to feedback from customers
It's important to respond to customer feedback – both the positive and negative comments – to show that you are an attentive owner.
Take note of why people had bad experiences - responding to negative reviews and making improvements to your holiday let will help to prevent future guests having the same issues and will, most likely, benefit your business overall.
Getting feedback from customers is a great way to build your property's reputation and improve guest satisfaction. This could be done by making improvements to your holiday home, which could be as simple as providing additional cutlery or fixing a drafty window for those off-peak bookings.
There's often an associated marketing cost to each booking, whether it be an advertisement they clicked on or simply the costs of running your own website.
Repeat bookers will often cost you far less than a the costs of acquiring a new customer, so it's important to ensure holidaymakers staying at your property have the best possible experience. If someone has a positive experience at your property, they are more likely to come back again.
When it comes to advertising a holiday let, there are many simple and effective ways to encourage customers to book your property. Providing guests with a friendly welcome pack is a great way to make visitors feel welcome at your holiday home and encourage repeat bookings.
Need help with the next steps of your holiday letting journey?
If you're thinking of buying a holiday let or just need some advice, our property experts can help answer any queries you may have.
Jack Price, Holiday Let Content Writer
