A lot of people are choosing to open up their homes to short-term renters. For those of us who live in a vacation hot spot, this has become a popular trend. I even know a few people who have decided not to sell their homes when they move but offer it up as a vacation rental instead.
There’s a huge market in doing so.
Airbnb alone now boasts over 6 million listings worldwide. On any given night, about $2 million of them are full. In the US alone, which has around 500,000 listings, only about 11% of them are booked on a typical night. The average room costs about $80 a night.
But as more and more people go this route of offering up their homes (or property) for rent, the number of possible rentals to choose from is increasing. That means the competition to fill your rental is likely getting more steep. Yes, even more steep than it already is at 11%!
Vacation homeowners are looking for ways to stand out and get more reviews from guests. Reviews make or break a vacation rental on these sites.
There are things you can control as a host like ensuring your online property description matches your actual property and making sure the place is clean and bugfree. And, of course, there are things you can’t do anything about, like your location.
So how do you get more reviews? First, let’s talk about how guests make their vacation decisions.
How Do Vacationers Choose Their Rental Home?
But all things equal, assuming the potential vacationer is looking over several properties, their choice will likely come down to a handful of things:
- pictures. You need shots of your place looking its best. But don’t deceive the potential guest. Try to capture the entire space so that the potential guest doesn’t wonder what you’re hiding. For instance, when a house is advertized as a five-bedroom but you only show one, it makes people wonder what the other four look like. Inside and out pics preferably.
- price. Price your rental competitively by reviewing what others with similar places are charging. If your spot offers something that few others do (such as a luxury houseboat or prime location), price it that way. Otherwise, do periodic reviews of what your competition is charging for a similar property in the same area.
- review. This one’s the kicker because, at first glance, it doesn’t seem like there’s anything you can do about this. You’re at the mercy of the guest. But that’s not true. If you find ways to surprise and delight them, they’ll review you frequently.
So how do you prod your guests for those all-important reviews?
We can help.
Swag and Promotional Marketing for Your Vacation Rental
Most amateur vacation rental hosts fill out their profile on Airbnb and other sites and wait. They don’t realize you need marketing. Marketing for a vacation home can involve ads, a real estate agent or management company, and paying the sites’ added fees to “earn” spotlight positions.
But this article is for the person who doesn’t want to pay a marketing person or agent to do the work. This guide provides basic ways you can get more people talking about you.
It’s not a bad idea to use paid and earned marketing but for those who are just starting out and have a very limited budget for marketing, here are a few things you can do to improve word of mouth marketing on your property.
Ideally, these things will make your guests say, “They thought of everything.”
Table Tents or Postcards
You provide an amazing vacation spot but it is possible that your guest is so relaxed, they’re not thinking about reviewing you. On your dining room table, in the guest book, or on the nightstand in the bedroom, you can print up postcards or a table tent with a QR code that will take them directly to your listing and the place where they could review you. Removing the friction from creating the review is one of the best ways to get more people writing about you.
Branded Waters
Okay, granted this is not the least expensive way to provide a few extra beverages for your guests but it does make your operation look very professional. If your place has a name or a logo, providing waters that feature labels with your info is a nice touch.
Branded Shampoos or Lotions
Take a hint from hotels and provide shampoos and lotions that are branded to your property. This is not only a nice branding opportunity during their visit but since many people take things like that home with them, they’ll remember your property the next time they want to book or when they’re referring friends. Make sure you have contact information or an email on the label to ensure they can get in touch with you.
Waterproof Bags
For those of us in Florida or near water of any kind, a waterproof cellphone bag can be a lifesaver. Have a few branded bags available at your property so that guests don’t have to worry about jumping into the pool in all their excitement and forgetting their phone is in their pocket. The bags are also helpful at the beach as they can be worn around the neck and your guests won’t need to worry about their phones and credit cards getting stolen.
One more nice to have that only costs you a few dollars is a bag of rice. You can place a cute poem on the pantry door or the refrigerator so they know we’ve all been there and learned the hard way that phones aren’t nearly as excited about swimming as we are.
Branded Sunstick or Lotion
Whether you offer lip or whole-body protection, having a little sunscreen on hand can be a real benefit for guests. For not much more than a dollar, you can have branded products that will really make them appreciate you and the fact that they don’t have to make a quick run to the store for more.
Branded Sunglasses
People are always forgetting their sunglasses or sitting on them. Trust me, after decades in Florida, I’ve heard a ton of crazy sunglass stories. Help your guests out by stocking a few with your branding.
Personalized Calendars or Photo Books
I love this one because people really enjoy flipping through the calendar, seeing your property or area throughout the year in different weather and at different times of the day. We do have some spectacular sunsets here.
You could even test the waters for selling a few.
If you want something a little more permanent, you could create a coffee table book.
Flying Disc
If your guests are coming from far away, they may not have had room in their luggage for the things they wished they could bring like beach toys or other outdoor entertainment. Flying discs are inexpensive and provide a nice surface to add a branded message to.
Floating Wristband Keyholder
If you don’t have keyless entry, attach your key to a floating wristband keyholder. These items look like a rubber bracelet but if it slips out of your guest’s pocket and into the water, it can be recovered very quickly.
Personalized Coasters
This is a nice branding opportunity and one that will protect your furniture from unfortunate water rings.
Branded Cool Towels
Whether your guests are athletic or just enjoy time in the sun, providing branded cool towels for their use can be very impressive. These small towels can be placed in a cooler and they hold the cooler temps for a lot longer than our bodies can stay cool in our hot, hot sun. They are a real treat on a hot day.
Beach Rocket Cups
Ever try to balance your can or water bottle in the sand? If you don’t dig a hole to stand it upright in, it topples over pretty quickly. Beach rocket cups resemble koozies with legs. Their legs or a center stake (depending on the style) plants directly in the sand and ensures your guest’s beverage will stay upright.
Personalized Stationery
There are likely a few things you want to tell your guests. Maybe you’ll even leave them a note. If you do, personalized stationery can be one of those special touches that adds to the ambiance and romance of their stay.
Don’t forget business cards and brochures. If you handle direct rentals, outside of these sites, you should have some. Adding a QR code to them can also make accessing your property information very easy.
While promotional items may seem a little “hotelish” for your property, they can add a really nice touch. Your guests likely won’t expect them. When trying to stand out from the competition, you want your guests to feel like you’ve thought of everything in order to make their stay an amazing one.
Contact our team at Think Quik today and we’ll help you select something your guests will love. Then you can watch those reviews come pouring in.
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