The success of a holiday let can be down to a variety of factors such as location, facilities, and so much more. One key factor that is commonly overlooked is marketing your property, at the end of the day if people don’t know it’s there, how is it going to book?
For your property to reach its full potential, it needs to reach as many people as possible.
Below we give you some useful hints and tips on how to advertise your holiday let
1. Where to Advertise Your Property?
There are hundreds of different options to consider for marketing your Holiday Cottage, so you should do your research first.
Building an independent website is costly in terms of time and financial resources. You’ll need to factor in design, hosting costs and a booking platform to take bookings. Not to mention the regular maintenance.
In the holiday rental market, it’s extremely unlikely that your site will appear high enough on Google or other search engines. Small independent sites cannot compete with big companies’ listings on Google etc.
Most people going it on their own will use a third-party website such as Airbnb and Booking.com. Sites such as these all have varying levels of commission and charges. Trying to manage your listings and bookings on all these platforms can be hard work and a full-time job.
An agency such as Menai Holidays can have your property listed on dozens if not hundreds of sites like the ones discussed above as well as its own industry-leading websites, all for one simple commission rate. Our in-house systems make it easy for us to manage your property and bookings across all the different platforms it’s advertised on.
2. Knowing Your Audience
You should seriously consider the location of your cottage as well as the types of guests you will most likely attract.
If you have a property in a family-friendly, seaside location, you might consider providing high chairs, stairgates, garden toys, bunk beds, and even beach towels.
If your property is in a rural area, consider leaving walking maps, installing a bike rack, or even making it dog-friendly.
3. Pricing
Pricing your property is one of the most important decisions you can make. Price it too high and no one will book, then price it too low and you won’t make any money.
Start by researching the competition and seeing how other similar properties in the area compare.
Don’t forget to factor in all the charges you will need to cover. If you are going to be using third-party sites, you may even need to charge varying prices on different sites to cover the variable charges these sites offer.
We monitor all of our prices daily to ensure your house is priced correctly, our flexible strategy focuses on dozens of different factors to ensure your property is priced correctly at all times.
Owners who chose to use some of our flexible pricing strategies can earn up to 19% more than those that go with fixed pricing throughout the year.
4. Photography and Property Descriptions
Photography is key for marketing your Holiday Cottage! Guests will start to build up an impression of your property as soon as they see the first photo. You may want to consider hiring a professional photographer to really show off your property. We have found having an in-house photographer really makes a difference in terms of bringing a house to life.
After your photographs are done, it’s time to write about your property. Everyone looking to stay at your property is not just looking for somewhere to stay, they are looking for a holiday.
Make sure you write about all the great things there are to see and do nearby and note down any local pubs, shops and restaurants.
5. Social Media
In today’s society having a social media presence as a business is a must. People tend to spend on average over two hours a day on social media browsing and interacting. With apps such as Messenger and Whatsapp so popular, people now expect instant responses.
Make sure you check your accounts all day, every day, It’s a great way for marketing your Holiday Cottage!
For example, to be classed as a responsive page by Facebook you need to reply to 90% off messages within a 15-minute time frame, that’s not a lot of time, especially whilst your’e at work.