Proven Success Marketing Vacation Rentals

As a seasoned SEO and Digital Media Marketing agency, I Think An Idea specializes in helping our clients flourish in the competitive Vacation Rental industry. This industry is growing larger and more saturated every day, making it increasingly more difficult for homeowners, real estate agencies and rental platforms to stay afloat in this competitive market. As a digital media and SEO marketing agency, our years of learned expertise working with rental and hospitality businesses have produced a fine understanding of this vast industry and what is required to stand out and succeed amid growing competition. Looking to expand your company and client base? Below are a few crucial tips and tactics from the experts in optimizing business and streamlining growth.

We’ve worked with many sizes and types of rental companies- from local homeowners to big-name companies such as Legacy Villas, a successful resort in La Quinta that rents to celebrities and influencers during the famous Coachella music festival. By increasing our client’s online presence, growing their brand identities and constructing comprehensive marketing strategies, we account for growth and encourage flexibility.

In order to garner the viewing audience and attention your rental needs to thrive, you’ll have to introduce SEO Marketing and Digital Media strategies as an integral part of your business. Developing and maintaining a strong online presence that is both compelling and consistent is a key factor in this largely digitally-based vacation rental industry.

What is SEO?

A now widely known acronym- SEO, stands for Search Engine Optimization. This refers to increasing a website’s online ranking on the results page of any and all any search engines- be it Google, Bing, or Yahoo. Why is this so important? Because today, the order in which a website falls on this results list will heavily determine the success or failure of a business’s online marketing and therefore, the majority of its client base. 

What Determines Online Ranking?

There are many factors that feed into the algorithm these search engines use to place and rank websites. They are looking for quality content, blog posts with relevant keywords, the relevancy of content to the search query, viewer traffic, backlinks, and original media. Working with an SEO specialized agency will increase your ranking, put your business on the map and utilize widely unknown tactics and marketing strategies to popularize your content. For example, Airbnb SEO driven articles will include targeted keywords such as “vacation rentals” “stays” “short term rentals” “Airbnb rental” and hundreds more.

The famous 6,000 square foot Baja villa, Casa Fryzer, is a one of the top vacation rentals in Baja, Mexico. This valued client of I Think An Idea greatly benefitted from crucial print marketing we secured for them in the form of a substantial write-up in Luxury Magazine. This breathtaking resort-style rental appeals to top celebrities such as Mariah Carey and Joe Jonas and companies like Victorias Secret. Without necessary print and digital marketing, this one-of-a-kind vacation rental would be an undiscovered paradise.

How Can I Improve My Online Presence?

Vacation rentals can be a breeze to market if you have all the necessary ingredients. You’ll need:

• Social media presence

When we work with rental companies and individuals in the industry, something we like to stress is the importance of consistent and quality social media posts. If Instagram is your medium of choice, you’ll need to craft a visually pleasing, homogenous ‘gram that offers great images of your rentals, interesting information, lifestyle photos and pictures of the surrounding area. Entice viewers to your rental by selling it as a destination spot they can’t stand to miss. Encouraging your clients to snap photos during their stay will make use of a free marketing platform that is often more effective and demographically targeted than paid advertisements. After all, the saying “A picture is worth a thousand words” is the next best thing since word of mouth marketing. Influencer marketing is dominating the market with impactful posts that generate immeasurable hype and brand awareness that no standard advertising could achieve.

• Compelling website

A visually strong and compelling website is one of the most crucial marketing platforms for any vacation rental company or individual renter. Your website acts as a booking agency that works around the clock and can manage your listing(s) even while you sleep. This online platform also acts as a digital brochure displaying your stylish rentals and services. Without a quality website, your business will greatly suffer. Being experts in digital media marketing, we are specialists in website optimization. We use a discerning eye to audit your site and will make adjustments and upgrades to the areas in need.

• Google Maps

A very important facet in marketing vacation rentals is putting your rental on the map. Literally. We will help you register your business with Google Maps and Google My Business so that people can easily locate your rental, and to ensure your listing pops up in online search queries. An ongoing client of ours, Stonewall Ranch, was put on the map without location services. This stunning 300-acre property in seaside Malibu is a famously sought-after destination wedding venue. Without this attention to mapping and location servicing, Stonewall wouldn’t be visible to interested potential clients.

• Email Marketing

Having a sustained email marketing engagement will connect you with past and present clients and create a personalized relationship that all renters desire. Renters want to make sure their needs are being met, there is communication readily available when they need it, and that they’re up to date on all the latest deals, incentives and promotions offered. Email Marketing increases engagement and breeds long term returning clients that will keep your business thriving.