05 Feb How to Market Your Short Term Rental
Hello HOST Friends!
It takes a lot of skill to create such a wildly popular property like Maison Rougaroux. The owner, Veronica, wants to help all property owners create a great atmosphere for guests and market their properties well. Keep reading for the inside scoop on what it takes to properly market your home and become a superhost!
Maison Rougaroux is a quintessential retreat in the heart of New Orleans. The historical style of the house will genuinely make you feel that classic NOLA charm. Located in the Bywater, just minutes away from the French Quarter, this retreat gives you the perfect balance of exploring local Bywater cuisine and nightlife while also giving you the chance to explore the the famous Bourbon and Frenchmen Streets. With over 2,500 square feet of living area and all the amenities one could think of, Maison Rougaroux is indeed an exceptional home to stay in during your trip to the Crescent City. Upon arrival, expect to be personally greeted by a member of The HOST team with a tour of the property, a bottle of Prosecco, and dozens of hotel-like amenities including plush bathrobes and slippers. Veronica aims to, “leave no detail unturned” when it comes to fitting the needs of all her guests. A stay at Maison Rougaroux will confirm the true meaning of “southern hospitality.”
How do you use social media to market your property? How do you reach out to travelers specifically on social media?
It is important to maximize your investment and create ads that both target “custom audiences” and “re-target” people who visited your ad or folks who got to your shopping cart but then didn’t make a purchase. When creating your ads choose key demographics of who you are looking to market to.
How do you capture the attention of travelers through your marketing? Do you use specific wording or visuals, and do you target particular groups of travelers?
This goes back to “who your home is” and who is it best suited for. By giving your space its own personality it naturally appeals to certain people over others. Just like no two human beings are created equal, no two homes are either. Don’t just use a generic tax assessor description of how many bedrooms and baths a home has, use your city as a back drop and couple it with marketing copy that describes a lifestyle and experience of what it is like to stay with you, so your message carries through to guests who can envision themselves visiting your city and staying in your home.
How do you interact with your guests during their stay? Do you offer any premium services that get guests to come back to your property?
services are provided by the TheHOST both TheHOST Guest Concierge services which provide our guests the five-star customer service of top-tier hotels right in our own home. Our Guest Concierge arrives to the home early before check-in and stages the home before guests arrive. Opens curtains, turns on lights, makes sure everything is in place. Our Guest Concierge meets every guest at check-in or creates a personal check-in video for late arrivals.
For a fee, guest can request their Guest Concierge to pre-stock the home with food or drinks for their arrival or request private transportation to/from the airport.
And to keep the home operating efficiently we use TheHOST Host Ambassador passionate vacation rental managers who assist me with every aspect of managing and operations. Scheduling and coordinating maintenance as soon as it is needed.
What piece of advice would you give to new homeowners trying to promote their property in addition to the marketing already on booking platforms?
If you do nothing else at minimum clean up your space and hire a professional real estate photographer to take beautiful (marketable) HD photos unless of course, you are a professional photographer…When using professional photos, there is no better compliment than a guest review that says the home was better in person than in pictures. However, there is much more than just pretty pictures. Once guests arrive if your pictures don’t “match” the space your guests will be disappointed which will affect reviews.
The space not only needs to “match” what your photos show. The space needs a name, so it can evolve and take on its own life form. Chose a name that has meaning to you. Maison Rougaroux comes from our family’s males named “Raul” origins meaning “wolf council,” and the tale of the rougarou (werewolf) is a common legend across French Louisiana.
Most important, be responsive, grateful and passionate about sharing your space. Have fun with it. Even in your written communication guests will feel it. Engage potential guests in conversation. Build rapport. Always answer ALL questions and request in a timely manner. They lead to bookings. And leave confirmed guests feeling welcomed, comfortable and looking forward to returning.
When it comes to marketing an individual property, personality, accurate high-quality photos, and passion about your space are the most important factors to consider when vying for new bookings. Social media is the perfect platform to start sharing what makes your property unique from those in your city and what above and beyond services you offer. At the end of the day, making sure that all guests feel that what you post is in line with what they arrive to is what’s going to persuade them to re-book and recommend the property to friends and family.
If you are looking to make your home more appealing to guests, don’t forget to check out The HOST’s design, staging, and photography services. Giving a great first impression to a potential guest is critical for maximizing your bookings!
Thanks for reading!
At Your Service,
The HOST Team
**Answers have been edited for length and clarity
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