Internet Marketing for Vacation Homes
Ten years ago a vacation home owner would place ads in local, national and even international newspapers. This was a huge expense and still is a part of the marketing strategy. In fact you can look in any large newspaper and there will be a spot for vacation properties.
Around 1999 vacation rental sites began showing up o the internet. For around $150 a year you could get an ad with 2 pictures and a description that was accessible to the whole world. Even if your property was now up against thousands of other properties that was just a drop in the bucket compared to the visibility.
Within the past few years hundreds of sites have sprung up from the free ones (who are basically spam magnets) to those charging $500. The main difference between the cheap ones and the big guys is visibility.
So should you spend the money big ones or spread out the same amount on a pile of small ones? Well, I don’t want to promote any site in particular but do your homework and find out who gets the most bookings for their clients. Free is okay but you mailbox may start filling up with emails from a hundred mortgage companies and other spamming agencies.
One place that works for me is kijiji. It’s free but allows you 4 pictures and a huge description. You can track your hits and change your ad on the run. For my apartment rentals I had 14 replies within 4 days and had them both booked out within the week. Some guys have luck with Craig’s List.
The internet is great but remember one of your greatest markets is word-of-month. I get a lot of clients from local referrals. Other guys I know have brochures and flyers handy for store bulletin boards.
So, you don’t have to blow a wad on advertising your vacation property. There are a lot of cheap ways to get out the news.
Leave a comment!