How to Use Targeting For Better Vacation Rental Marketing
How Can Targeting Help Your Vacation Rental Marketing?
Vacation rental marketing is harder than it appears–it’s not just a “if you build it, they will come” type of situation that it was in the beginning of the short-term rental boom. But with so much competition on the market, how do you differentiate your rental from everything else out there? And how do you do so in a way that directly aims at the guests you most want to attract?
That’s where target marketing comes in. Most owners only know the bare minimum about segmentation and its effectiveness, but learning about this marketing strategy could be a game-changer for your vacation rental. Today, we’ll dive into the basics of target marketing for short-term rentals, covering what it is and how you can define and market directly to your target audience.
Target Marketing: What’s That?
In order to master target marketing for your vacation rental, it’s helpful to understand exactly what it is and how it works. Your target market or target audience can be seen as your ideal guest or group of guests, and these individuals typically share characteristics in common such as age, gender, income level, and lifestyle. The various ways in which different target markets are set apart is called segmentation, and this concept is an essential part of any successful target marketing strategy.
One of the great things about this widely-used marketing strategy is that, rather than shouting your advertisements into the void of the Internet, target marketing allows you to specifically target and reach the guests who are most likely to book with you. Another benefit is that, since you’re targeting a specific demographic or segment of the population, you likely won’t need to spend nearly as much money on marketing and advertising endeavors in order to reach the people you are aiming at.
How to Identify the Target Audience for Your Vacation Rental
Now that we’ve established what a target market is, you’re probably wondering how exactly you can identify your ideal audience in order to market your vacation rental more effectively. Here are a few ways to get a good idea of who your target market (or markets) are:
Analyze Your Current Guest List: Take a look at your current roster of guests and see if you can spot any similarities between them. Are they mainly older couples going on a romantic vacation or families enjoying some time together in a family-friendly destination? Answering these questions will give you a solid idea of your target market to start out with.
Run an Undifferentiated Marketing Campaign: If you don’t have the time or the energy to analyze guests yourself, running a mass marketing campaign is an easy way to see who your ads appeal to, and marketing campaigns on places like Facebook and Instagram often allow you to see what demographics and age ranges view your ad the most.
Take a Good Look at What Your Closest Competition Is Doing: For vacation rental owners who have lots of stiff competition around, one good way to get information about your ideal target market is to see who is booking with your competitors or what their marketing strategy is like. Are they looking to appeal to families, single travelers, or couples? Getting an idea of what makes your competition a success is a great way to understand how you should market your own property.
3 Types of Target Audiences for Vacation Rentals and Strategies to Target Them
Now that you’ve identified your target market, what’s next? Obviously, your marketing strategy will differ a bit depending on who your ideal audience is, but we’ve come up with a few ideas for some of the most common vacation rental guest types:
Partners and Couples: For owners with small 1-2 bedroom accommodations, appealing to partners and couples is a solid strategy. Make your rental as couple-friendly as possible, with tons of intimate amenities and opportunities to spark romance, and include photos of every romantic amenity you can find in your listing.
Families: If your vacation rental has a few bedrooms and some kid-friendly outdoor spaces, it might be best for you to target families. Add in additional amenities, such as a play area or crib, to ensure that families can take care of their little ones while everyone is enjoying their vacation.
Business Travelers: Owners with vacation rentals located nearby conference centers or business headquarters would do well to target business travelers who might be in the area for a conference or important meeting. If you’re targeting this audience for your rental, be sure to include a workspace where these travelers can get extra tasks done.
Identifying your target market is not only a good strategy for advertising and marketing, it’s also a great way to ensure your rental appeals to the guests that you want to attract.
Take the Guesswork out of Vacation Rental Marketing with LocalVR
Marketing your short-term rental is not as easy as it looks, but with some simple strategies like target marketing on your side, you’ll have a much better chance of appealing to the guests that are perfect for you.
Not sure you have the time or the energy to dive deep into marketing your vacation rental yourself? Think about Going Local.