Trusted Getaways

What is social media and social marketing and how can a vacation rental home owner use them to get better referrals and better renters? With this simple question we will begin a multi-part series on defining the different social media technologies and explaining how each can be used to more effectively market your vacation rental home.

In our first article on the product life cycle of a vacation rental home we discussed the first two stages, development and introduction. We are now going to continue by discussing the growth and mature stages of a vacation rental home business.

To better understand a vacation rental home business it is beneficial to think in terms of product life cycle. After all, a stay in you vacation home provides a unique set of features and benefits to your guests - just like any other product. Understanding these concepts will help you plan your marketing budget and get better insights on when to make capital improvements.

Two recent events caught my attention and illustrated to me the power of social and it got me thinking about how this could help market vacation rental homes. The first involved a lost Livestrong bracelet, the second involved a contest to find 10 large red balloons moored at different places in the United States. You may be thinking, "how can these two events be related?" and what do they have do do with social and vacation rental homes. Well now that I have your attention please read on...

The fact is that families make up a majority of vacation rental bookings. Securing bookings will be easier if you customize your multi-bedroom property to be more family-friendly. Since families with kids are typically reliable renters that take care of your place and will pay the rent, there are certain things you can do to attract families to your rental.

The feeling of warm sand between your toes. The smell of the refreshing salt-infused breeze as it hits your face. Ahh, the wonders of seaside living. The proximity to the water is probably why you purchased your little piece of paradise. However, being so close to beachside fun in the sun can cause some unexpected problems. Here are a few of the troubles that coastline property owners encounter in their place by the shore, with a few helpful recommendations.

Vacation rental investors often look at vacation rental economic indicators to determine if a property purchase is a wise investment. Vacation rental economics is a broad term that refers to the application of economic techniques and real estate economics to the vacation rental (VR) business. VR economics attempts to predict, explain and describe patterns of vacation rental property prices, inventory changes, and rental occupancy rates. This study of vacation rental economics draws on supply and demand, real estate economics, and finance principles. It is important to recognize that the economics of the VR market is not a perfect science.

Let's face it. If you do not like being around pets then you probably are not interested in opening up your vacation rental property to host these little critters. Maybe you are allergic to the dander or fur, or do not want to make your house off-limits to those that are. However, if you are receptive to some pets, there is an undeniable market for rental properties that allow pets considering that over 44 million people have a dog in the United States. Depending on the area, 25-50% of renters want to bring their pet. Here's how rent to people traveling with pets so that you and the guest are both happy.

A Google AdWords campaign can be a great way to advertise your vacation home. We ran a Google AdWords campaign last summer to advertise our New Hampshire vacation rental. Our vacation rental is near StoryLand the popular summer attraction in Glenn New Hampshire. We designed a campaign to attract customers who were interested in Storyland to stay at our Vacation Rental. Our ad campaign added 4 additional bookings to our summer rental season. So what is a Google AdWords campaign and how does it work?

Your vacation rental will need a homeowner's insurance policy separate from your primary residence. Vacation rental policies differ from your primary residence policy in cost and coverage. There are several ways to ensure adequate vacation rental insurance coverage for the best possible price.