How to Grow Your Social Media Following And Boost Your Vacation Rental Brand
There’s nothing like free publicity for a vacation rental home business. That’s just one reason why social media is a natural marketing tool for vacation rental managers who want to build their business and boost their brand.
Not only is social media an excellent way to show off your properties and entice potential guests, it provides a platform for you to share your expertise, cross-promote with local businesses and reach a broad audience.
Hefty followings on social media enhance the credibility of your vacation rental business. And with an active social media presence, you create a vibrant online community that can amplify your business and cultivate returning guests.
But to get your business noticed on platforms like Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, you need followers.
Here are 6 ways to attract followers and win their loyalty.
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Post eye-catching photos that tell a storyEvery picture is an opportunity to win followers, especially on Instagram, so choose carefully. Use sharp, focused images that will grab attention and impart a message, whether it’s to show off your area’s beauty, tell viewers about a great local business or just make viewers smile. Social media is in real time, so showcase what’s happening now, whether it’s apple picking, snowshoeing or an inviting summer dinner on the terrace of one of your rentals. Don’t forget video: Use video like a spice to vary the mix and add some action, like a breathtaking ski run, a quick tour of the craft brewery or the annual pie-eating contest. |
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Help viewers experience your areaBe a tour guide for your viewers, enticing them with your insider knowledge of the area, like the best beach for watching the sunset or the story behind the historic town hall. Introduce local businesses and their owners, highlighting the bakery’s signature peach pie or the mouth-watering pizza by the golf pro-turned-chef. Keep the travel tips coming to lure followers. Tip: Tag local businesses you mention on Instagram to usher viewers into your community and create a connection between you and other businesses. |
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Add location tags and hashtagsLocation tags and hashtags are like magic arrows that shoot your posts to unknown audiences who may like what they see and follow you. For Instagram: Include your city or town as the location so your photos will appear when people browse posts from your area. You can also add up to 30 hashtags. Create a company hashtag and use it along with a mix of general and specific tags related to your post like #familyvacation and #instatravel. For Twitter: Check out the list of trending hashtags and add any that fit with your post. |
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Invite guests to tag your businessEncourage your guests to share their vacation on their social media pages, and let them know in a friendly way that you’re happy to have them mention their rental home or post photos on their pages. |
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Create contests and promotional campaignsContests and promotional campaigns are a great way to reel in followers, especially on Instagram and Facebook. For example, ask guests to upload their favorite photos of your area on your Instagram page and follow you. Sweeten the deal with a $50 Amazon gift card for best photo. A scheduling feature, like that found on RueBaRue’s Guest Communication Platform, makes it easy to reach guests a day or two after they arrive so they have a great photo on hand when the campaign lands. |
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Request a follow with your email signatureCreate an email tagline including your social media handles and a Follow us request. Include links with each handle so it’s easy for guests to comply. |
Want to learn more about how RueBaRue can help your business in every facet of guest communication from creating digital guestbooks that update automatically to using text messages to communicate with guests? schedule a free demo today.
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