{"id":1224,"date":"2018-10-12T20:51:11","date_gmt":"2018-10-12T20:51:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newyorkrentalbyowner.com\/blog\/?p=1224"},"modified":"2018-10-19T15:18:01","modified_gmt":"2018-10-19T15:18:01","slug":"8-reasons-why-advertising-year-round-maximizes-vacation-rental-booking-potential","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newyorkrentalbyowner.com\/blog\/8-reasons-why-advertising-year-round-maximizes-vacation-rental-booking-potential\/","title":{"rendered":"8 Reasons Why Advertising Year-Round Maximizes Vacation Rental Booking Potential"},"content":{"rendered":"

Are you burnt out from a busy rental booking season?\u00a0 Maybe you feel like you need a break from dealing with questions.<\/p>\n

Maybe your \u201cidea fountain\u201d has run dry and you\u2019re unsure how to promote your vacation rental in new and effecient ways.\u00a0Or maybe you think you can save a couple of bucks by putting your rental listing subscription on hold.<\/p>\n

Perhaps you feel that the bulk of your reservations come in after the new year, so you don\u2019t need to advertise on the off months.\u00a0 There are all kinds of legitimate reasons you can come up with to convince yourself to take a break.<\/p>\n

The reality is, if you aren\u2019t marketing your vacation rental, you are losing renters.<\/p>\n

Below are 8 essential reasons why you need to advertise year-round.\u00a0 Keep in mind, these tips for renting a vacation home apply to any listing site, including VRBO\/Homeaway, AirBNB and New York Rental By Owner.<\/p>\n

1. Annual subscriptions pay off with more booking potential.<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Some owners feel they can let their annual subscription lag during the offseason.\u00a0 They think they will save money by waiting to re-activate a subscription at the beginning of the year. Don\u2019t shortchange your rental potential.<\/p>\n

By failing to renew or deciding to let your listing lag you risk losing bookings.\u00a0 Sure, keeping your annual subscription active costs a few dollars more in the short term, but it isn\u2019t significant.\u00a0 In the long-term, that extra exposure will likely pull in more bookings.\u00a0 Even one additional booking more than covers your costs.<\/p>\n

2. Inquiries aren\u2019t pesky, they are full-price sales opportunities.<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Customer service fatigue is real.\u00a0 The speed of your response time to inquiries matters, and sometimes the questions just keep pouring in.\u00a0 That is a great problem to have.\u00a0 Inquiries mean your advertising is working.\u00a0 If you stem the flow by cutting off advertising, you might get a break, but you are losing bookings.<\/p>\n

3. Early interest allows you to lock in previous tenants quickly.<\/h3>\n

Advertising year round helps you gain advance bookings for your property.\u00a0 Have a great repeat tenant that waits longer and longer to commit?\u00a0 Generating interest in their usual dates allows you to approach them with a real deadline to lock in now.<\/p>\n

4. Higher visibility translates into more opportunity.<\/h3>\n

If you aren\u2019t advertising, you aren\u2019t getting your rental in front of new customers.\u00a0 How will you fill your place?\u00a0 Some people see that that the bulk of their reservations come in after the new year.\u00a0 They assume they can let their subscription lag until then.\u00a0That is not true.\u00a0Vacationers often research their next rental long before booking.\u00a0 Miss the early planners, and you miss opportunities to book.<\/p>\n

5. Your competitors are advertising year-round.<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Your competition wants to take your listings and they are advertising year-round to do it.\u00a0Enough said.<\/p>\n

6. Social media becomes your best friend.<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Year-round advertising adds social media to your arsenal.\u00a0 People like to share listings that they have used and loved or are simply considering.\u00a0 Be active so they can find your listing and start a social conversation.<\/p>\n

The organic growth social media can add to your reach makes your advertising investment stretch further.\u00a0Plus, New York Rental by Owner advertises our listings on all of our social media platforms.<\/p>\n

We include a direct link to the owner’s listing, increasing reach and opportunity.\u00a0 If your subscription lags and your listing becomes inactive, the link won’t work.\u00a0 Potential guests won’t know how to get in touch with you and will move onto the next listing.<\/p>\n

7. Demonstrate to potential renters that you are a hospitality professional.<\/strong><\/h3>\n

There are studies showing that vacation renters are regaining a desire for old-fashioned hospitality and amenities.\u00a0 As the vacation rental market has exploded, the differences between hotel amenities and privately-owned rental properties has become more apparent.<\/p>\n

Travelers are now seeking hosts that understand their needs and meet them.\u00a0 Would a hotel or serious hospitality professional stop advertising their property for a few months each year?\u00a0 Of course not.\u00a0 And neither should you.<\/p>\n

Your commitment to running your rental as a premiere destination needs to be apparent in your business practices.\u00a0 Show your renters that you are the better vacation rental.<\/p>\n

8. Active and updated listings with accurate availability and rates appear in more searches.<\/strong><\/h3>\n

When you renew your annual subscription, it is a great time to review and update your listing details.\u00a0 Most vacationer searches include dates, rates, and amenities.\u00a0 If your subscription is inactive, or your information incomplete, your listing won\u2019t show up.\u00a0 This results in lost opportunities.<\/p>\n