Are you tired of unpredictable booking levels? In this episode, I reveal my secrets to getting direct bookings every day while diversifying your channels. But what happens when one of your main channels suddenly disappears? Tune in to find out.
In this episode, you will be able to:
Discover the power of direct bookings and channel diversification to optimize your hospitality business.
Uncover how social media can skyrocket your brand's presence and drive engagement.
Learn to craft content that resonates with your target audience by addressing their needs and offering solutions.
Realize the significance of focusing on concrete booking numbers rather than being swayed by vanity metrics.
Grasp the importance of using persuasive call-to-action techniques to inspire guests to book direct stays.
Don't wait until your makeup is perfect or your hair is done. Get your brand out there. Tell everyone about it. Create brand awareness. - Jenn Boyles
The key moments in this episode are:
00:00:08 - Don't Panic! Your Business Isn't Failing
I'm Jenn Boyles, your host, and I'm so happy to be with you here today. First thing I want to make clear, if you aren't getting Direct Booking Success Success every day of the week, your business is not failing. You are not failing. There are going to be peaks and troughs in your booking levels, okay? Having a dip doesn't mean you're doomed and everyone hates you.
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The fact that you are aware of where your bookings are coming from is a good thing, and you're working on increasing those that come in direct, and that is a great thing. This means you have diversification in your bookings, which is important. We don't want to be beholden to one channel. We want to put our effort into marketing for Direct Booking Success Success, of course, but it's always good to have a plan B or a plan C for those rainy days. In fact, I don't actually even use a channel manager.
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I physically turn it on and off, turn on and off the other channels. I want complete control of it. I don't want to be automatically synced as I want the preference to be for our guests to come direct first. Today, I'm going to give you some tactics to get those bookings flowing. I also want to gently remind you that these tactics will help you best as part of your overall Direct Booking Success Success engine.
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If you want to get into the details of Direct Booking Success, then head over to the show notes on my website, Direct Booking Success Success, and sign up for my free Masterclass. The first tactic is to get invisible. Get out there. Don't wait until your makeup is perfect or your hair is done. Don't put obstacles in your way.
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Instead of thinking social media doesn't work for you, start thinking that you just need to be using it in a different way. You don't need a following of 100,000 to book calendar for one property or even ten properties. Get your brand out there. Tell everyone about it. Create brand awareness.
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So instead of your guessing I stayed in this airbnb, they'll say I stayed with insert your brand name. Start by brainstorming ideas of the content you want to create. Head to episode 46 to find out the post types I recommend using in my Direct Booking Success Success program, I keep a running list of ideas on my phone because ideas can come to you when you're just doing something completely unrelated. The next tactic is to get connected. Only use content that connects with your ideal guest.
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Educate them about their problems and then solve them in your social media posts. For example, if you provide breaks for couples, speak to the fact that they're probably busy professionals that don't see enough of each other. Then tell them that the solution is to book to stay with you so they can reconnect with each other. Or perhaps you run a back to nature type retreat. Speak to the fact that your ideal guest is plugged in twenty four seven and the harm that that is doing to their well being.
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Recommend a solution of staying with you to unplug and recharge their own inner batteries. And make sure you use the language that they use to help activate that connection. Your Direct Booking Success Success Engine is the bridge that will help meet your ideal guests where they are and will help them get to where they want to be. And that will be through booking a stay with you. The last tactic is to inspire action.
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Make sure you are using a call to action in all the content you produce. Most people won't see all of your social media posts, so make the most of the time you have with them now. Tell them to read a specific blog on your website. Ask them what they think of something. Tell them to book a stay direct on your website.
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You aren't being pushy, you are inspiring action. Think about how social media is used. All the scrolling. Okay? There are hundreds of posts going past the eyes of your ideal guests.
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When they're on there, you want your content to get them to stop scrolling and then you want them to take action. This will only happen if you tell them what to do. If you don't, they'll just think oh, that's me, I get that. And then just keep scrolling. Okay, here are a couple of top tips.
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Don't get sucked into the vanity metrics of how many people have liked your post or following you. Yes, it's important to have a growing audience, but it isn't your main goal. The main goal is to drive your Direct Booking Success Success and take into account how many bookings you actually need. If you have one property, then you can really only have one booking a night. If you have 510 20 units or properties, then you need 510 20 bookings every night.
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So it's imperative that you get this right. And if you still don't have your own Direct Booking Success Success Engine, then join my free Masterclass where I'll be going deeper into how you can set yourself up for Direct Booking Success Success. Trust me, there is an easier way to create content for social media when you know that what you're putting out there will result in a Direct Booking Success.
