As the busy season winds down, are you finding your calendar looking a little sparse? It's a common challenge for short-term rental hosts, but don't let those empty autumn weeks cause you undue stress. In this episode, we're exploring effective strategies to boost your off-peak bookings without resorting to desperate measures.

In this episode, we're exploring effective strategies to boost your off-peak bookings without resorting to desperate measures.

"Marketing is something that does need a bit of weed time. It isn't a silver bullet that you could just launch at the last minute to save the day." - Jenn Boyles

Here's what you'll discover in this value-packed discussion:

• The importance of consistent marketing, even during peak seasons
• Why discounting isn’t the answer to filing vacancies
• How to leverage your existing guest relationships
• The critical role of email marketing in your booking strategy

The key moments on this episode are:

00:00:00 Strategies for Boosting Off-Peak Bookings in Your Vacation Rental

00:00:51 Introduction to the Direct Booking Success Podcast

00:01:14 The Importance of Consistent Marketing for Vacation Rentals

00:04:42 Effective Marketing Strategies for Filling Empty Calendars

00:08:45 Promotion of the Direct Booking Success Summit

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Show notes are available at: https://directbookingsuccess.com/podcast/

Direct Booking Success is back for 2024 and this year has gotten even BETTER! 

In this 3-day FREE virtual and global summit, you’ll learn how to stop relying on OTAs like Airbnb and make more money with more control. Learn how to increase your direct bookings from industry experts and your fellow property managers. 

This summit is completely FREE, Virtual and Global, reserve your seats today: https://directbookingsuccesssummit.com/

Work with Jenn to maintain consistency in your marketing and boost your direct bookings without spending so much money on it: https://directbookingsuccess.com/apply/

The ULTIMATE all-in-one marketing platform for short term rental is finally here! Sign up now and be the first to try it: https://bookdirectpro.com/

FREE GUIDE: 10 Ways to Drive Guests to your Website instead of Airbnb: https://directbookingsuccess.com/10-ways-to-drive-guests-to-your-website-instead-of-airbnb/

Follow Jenn on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/directbookingsuccess

Join Jenn’s free Facebook group – the Marketing Hub: https://www.facebook.com/groups/strmarketinghub

Imagine this. You've just wrapped up a crazy busy summer season. Your calendar was jam packed with bookings and now, well, now I was looking a little bare. Maybe that's okay because you could use a breather. But what if that breather starts to feel a little too long? What if you're eyeing those empty autumn weeks and starting to feel a tad uneasy? Don't worry, because today we were diving into what you can do when your calendar isn't as full as you'd like. Whether you've let your marketing slide or just want to boost those off peak bookings, I've got you covered. Lets roll up our sleeves and talk strategy. Ready?

You are listening to the Direct Booking Success Podcast, bringing you all the information you need for your short term rental to stand out from the crowd. I'm your host, Jenn Boyles. As an owner and manager myself, I know how hard it can be to navigate the hospitality industry. I'm here to help so you too can have direct booking success.

Hello and welcome to another episode of the Direct Booking Success Podcast. I'm Jenn Boyles, your host. Today I'm pulling an episode out of the archives as it's one that I think is really relevant at this time of year. I first spoke about this topic back in October 2022 and here we are in September 2024. And it's that time of year when you're coming out of your high season and you might be looking at a calendar that isn't fully booked. Now, sometimes that isn't a bad thing. If your summer has been so busy, maybe you need a bit of a rest. Or maybe you are just looking for new ways to get those bookings for this off peak time. So let's talk it through. What marketing did you do throughout the summer? Were you thinking of the more lean months when you were fully booked throughout the summer? Or were you just going to just see how it goes? Perhaps you were just plain too busy to give it much thought. No judgment here. Marketing, however, is something that does need a bit of weed time. It isn't a silver bullet that you could just launch at the last minute to save the day. We all need to remember not to give up on marketing. When we were looking at a fully booked calendar, I once had a client who came to me asking for help increasing their direct bookings. So we worked together, putting in the foundations of what was needed. Booking started to roll in. It was all working really well. However, once her summer calendar booked up, she was done. She couldn't see past that fully booked summer calendar. We stopped working together. Her marketing activities dried up, and I bet her next seasons of bookings dried up as well. This is definitely not what to do. However, if you've taken your eye off the marketing ball since you've been so busy, it's not too late. Perhaps you're staring at that empty autumn calendar and aren't sure what to do now. Don't get angry with yourself. You'll know it for next year. You'll know not to let your marketing slip. So let's start with what not to do. I know you want those bookings in, but don't jump on discounting. Don't discount. Don't just post empty dates on social media. Don't sit in Facebook groups jumping on any post of somebody wanting to stay in your area or even not in your area. Don't beg for bookings. Don't give away your nights for peanuts. If you're tempted to do any of those things, stop and listen. Those are not activities of a business that knows their worth. Those are activities of someone who has no idea what to do next and is just throwing mud at the wall hoping some of it will stick. Instead, let's talk about what to do. Let's start with your past guests. Now I'm going to hope you have an email list already started. I'm closing my eyes and I'm crossing my fingers and I hope that you've been emailing them regularly. If either or both of those things aren't true, don't worry. All you need to get started is a list of your previous guests email addresses and some way of emailing them. Look at your previous guests' fans. They had a great stay. They left wonderful reviews. Perhaps they would like to return. If you haven't been emailing them, now is the time to start. You want to rekindle that relationship you had with them when they stayed, letting them know that you were there and how. Now is the perfect time to book that return stay. Look at the events coming up in your area. Look at seasonal activities guests could do while staying there. Think about why they would want to come and then tell them about it. Look at what else you could offer them. Would you be able to add in a meal or a tour of the local area? Or maybe just some dvd's and popcorn for a night in? Adding extra value is something that could make someone really want to book. If you have already been emailing your previous guests regularly, then the holes in your calendar will be easier to fill. However, not all hope is lost. If you haven't been, just get on it now. A phrase a business coach used to say to me was imperfect action. And this has stuck with me. It's like, just get it done. Don't wait until everything is perfect. Get it done. Imperfect action. So why am I speaking about emailing your past guests and not posting more on social media? Only a fraction of your followers on social media actually see your posts, and most of them will be too busy scrolling and looking at cute dog videos to pay much attention to what you're posting. Email marketing is so powerful. Email marketing is probably the best form of marketing out there. You're sending an email to the right person. They're real. Those on your list have asked to hear from you. They want to hear from you. I like to think of it as being invited into their home through their inbox. Email is a great way that you can build a real relationship with your guest. And I'm not talking about sending sales emails, okay? No one wants those. You probably delete them from your own inbox. So let's not put any more sleazy salesy stuff out there. Let's send emails with value that your guests want to read about. Okay, great. Not only is right now the perfect time to get on your marketing and start filling up your low season calendar, it's also the right time to sign up to the upcoming direct booking success Summit. This online event is back for its fourth year. Come along to learn how to stop relying on third party platforms like Airbnb and make more money with more control. When you increase your direct bookings, you'll hear from industry experts and your fellow property managers. This is an unmissable three day event for vacation and short term rental property managers and hosts from around the world. Get your free ticket. Head to directbookingsuccessummit.com to sign up. I'll be back next week with more. Until then, go out and take action for your own direct booking success.

Hey, thanks for listening to the Direct Booking Success Podcast. For more information about this episode and others, head to the website directbookingsuccess.com/podcast. See you next time.