Holiday property owners - free training alert!

No More Empty Weeks: Discover how to harness the power of Social Media to fill your holiday home ... without wasting your time with stuff that doesn't work

The problem with using the likes of Facebook and Twitter in the same breath as marketing is that many of you probably switch off instantly.

Facebook is what the kids use, all day and all night it seems.  Merrily sharing photos of what they did last night and flirting with people they haven't even met (scary stuff for parents to get their head round .. and being one myself, I know this all too well!)

Twitter seems to be what celebs and famous footballers use to get themselves in trouble.  Newspapers are continually using tweets and making them into headlines, only to be caught up in some silly legal case.

So why on earth would you want to even consider using sites like Facebook and Twitter to promote your holiday home?

Surely social media is a waste of time?  And you just don't have time to spend tweeting, poking and sharing funny videos of cats!

This is why I am really excited to have persuaded Karen Skidmore to share some Social Media secrets with us all.

Karen Skidmore is a leading web tech marketing specialist based in the UK and I have spent time learning from her on how Social Media can make a difference to our own marketing here at Tots to Travel.

Karen is hosting a live session on Thursday 24th November where she will be teaching you how to use Social Media to help fill those dreaded empty weeks.

Click here to check out the details.

Even if you have been dabbling with various Social Media tools for the past few months (or even years), then I know you will learn stacks that will make a difference to your online marketing.

Marketing on the web allows you to reach out to new customers right around the globe.  And having spent time with Karen, I know that using the right Social Media tools in the right way, can make a big difference to your online marketing success.

If you can't make it live, then make sure you register so you can receive the recording and watch back at a time to suit you.

Here's the link and make sure you register - see you there!

What makes you different?

If someone asks you what is different or special about yourself, a confident person will immediately be able to list off a few things, intelligent, attractive, good listener etc, but a not so confident person will struggle, not seeing the strengths in themselves.  In life to 'sell yourself' in an interview or similar situation you need to be able to identify what makes you different or strong.  What makes you different, and stand out from the crowd?

In terms of marketing your holiday home, you need to do the same.  Here in the Algarve there are literally thousands of competitors with all the same things as you, therefore you need to establish a few points about your property that make it different and focus on promoting these things that set you apart from your competitors.  These are your USP's (Unique Selling Points / propositions) and every property has them.

Your USP's could be a feature of your property or a service you provide.  Your USP's should appeal to your target market in order to make you stand out.  For instance, if you are appealing to the family market, one of your USP's could be you have a gated/fenced pool area or your outside area is fenced.  If appealing to a 'couple's market' you may highlight the proximity to bars and restaurants etc.  You dont necessarily have to have anything different or special, you just need to be able to highlight these 'selling points' to your target market.

The accidental holiday home owner

Image: Simon Howden

Due to the current economic situation, a new kind of holiday home rental owner has emerged, I like to call them, 'the accidental holiday home owner' and there are plenty of them about.  They are different from the usual holiday home owner who's second home is their love, and sometimes their passion.  Many have bought their homes as a second home, to be used as a side business, extra income maker until they retire to their dream home.

But the new 'accidental holiday home owner' is different, most have bought their homes as an investment.  In the case of Portugal, many bought during the property boom with a view to a quick profit but have found themselves stuck with a property they cannot sell and so have turned their mind to holiday lettings in a view to retain and reclaim their investment.  This is not what they had planned, and they have had to be resourceful and more importantly learn new skills and understand a new type of market. They have a different agenda than your normal holiday home owner with a much stronger focus on the financial side of the business.  But in order to achieve your financial needs, you need to have a clear plan.   I have a couple of Home owners through my role as a Letting Expert with Tots to Travel who are exactly this type of home owner and have had to change their direction and do something completely different to their original plan and they are doing it quite well.  They have found their niche (the family market) and know what they want to achieve and are learning as they go.

But not all in this position can be so lucky, if you are in the unfortunate position of having invested only to find your investment effectively trapped in the downturn with payments to be maintained it can be terrible.  They never imagined or wanted to be in the 'holiday letting' market and are like a fish out of water.  Holiday lettings can be time consuming, especially for the inexperienced or those who do not want to do it, property management companies can be an effective solution but finding the right one, especially for your budget is not always easy.

If you are feeling out of your depth and need some help, now is the time to ask; with only a few weeks left before the critical new year booking season.  To find out how I can help, contact me, to discuss your options and a way forward.

Now is the time!

With only a few weeks left in the year, this is a critical time for planning for next years rental season and having everything in place ready for the peak booking time in early January.  These early weeks are critical for most home owners in terms of getting a good start on the year's bookings and for some can make or break a year's success!

So are you ready?  Do you have a clear plan?

What are your targets?  It is very important to have a clear idea of what you want to achieve and an plan of how to get there.

Who is your market?  Are you happy with that market or do you want to make a change, maybe upwards or 'across'?

Do you have all your marketing ready, are you getting enough exposure where you want it?

Have you reviewed  your performance of this year and identified how to improve for next year?

If you are struggling with any of these issues, or are new to the letting game, I can help.  Maybe you do great during high season but bookings slump once September comes and the school holidays finish and you want to change that.  What a difference that could make to your income, right!

In my role as a Letting Expert with Tots to Travel, I have helped several owners this year boost their profits by filling their empty 'out of peak' weeks by assessing their individual property and providing them with a highly detailed and bespoke strategy report full of advice that can be used across all of your marketing channels.

 If you are interested in finding out more, email me (details on my contact page) and find out how I can help.