Social Media, do you 'get' it?

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about a training session being offered through Tots to Travel with leading Social Media expert Karen Skidmore, hope some of you were able to catch it.  It was a good one with great advice for those starting out and those who are already using it, but not really sure how to do it effectively.

If you think Social Media is just for the kids to Tweet and watch silly videos on You Tube, you are very wrong.  It is not the latest thing, it is THE thing which will only keep growing!

A few months ago I posted a video regarding the power of social media, but Im sure the numbers are now out of date.  But just gives an idea of the power that these platforms can have for a business and can give access to your target market.

Some interesting things that came from this webinar were:

• 1 Billion people use social networks, most using a variety but the main ones remain Facebook, Twitter, Youtube and Linked In.

• The average Facebook session lasts 37 minutes

• 400 million use Facebook daily

• The largest growth of users of Social Media are Women aged 30 to 45!

Cant you afford to miss out!  If you need advice or help, I can help, just ask.

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.

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.

Are you ready?

So now we are into May and the summer peak season is just around the corner.  Are you ready? 

Is your property all prepared for your guests, any replacements or maintenance work done?

More importantly have you sold the weeks you need, is your property getting the interest it deserves.  In these tough times, market positioning is so much more important.  In the past, you could almost sell a holiday rental in the algarve with minimal effort. Not so easy these days, with fewer customers looking for a lot of value.  So what do you do?

There are several things you can do

1. Assess your marketing, are you targeting the right customers?
2. Is your property appealing to the customers you want?
3. Are you offering value and quality against your competition?

Be aware, lowering your prices, will not necessarily bring more customers!

If you need any further advice, please contact me and I can help.