STOP TREATING YOUR GUESTS LIKE IDIOTS

STOP TREATING YOUR GUESTS LIKE IDIOTS

There’s an epidemic in the hospitality business scene that nobody ever talks about. It’s known to drain bank balances and tarnish reputations in one giant sweep; and the most ill-informed of us are at greatest risk.?

The name of this epidemic? Well, I’m unsure of any clinical terms yet; but it’s along the lines of “treating your guests like idiots” - purely because as a hospitality business owner, you (wrongly) believe that you can patronise your audience’s intelligence and not just get away with it, but make money out of it, too.

*Shudders*

Today, I’m here to tell you how you’re knowingly or unknowingly behaving like the biggest fool in the room - as a result of shit, surface-level marketing.?

All Style, No Substance?

If you’re a short-term rental operator, then begin by understanding that there’s no shortage of STR-related marketing posts on the internet.

In fact, every other digital corner is rife with “BOOK WITH US” emails, Facebook tiles with a cheesy 10% Off Booking Offer, and Instagram reels that are all style and zero substance.

While this “fruit-market approach” of flogging your products and services might have worked decades ago, your audience is now becoming increasingly sophisticated and emotionally intelligent. In fact, millennials and Gen Z buyers actively claim that they would NEVER spend money with a brand that they don’t emotionally connect with nor trust. There’s a full-blown report about it, right here:? Accenture Report

So, your slapdash attempts of knocking up below-par salesy social media posts are probably making as much impact as a needle in a haystack. This should come as no surprise when you consider that guests are looking to book a property in essentially a stranger’s home, for a substantial amount of money.

Very rarely are transactions like these a result of “impulse buys” - and guests (especially those who are more accustomed to OTAs like Airbnb) will give a lot of thought and consideration before booking a short-term rental stay with you.

As such, the long-game of relationship building is absolutely vital when marketing your STR accommodation - and unfortunately, a step that many operators ignore.?

News Flash: You’re Not Actually Entitled to Anything?

Over the last couple of years, Luke Stays (part of Luke Capital Group) has focused more and more on direct bookings, and succeeded. This has helped us save loads on commission fees and perhaps more importantly, maintain control of our businesses (and brand reputation).

A major part of this strategic move has been revisiting our marketing activity. You might have heard me say this before, but as property business leaders, we don’t actually run property businesses; but rather “marketing businesses”.

I know a number of entrepreneurs prioritise marketing activity least, often putting the smallest budgets aside for this department of their business - but this can rinse their profits dry.?

Essentially, marketing is about having conversations with your target audiences and building trust with them. Without this, you’re practically pitching to already-cautious buyers who wouldn’t know you from Bob, the other STR operator from across the road.

Think about it: You wouldn’t just walk up to a person in a coffee shop and straight up ask to marry them would you? Even if you did, the chances of them accepting (unless they’d sipped a shot of something stronger in their cappuccino) are very, very slim.?

As with any life decision - no matter how big or small - the matter of trust and relationship building is at the helm of it. Yet, I continue to see aspiring property leaders sharing shouty posts across their social media, demanding people to spend their hard-earned money with them.?

Why should they, if you’ve done nothing to prove your credibility, reliability and professional standards?

Engagement vs Conversion in an Image-Obsessed World?

The good news about our industry is that there’s no barrier--to-entry.

But, the bad news about our industry is that there’s no barrier-to-entry.

So, while you don’t need to jump through any hoops to get your marketing efforts in the public eye, you do have to work hard to ensure that the quality of your content stands out (for the right reasons) among competitors.

We’re currently living in an age where aesthetics are everything. The problem with this, is that people usually mistake this for a lack of need for meaningful content that translates into sales and bookings. Always remember, that while your pretty photography and quirky reels get more guests to click on the digital hearts on your socials; it’s the trust-based content that gets them to actually follow-through with a transaction.

There’s a difference between engagement and conversion. Sure, they work hand-in-hand; but if you only achieve the former, without making it to the latter, then you’re failing to tangibly grow your business.

FOR EXAMPLE

A gorgeous photograph of guests checking into your short-term rental property in the sunny landscapes of Dubai, will probably attract a number of Likes and positive engagement.?

But a gorgeous photograph of guests checking into your short-term rental property in the sunny landscapes of Dubai ALONG WITH a caption that reads along the lines of “These guests are happy because their dream holiday is 100% payment protected” (perhaps with a sub-line about I-PRAC Approval beneath it).

Giving your pretty marketing posts CONTEXT could potentially be the difference between more direct bookings and sad, empty calendars. If you believe that first-time guests will immediately spend money with you after half a dozen nice pics, then you’re gravely underestimating their intelligence and the psychology behind purchasing decisions.?

Trust Signals and Playing the “Long Game”?

Our good friend and CEO of I-PRAC, Chris Maughan has coined the invaluable concept of “trust signals” in the short-term rental industry and proved how playing the “long game” with your marketing activity is worth its weight in gold.

If you’re serious about upping your marketing activity and replacing thoughtless salesy spiel with high-quality, conversion-led content then I highly recommend the following (to start):

> Get yourself I-PRAC Accredited and? build yourself a Trust Page on your direct booking’s website (while explaining what I-PRAC Approval actually means to your guests on it).

> In addition to your stunning pics on social and creative video reels, ensure that the content that goes with it actually offers some context and substance (ie, Why should guests trust you? What kind of values and philosophies do you share?)

> Rather than blasting emails about discounts and offers to your guest database, send emails that help them build a long-term relationship of trust with you. Tell stories of happy holidays, payment protection, and hospitality that places guest satisfaction at its core.?

Of course, these are just starting points - and what’s probably more important, is changing your mindset when it comes to marketing your short-term rental property.?

Rather than coming from a place of what you can aggressively “give” to your audience, focus on what they’ll “receive” as a result of booking with you - and how that’ll benefit their booking experience and short-term rental stay in some way.

The long-game is always worth it. In every area of life. :)

For more advice about marketing your short-term rental empire and not treating your guests like idiots, join my private property coaching club for just ￡1 (where Chris Maughan and an expert copywriter are ambassadors!).

In the meantime, keep building and bettering,

Ryan.