How to promote your direct vacation rental listing on Facebook

How to find your Travelnest direct link to share on Facebook

As a Travelnest customer, you have a personal direct website for each of your properties, which can be accessed, managed, and shared within your Travelnest account. This website provides guests with a live calendar, photo gallery, interactive map, and secure payment system, giving them a comprehensive overview of your property. Additionally, you can offer exclusive discounts to repeat and potential guests.

If you list your property on booking sites through Travelnest such as Airbnb, Booking.com, Expedia, TripAdvisor, Holidu, and Homeaway, all your reviews will be displayed on your Direct website. This allows guests to see past reviews from previous guests, providing them with more security when booking your property directly with you as a host. 

By using your unique Travelnest Direct link and sharing it across different social media channels, you can attract more guests and benefit from lower commission rates. In the following sections, we'll explain how to set up a Facebook and Instagram account so that you can share your direct website and start promoting your property to a wider audience.

Creating a Facebook business page for your vacation rental business

• Start with a personal account: You need a personal Facebook account to create a business page. If you don't have one, sign up at www.facebook.com.

  
  

• Create a business page: Click the drop-down arrow in the top right corner of your personal account and select "Create Page."

  
  

• Choose a category: Select "Business or Brand" and click "Get Started."

  
  

• Fill in the details: Enter your business name, category (e.g., "Vacation Home Rental"), and contact information.

  
  

• Add visuals: Upload a profile picture and cover photo that represent your brand well. This could be photos of your property or logo.

  
  

• Complete your 'About' section: This is where you can share key details about your vacation rental business. Include a brief description, your website and email, location, operating hours, and any other relevant information.

  
  

• Post content: Start sharing engaging posts about your properties, local attractions, special offers, or guest testimonials.

  
  

Facebook best practices

Understanding your audience

Before you begin promoting your Travelnest direct listing, it's essential to understand who your audience is. This has become even more significant with Facebook's recent announcement that it gives precedence to content that is "meaningful, relevant, and informative."

It's important to understand what engaging content means. In order to engage your audience, your content needs to be meaningful, relevant, and informative. 

• Meaningful content should be enjoyable and encourage people to share your content.

• Relevant content is determined by aligning with the user's interaction history and preferences. 

• On the other hand, informative content should be fresh and appealing to each individual user's unique interests. 

To create content that resonates with your audience, you need to ask yourself some questions as follows:

• Who is your target audience?

• Are they families looking for a peaceful getaway or young people seeking thrilling adventures?

Understanding your audience is essential to customise your social media content and attract the ideal guests for your property.

Travelnest tip!

We highly recommend you to use the Facebook Insights tool as it is a valuable resource for gaining a deeper understanding of your audience. It provides demographic insights such as age, gender, relationship status, education level, and job titles. This data can assist you in creating content and ads that are tailored to your audience. 

With Audience Insights, you can discover what pages and topics your audience enjoys on Facebook. This knowledge can guide you in creating more engaging content that resonates with them. The tool also enables you to analyse behavioural patterns, including purchasing habits, device usage, and overall Facebook activities. This information can help you determine the best times to post and increase engagement. 

A unique feature of the tool is its ability to compare your followers with the broader Facebook community. Comparisons can reveal unique characteristics of your audience, allowing you to fine-tune your marketing strategy for maximum effect. Lastly, Audience Insights allows you to segment your audience by location, interests, and behaviours. This helps you create custom groups and target your ads more effectively, ensuring your message reaches those who will find it most relevant. In essence, Facebook's Audience Insights tool is essential for achieving an informed and successful social media presence.

Enhancing content

Quality content is essential for a successful Facebook strategy. Use highly quality images and videos to highlight your property and its unique offerings. Showcase the distinctive features of your rental and nearby attractions. Additionally, consider sharing stories from your guests' experiences to create a more personal connection with your audience.

Interactions

Interacting with your audience is key. Promptly respond to comments, answer questions, and encourage guests to share their experiences from their stay at your property. This not only builds a community but also encourages potential guests to visit your Facebook page. Regularly posting and engaging with your followers can improve your visibility in their feeds.

Tagging and sharing

Make the most of Facebook's tagging and sharing features to broaden your reach. Encourage satisfied guests to tag your property in their posts and you can re-share these on your page. 

Hashtags

While not as prevalent as on other platforms like Instagram, hashtags can still be beneficial on Facebook. They categorise your content and make it discoverable to a wider audience. Be strategic with your hashtags - use ones that are relevant to your property and location. Here are a few examples of hashtags that you could start with. 

• #vacationrental 

• #staycation

• #holidayhome 

• #airbnb 

• #weekendaway 

• #citybreak 

• #familyfriendly

Facebook ads

Facebook ads offer a targeted approach to reach potential guests. With a variety of ad formats and precise targeting options, you can design campaigns to connect with people who are most likely to be interested in your vacation rental.

Facebook marketplace

Listing your vacation rental on Facebook Marketplace can expose your property to a large local audience. Follow the marketplace's guidelines to ensure a smooth user experience. Remember to keep your listing updated and reply to inquiries quickly.

To sum up, Facebook provides numerous tools and features that can help vacation rental property owners in attracting more bookings and developing a loyal guest community. It is crucial to keep up with the latest trends, try out different types of content, and regularly interact with your audience.