Branding for Short Term Rental Hosts
01/23/20 • 31 min
Standing out in crowded STR markets can be difficult. With new rental properties cropping up in desirable locations every day, developing a brand for your STR business is key to long-term success in a short-term market. Branding is one of the best ways to beat out competition.
Airbnb Superhost, model, and musician Sharon Middendorf founded GO-Cottage, an STR business in Lake Placid, New York. Long before Airbnb existed, Sharon bought, renovated, and restored two 1920s bungalows on the same piece of property. Over the course of 17 years she’s successfully marketed her short-term rentals as modern-style, California-esque lodging for adventure seekers. Sharon’s property has been featured in Country Living, Domino, and on HGTV’s Small Space, Big Living.
On this episode of Get Paid for Your Pad, Sharon describes the importance of branding and how it can give rental owners the control they crave in a market dominated by listing platforms. Sharon explains how diversifying her rentals and capitalizing on their uniqueness helped her stand out amongst more than 700 STR listings in a small village. Listen in for Sharon’s insight on how Airbnb Plus has affected her listing and whether she would recommend the program to other property owners.
Topics Covered
Sharon’s STR story
- Loved vacationing in Lake Placid
- Took 4-5 years to find the right property to purchase
- Renovated two bungalows on property
- Started booking short-term renters in 2003
Why Sharon focuses on branding
- Differentiates her rental from all the rest
- Branding lasts longer than an STR platform like Airbnb
How Sharon developed a brand
- Built website and began tracking it using Google Analytics
- Started creating on-brand content for social media like Facebook and Instagram
How Sharon marketed her listing before Airbnb
- Used local listing sites and craigslist
- Relied on word-of-mouth
Why Sharon releases a quarterly newsletter
- Helps her stay in touch with former guests
- Releasing a newsletter quarterly avoids overwhelming subscribers
What Sharon includes in her newsletter
- Local upcoming events
- Information on availability and cost
How Sharon got national exposure for her property
- Networking and reaching out to media organizations
- Knowing someone at Country Living helped her listing get featured
Sharon’s insight on creating a brand
- Name the property to give it an identity
- Hire outside help if needed
Sharon’s take on Airbnb Plus
- Good experience working with professional photographer
- Meeting Airbnb Plus requirements can take time and effort
- Airbnb Plus doesn’t necessarily enable you to raise rates
- Less control over Airbnb Plus listing
Connect with Sharon
Email: [email protected]
Resources
Email [email protected]
To subscribe to the podcast, please use the links below
Standing out in crowded STR markets can be difficult. With new rental properties cropping up in desirable locations every day, developing a brand for your STR business is key to long-term success in a short-term market. Branding is one of the best ways to beat out competition.
Airbnb Superhost, model, and musician Sharon Middendorf founded GO-Cottage, an STR business in Lake Placid, New York. Long before Airbnb existed, Sharon bought, renovated, and restored two 1920s bungalows on the same piece of property. Over the course of 17 years she’s successfully marketed her short-term rentals as modern-style, California-esque lodging for adventure seekers. Sharon’s property has been featured in Country Living, Domino, and on HGTV’s Small Space, Big Living.
On this episode of Get Paid for Your Pad, Sharon describes the importance of branding and how it can give rental owners the control they crave in a market dominated by listing platforms. Sharon explains how diversifying her rentals and capitalizing on their uniqueness helped her stand out amongst more than 700 STR listings in a small village. Listen in for Sharon’s insight on how Airbnb Plus has affected her listing and whether she would recommend the program to other property owners.
Topics Covered
Sharon’s STR story
- Loved vacationing in Lake Placid
- Took 4-5 years to find the right property to purchase
- Renovated two bungalows on property
- Started booking short-term renters in 2003
Why Sharon focuses on branding
- Differentiates her rental from all the rest
- Branding lasts longer than an STR platform like Airbnb
How Sharon developed a brand
- Built website and began tracking it using Google Analytics
- Started creating on-brand content for social media like Facebook and Instagram
How Sharon marketed her listing before Airbnb
- Used local listing sites and craigslist
- Relied on word-of-mouth
Why Sharon releases a quarterly newsletter
- Helps her stay in touch with former guests
- Releasing a newsletter quarterly avoids overwhelming subscribers
What Sharon includes in her newsletter
- Local upcoming events
- Information on availability and cost
How Sharon got national exposure for her property
- Networking and reaching out to media organizations
- Knowing someone at Country Living helped her listing get featured
Sharon’s insight on creating a brand
- Name the property to give it an identity
- Hire outside help if needed
Sharon’s take on Airbnb Plus
- Good experience working with professional photographer
- Meeting Airbnb Plus requirements can take time and effort
- Airbnb Plus doesn’t necessarily enable you to raise rates
- Less control over Airbnb Plus listing
Connect with Sharon
Email: [email protected]
Resources
Email [email protected]
To subscribe to the podcast, please use the links below
Previous Episode
What to Do When a Natural Disaster Hits Your STR Rental Business
It’s never fun to think about worst case scenarios. But for Airbnb hosts, it’s important to have an idea of what you might do should the worst happen. And there are few things worse that having a natural disaster hit your STR.
Peter Counsell is the Superhost behind Clyde River Cottage, a STR in Nelligen, New South Wales, with its own private jetty on the river. Peter also coaches new hosts on getting started in the STR business and optimizing their listings, and he builds personal websites for hosts looking to expand their reach beyond the Airbnb platform.
On this episode of Get Paid for Your Pad, Peter joins me to share his difficult experience during the devastating bushfires in Southeast Australia. He explains how the fires are affecting his business, what Airbnb is doing to help hosts in his position, and how the disaster is likely to impact tourism in the area. Listen in for Peter’s insight on how he might use his STR property during the recovery process and learn what to do should a natural disaster hit your STR business.
Topics Covered
The devastating bushfires in Southeast Australia
- 1M acres in six weeks (two full states)
- Caused by extreme drought + lightning strike
Peter’s harrowing experience with the fires
- Evacuated three times before leaving area entirely
- Highway closed, followed fire engine to Ulladulla
How the fires are affecting Peter’s STR business
- Cancellations as fires got worse, no new bookings
- Smoke and highway closings make travel difficult
Airbnb’s process for helping hosts in the fires
- Team in place to contact guests for Aussie hosts
- No cancellation penalty for guests or host
Peter’s advice for hosts in natural disasters
- Waive fee for cancellation (return 100% of deposit)
- Request that Airbnb waive fees for guests
How the fires will impact tourism in the area
- Known for beaches, nature and wildlife
- 1B animals killed + bushwalks burned
Peter’s insight on the long recovery process
- Charge realistic prices, allow one-night stays
- Stay in touch with potential guests
What Peter might do until the area has recovered
- May be good time for upgrades to space
- Offer STR for recovery workers to stay
What we can do to support Peter
- Travel to SE Australia (quite safe, still much to do)
- Use his website building or coaching services
Peter’s best tips for aspiring Airbnb hosts
- Read Get Paid for Your Pad, listen to podcast
- Model STR on your WHY + ideal guest avatar
- Work to get good reviews right away
Connect with Peter
Resources
Email [email protected]
To subscribe to the podcast, please use the links below
Click Here to Subscribe via iTunes
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Next Episode
Takeaways from STR Legends Cartagena
“2020 is going to be the year of the professional host, regardless if you’re running one unit or if you’re somebody that’s trying to hit a hundred or a thousand units. All of it, the standards need to be world-class at this point. We have to truly treat even one unit as a real business.”
Eric Moeller is the creator of Cohost Mastery and the cofounder STR Legends Live. Today, Eric and I sit down to discuss our top takeaways from STR Legends Cartagena, describing the trend toward professionalism in the industry and the challenges around operations that all hosts share regardless of size.
Eric and I weigh in on how to approach your STR as a business, sharing Simon Lehmann’s challenge to define your values and align your messaging accordingly. Listen in for insight on how big brands are likely to impact the future of the STR industry and learn how YOU can benefit from the culture of sharing among the STR Legends community!
Topics Covered
The Hosting at Scale Video Series
- Four episodes, each feature one operator
- Explore what makes them legend in space
Eric’s top takeaways from STR Legends Cartagena
- Shift to professionalism
- Operations + people = greatest challenge
The evolution of operating in the STR space
- ‘List it and forget it’
- Listing optimization
- Approach from business perspective
How to stand out as a host as competition grows
- Determine USP (i.e.: standards, theme, etc.)
- Design messaging to attract ideal client
Simon Lehmann’s STR Legends Cartagena challenge
- Describe your business in one sentence
- Who are you and what are your values?
The culture of sharing at STR Legends Cartagena
- Authentic connection among community
- Value openness, integrity and support
What we learned about the future of the STR space
- Larger companies buy out midsize operators
- Must understand profitability to thrive
- Efficiencies of scale offer competitive advantage
Why vacation rental hosting is a hyperlocal business
- Knowledge of area important in hospitality
- Opportunity for small hosts (personal connection)
Connect with Eric
Resources
Traction: Get a Grip on Your Business by Gino Wickman
Who by Geoff Smart and Randy Street
Email [email protected]
To subscribe to the podcast, please use the links below
Click Here to Subscribe via iTunes
Click here to Subscribe via Stitcher (Android users)
If you like the show, please consider leaving the show a review in iTunesor Stitcher. A couple minutes of your time can he...
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