The Savvy Host Roadmap

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Follow Happy In The Keys

Follow The Yurtopian

Follow Spoon Mountain Glamping

Follow The Lodge On Twinkle Lane

Follow Cooper Landing Lodge

Dogs Welcome Facebook Group

Dog's Welcome Website / Certification

Jolene's Instagram

Jodi's Instagram

Pet-Friendly Amenities:

• Food dishes, water bowls
• Pet beds
• Dog treats / healthy
• Dog beds
• Extra leashes
• Outdoor play areas (fenced yard)
• Pooper scooper and waste bags.
• Shaded yard with dog pool, dog water.
• Chew Toys, snugglies
• Swimming pool, water, ladder, skimming tool, dog floats
• Extra towels for pets (colored towels)
• Crates
• Waterproof blanket for sofa or beds
• Vacuum and enzyme cleaner for pet hair and stains.
• First aid kit
• Cat scratch thingy/cat toys?
• Dog-friendly restaurants and shops
• Emergency Vet and groomer recommendations, doggy daycare,
• Info about nearby trails, beaches, and parks

Guest Communication and Rules

• Be clear about pet rules. If they can’t get on the sofa, where can they hang out - pet beds? Blankets? If they sleep on the bed, they are going to sleep on the bed... you can’t stop them, so make it easier.
• Where do they dispose of dog poop? Do you have bags? A specific trash can?
• Pet fees - consider both options - does it cost you more money to allow pets? Does it cost you more to allow 2? Why not big dogs? Consider extra cleaning fees if there is a problem (deposit)
• Pet communication - a letter to the dogs about rules and where they can go. (from your pet to theirs?)
• Add a section to your guest guide and send an email out before the stay reminding them of where they can take their pet - trails, beaches, times, restaurants, parks, etc.

Marketing your dog-friendly vacation rental

Website and listing sites:

• Optimize your listing. Use those terms pet-friendly, dog-friendly, love dogs, pets welcome, we love our dogs and we will love yours, Do keyword research.
• Pet-friendly filter on your website. (cottage stays )
• Add a full paragraph about your pet-friendly features to your listing description
• Lots of photos of dogs enjoying your home and the amenities you provide. Stayed at a place because of a photo of a dog in the pool.
• Blog posts about dog-friendly things to do. Articles about dog-friendly restaurants, hiking trails, etc.

Social Media

• Share engaging content featuring pets enjoying your property,
• post helpful tips for traveling with pets, and
• engage with pet-related communities
• Consider pet travel influencers.
• Use pet-related hashtags on Instagram (show notes) #dogfriendlyairbnb huge, but think of smaller more specific hashtags like “#dogfriendlyaustin
• Consider sharing photos and reels of your own pets to increase your following.
• This can help you reach a wider audience of pet owners.
• Ask guests to send photos and videos of their pets playing and make this a reel or highlight series.
• Collect specific reviews from dog parents and display those on social media
• Dog-friendly travel groups on Facebook
• Share your love of pets with your audience.

Email marketing

• lead magnet - dog-friendly things to do.

Join the Savvy Host Marketing Roadmap Group Coaching Waitlist

In this episode, I discuss some ideas for creating a better guest experience for your guests by offering the comforts of home, amazing hospitality, excellent guest communications, and personalized services.

When you know your Perfect Guest Avatar and create the Perfect Guest Experience, your guests will treat your property better, give you amazing reviews (even if something goes wrong), share your property with their friends and book again!

Once you have your guest experience dialed in, you can create a brand around this experience - your offer, your USP (differentiation), your social media and other marketing messages all become centered around the guest first experience you've created.

The first step in creating a better guest experience is having a deep understanding of who your guests are. Use the Perfect Guest Avatar Workbook to figure this out.

Download the workbook here: Perfect Guest Avatar Workbook

One of the first things you need to do when you start a vacation rental business - or when you are ready to uplevel your business is to create a specific guest avatar. This will help you with every single aspect of your business - from creating a better experience to adding amenities, communicating before the guest stay, and creating better content and marketing materials and creating your vacation rental brand.

Use the Perfect Guest Avatar Workbook to help you create a guest avatar that will love your property, treat it like their own, leave amazing reviews and share it with their friends.