*Begin by addressing the e-mail to the person or group in a courteous and friendly way. Note cultural difference, for example the French like to be addressed very formerly, never by their first names.

*Be specific about the property’s availability. Can they rent it daily? Weekly? By the month? Does the price decrease the longer they visit or is the cost steady regardless of the length of stay? Clearly listing your specials offers not also show your professionalism but it might also convince them to book a longer stay!

*Mention any deposits (refundable or non-refundable) for cleaning, maintenance, repairs, etc. The last thing anyone wants on vacation is to find out they have to pay more than they’d originally planned on spending.

*Think about some interesting activities or entertainment venues in the area. Is there a ski resort nearby? A lake to swim or fish in? Are there any famous landmarks? Help the potential renter get an idea of what their unique experience can look like.

*If they are not the right renter for you (maybe their group is too large, or you have just rented to another party), make sure to politely decline and ask whether they would subscribe to your Facebook page or twitter feed so you can stay in touch!

*Make sure that you are open to questions and that the potential renter knows they can contact you for answers. If you do receive questions, respond in a timely manner and always leave a phone number where you can be contacted.

As always, be professional. Even though it is vacation for the renters, it’s business for you. Remember that first impressions are vital — especially when renting out your home, condo or apartment.

Create a Business Page
Facebook offers this basic service for free, and setting up a business page is easy. Once this is done, send invites to friends, and with time, you’ll have a loyal fan base. Once you’ve accomplished this, your marketing efforts can start in earnest. Remember that people will react more positively to information that is seen as resourceful and timely. Spamming your friends’ inboxes or walls with details of your holiday rental and driving a hard sale are surefire ways of keeping people away. Use the business page to share historical tidbits, weather information or pose funny questions that would elicit a favorable response from you fans. It is also important to note that it’s easier to turn fans into eventual customers thanks to the bond formed between the two when interacting on a social media platform such as Facebook.

Photos Galore
Facebook exists because of content generated by its users. This is a great avenue for showcasing what your rental has to offer, and at the same time gathering feedback on what your prospective customers would like to have in terms of room choice, décor and food choice. By posting pictures of your holiday rental, you are advertising what your establishment has to offer. It is always a good thing to check that the photos shared resemble the holiday rental in order to maintain transparency between the customers and your holiday rental.

Statistics Through Voting
Facebook makes it possible for a holiday rental owner to run polls on certain subjects. With the results of these polls, one can then pick out the relevant information and come up with an ad campaign that will tug at the hearts of consumers. The idea here is to take these figures and find out what common thread unites your followers – it could be something such as a favorite artist, or a shared age among the fans. A campaign bringing together common concepts will enable you to win over new clients for your holiday rental.

These are just but a few tips in which you can use Facebook to market your holiday rental. Don’t be afraid to try out different things in order to harness the full power of social media.

Next, let’s have a look at some of the things a holiday rental may contain which are not essential, but would make the place comfortable, without breaking the bank. A foot massager in each room would add to the guest’s comfort, helping them unwind after a long day out exploring the town. If the rental is situated in an area thought to be cold and dry, a humidifier would add to the creature comforts found in a holiday rental that values its customers. Lastly, a week’s supply of chocolate or a few bottles of wine as per of your welcome pack would delight any individual choosing to stay in a holiday rental.

There are some extra services you could propose that would make a five-star hotel blush with envy when compared alongside your holiday rental. A massage and beauty therapy service that is available on call will turn your holiday rental into a visitor magnet. Additionally, a personal chef would warrant your charging something a little extra for your holiday rental. Pay-per-view television would up the game when it comes to providing ultimate entertainment for your guests. A chauffeur service is a luxury and a welcome convenience for guests who wouldn’t mind paying something extra for comfort and a reliable way of moving around town.

So there you have it: a few things that turn your holiday rental into a comfortable haven for your esteemed guests!

1) Get followers: there is no point tweeting to an empty room. Increase your followers by following other related Twitter users; putting “Follow Me on Twitter” links to your Twitter account on your website and blog; and interacting with, and re-tweeting, other users. Twitter is a networking forum, and the more you put in to building relationships, the more you will benefit.

2) Follow others: good accounts to follow with a holiday let account include local television and radio stations; local newspapers; local blogs, especially those related to leisure time; the Chamber of Commerce; and events the area is known for, such as annual festivals. All of these accounts will give you information you can respond to or re-tweet, increasing your Twitter profile and helping to show you are a trusted member of that community.

3) Provide quality content: Twitter users like useful, entertaining and easily digested content. Pithy tweets are those that get re-tweeted, thereby introducing you to other potential followers. Search for questions people are asking that you can answer (platforms like Tweet Deck are useful for this).

Ideal tweets to promote your holiday rental could include

• - weather reports (when the weather is good!!)
• - links to positive news stories or statistics
• - promoting events in the area
• - links to positive blog posts written about the area, or by those who live in the area.
• - links to your own blog and website, but not too often!
• - use Tweets to promote any special offers you have, or competitions you are running.
• - tweet photos like the sunset from the balcony of your holiday rental, or generally scenic photos of the area.

4) Be human: Don’t be unprofessional, but make it clear you are a person at the end of your business, and not an advertising robot. Interact with fellow tweeters, and R to the community.

5) Tweet regularly: Twitter is a fast-paced medium. People’s timelines move quickly, so your tweets will soon move down and off the page. Reply to other tweets, re-tweets, and posting your own tweets. Little and often is the key to Twitter success.

6) Analyze: Use a free Twitter analysis tool like Tweetstats, or twitterstats.net. This will show you how you can use your Twitter time most effectively. When tweeting links, use URL tools like tiny.url or goo.gl, which will show which links you post are the most popular.

7) Be patient: Using Twitter won’t immediately show an increase in bookings of your holiday rental. Take the time to build a reputable account with a solid number of followers, and you will see the benefits. Twitter works by word of mouth and personal recommendation is one the best forms of marketing.

1. Lighting is Key
Before taking photos of your vacation rental, keep in mind the kind of lighting available to you. Factors to consider include the time of day, temperature of light and the amount of flash available. The best kind of light is usually a warm hazy early morning type of light, which can be edited using simple photo editing software like Photoshop. Since you would want to keep the costs down, the rule of thumb here is to work with what you have. A decent digital 15-megapixel camera and the perfect lighting will do just as well as compared to working with a professional photographer.

2. Colour
This aspect should be finely tuned given the fact that a miscalculation could be what stands between sophistication and tackiness. You want to find a balance between warm and cool colours, and warm and vibrant colours. The idea is not to juxtapose two colours that are too far apart on the colour spectrum. For example, having a purple vase next to a red telephone probably isn’t a good idea. Taking a photo of a scene that has two objects that have a similar colour palette would work best in this case, for example a brown duvet cover and tan pillows.

3. Camera
It is important to know your camera in and out. This includes things like the camera controls, how to adjust the flash, and how to have the pictures processed. Another important factor is knowing how to set up the camera on a tripod. In some cases, a tripod gives you the balance and composition that would ordinarily not be achieved by holding a camera in your own hands.

4. Composition
This is a pivotal aspect for many photos. Lines, textures and perspective all play important roles that bring out the best in a scene from your holiday rental. Find inspiration from nature and include it in your photos. A good picture combines the various aspects of composition to come up with something artistic that tells a story and at the same time sells the best aspect of your holiday rental.

5. Tidiness and Exterior
Never use people pose for you and always make sure your holiday rental is extremely tidy and clean – the less memorabilia is lying around the better. It’s a great idea to add vases of flowers in each room to make the pictures pop or to dress the table of the dining room beautifully. Always include a photo of the building exteriors.

At the end of the day, the best resource you have when it comes to taking good photos of your holiday rental is your imagination. Have fun with the whole process, and experiment with different camera settings and artistic principles. Break out of the mould and do it your way, and your prospective guests will be yours for the picking.

1. Research is Key
If you’re thinking of listing your place as a holiday rental, the first thing that should cross your mind is the adequate research that you need to do. I’m talking about finding out about the local rental laws in regard to accommodation, the types and numbers of tourists that visit your area, and the average prices that these tourists pay in a typical holiday rental in your area. This should be done at least three to six months in advance so as to give you adequate time to comply with the town by-laws (if any), and do the necessary renovations to get the house ready for tourists wanting to stay in your holiday rental.

2. Self-Marketing Options
If you market it, they will come, right? Wrong. There’s something to be said about good marketing, and any astute business person will tell you that the success of a company lies in excellent marketing. What differentiates your holiday rental from other rentals in your location? What will give you the edge over the other establishments? Are tourists using the Internet to book their holiday rentals, and if so, what kind of websites are they looking to for information? How can you strategically place your ads so that they can be seen by the maximum number of tourists looking to stay at a holiday rental in your area? You need to make sure that your marketing is eye-catching, timely, appropriate, and appealing to the target demographic you are seeking to attract. These are some of the things that will place you head and shoulders above your competition.

3. Cleaning and Check-in Service
Most holiday rental owners live far away from their establishments. They could have another house where they spend all of their time, so they won’t be able to carry out check-in or cleaning services. A great way to get this vital aspect of good service would be to hire a cleaning and check-in service from local companies that offer it. It is important to note that the check-in service is done at an extra cost to the holiday rental owner, so one needs to factor in the cost of this kind of service into the total cost incurred in the running of the holiday rental. The cleaning service on the other hand can be charged to the customer although it is always a nice touch to include it in the total price as opposed to making it an extra. Also, it would be preferable to go for services offered by an expensive yet reliable company than one that’s just starting out. The most important thing here is the comfort of the guests and as such, great service should be non-negotiable.

So there you go – a few things to consider when you’re thinking of renting out your property to tourists. Your comments and ideas are welcome below!

1. Find an established company that has an office at your property’s location and that represents similar types of properties to yours. Potential renters will feel more confident if they know there is a local office that they can call upon, if they encounter any issues. They do not want to find that they must call an office that could be in another time zone and cannot respond immediately to their requests. Visit a selection of property rental agencies and see how helpful and efficient they are, and how professional the office looks. If staff are unhelpful to you, they are not likely to be any more helpful to potential renters. Check the local chamber of commerce or better business bureau to find out which agencies they recommend and which they have received complaints about. If you are renting out a property at a resort complex, ask other property owners for their recommendations. The complex may even offer an in-house property rental service.

2. Before entering into a contract with a specific agency, get quotations for like services from at least three. Examine the contract carefully and ensure that it covers all the aspects you have discussed with the agency’s representatives, these may include:

• Any guarantees that have been made that the agency will book your rental for a minimum period of weeks during the contracted period.
• Agency fees.
• Payment schedule and method of payment.
• Ancillary services such as property and pool cleaning and maintenance and yard work, and the fees for these.
• Marketing strategies.

3. Ascertain how the agency will market your property. These days, the majority of vacation bookings are made online. Check the agency’s Internet presence and how easy its website is to navigate. Chances are, if you are not attracted by the website and its contents, potential renters will not be either. An agency may also advertise itself and its properties in appropriate publications dependent upon the resort, such as golf, sailing and travel magazines. be sure you understand how the agency intends to advertise your property and any additional costs you will incur for marketing. As with staging a property for real estate sale, you’ll want to make sure that your rental property is in good condition and welcoming to guests and that photos of it are appealing.

4. Ensure that your property is priced competitively with other similar properties in the location. It is important that the agency has a good knowledge of the local area and the local vacation rental market. Do some research yourself and see if the rent the agency plans to charge, is truly realistic for the current market.

5. Particularly, if you are considering long-term tenants (anything longer than two weeks) in your vacation property, it is important to know how the agency will vet prospective renters and ensure their trustworthiness and ability to pay the rent. It is also important to know how they will deal with problem renters. Remember, if the property is outside of the US, other countries do not have such stringent eviction and rental property laws. Investigate property ownership and rental laws for the country the property is located in, so that you are fully aware of your rights as a property owner and landlord.

This is the internet, and in this neck of the woods, attention is finite. Earn it.

Yes, you heard me right. People have no time to read long-winded posts about how great your establishment it. People need quick fixes, flashes of color and being able to make a connection with the content. Now that I have your attention, let’s get this show on the road.

1. Relate, Don’t Hesitate
The first rule in making any type of connection is to be able to put yourself in the shoes of the visitor to your website. How do you do this? Simple, I just did it. Ask a thought-provoking question. People love answering things and solving problems. If someone lands on your site and is met with a post that has a question for a header, they’ll stop to think. Make sure that the question is relatable on a human level. For example, when was the last time you heard the sound of waves? What is the perfect holiday plan in your opinion? Do you have travel goals? All these questions are the type that will nag at the existential persona inside all of us and make us want to read on and explore the site for more information. Remember, most “browsy” travelers who tend to search the internet for spots that are not considered too touristy have full-blown wanderlust, and by asking them these kinds of questions, you are able to make a connection, a connection that makes a prospective customer a loyal one who will most likely tell his or her friends about the destination they unearthed while idly browsing the internet, looking for great holiday deals.

2. Beautiful Images and Color = A Hit Website
It’s not enough that you have a website – I mean, websites have been in existence since the nineties. What will set you apart? Something a little bit extra. Have some beautiful large images on your website (without compromising on site speed!), and throw in a tune that corresponds with the website theme and destination. For example, if you own a holiday rental in Barbados, create a hit website which, if someone were to click your link straight off Google, they’d be taken to a homepage that comes alive with color and moving images, and a light, breezy, tropical tune. People are attracted to visual things, and what would make your site even better are beautiful images showcasing what you have to offer as a holiday rental. They may even decide to pinterest your holiday images thus extending your reach.

Layer the site in such a way that it becomes intuitive to the end-user and a surprise of sorts. For instance, one click could take the user to a section of the site where they could play a quizz about your destination. This is basically the inclusion of gamification, a novel approach at attracting website visitors to your travel website and winning their attention by playing games.

So there you have it – two simple, powerful ways in which you can earn and keep the attention of travelers and inspire them to visit your region and stay at your holiday rental. Get to work, and when summer rolls in, you’ll be ready to reel visitors in by the hundreds. Good luck!

What is Pinterest?

Pinterest is basically a social media site whose selling point are pin boards that one uses to post photos, text and video of things that they like or deem interesting and which they would like to share with others in the community. Pinterest takes a visual approach in telling a story, communicating an idea or passing on a message. Currently, statistics state that 90% percent of Pinterest users are women. Men are now jumping on the bandwagon and taking notice thanks to traditionally male-oriented companies that center around sports or beverages moving their marketing on to Pinterest.

How Can I Use Pinterest to Market My Holiday Rental?

Now that we’ve established that Pinterest is basically multimedia-rich, this makes it easy for anyone who wants to market their holiday rental. Let’s look at a few ways one can do this:

1. Post colorful and visually stunning photos of the exteriors and interiors of the rentals, and add short, quirky descriptions under each photo. You could keep people glued to your board by not posting everything at once, but, say, three times a day.
2. Host competitions on your profile wall by shooting short clips while you explore the different suites or rooms in your holiday rental. Reward people who spot appropriately placed clues in the videos with a free night’s stay or complimentary dinner for two.
3. Add a visible follow me Pinterest button on your website that takes your readers or prospective customers to your Pinterest profile, where you will be able to interact with them on a more personal basis and ask them what they would like to see as part of the different packages on offer at your holiday rental.
4. Create boards for your fans and clients where they can post videos, photos and blog posts chronicling their stay at your holiday rental. Remember, your clients are your biggest asset and one happy client is all it takes to create a positive marketing momentum based on recommendations that cannot be stopped.

So there you have it, four ways in which you can use Pinterest to market your holiday rental. Have fun, and explore other marketing options based on your needs. Here’s to your success!

PS: these are my Pinterest Boards!

To put it shortly yield management in hotels is selling rooms and services at the right price, at the right time, to the right people. The trick is to decide when a room is likely to remain empty and then either package it up or slash the prices.

What we are offering today is certainly not a yield management system but it aims to help you easily set-up discounts for dates that you have recognised are worth slashing rates for. You can now find the following features in the “Discounts” tab in your owner account on Holiday Velvet:

• choose discount offer or last minute rate
• choose a fixed value discount or a % of the total
• decide when this discount applies
• and whether it is for all your properties or just one
• SOON: decide on the length of stay for the discount to be valid