Strategies for Spring - 2022 Edition
For many of you, this may be your first "spring" with a rental home in the Poconos, but as February rolls into March we certain enter the "mud season", but what you need to know is demand take a dip.
- Mountains are closed / it's too warm to go skiing
- Lakes are closed / it's too cold to go swimming
- Muddy / not great hiking weather
- Kids are still on school / adults are working
- No major holidays that drive vacation traffic
That's not to say we're hopeless though! While market demand is a major factor when it comes to bookings, there is still a lot we can do to help manufacture demand. In other words, what we're trying to accomplish is catch the attention of the fewer people who are looking to get away. And here's how we will approach it!
- Nightly Pricing - this is a big lever we can pull. With the help of PriceLabs, we update our pricing nightly and we check/update this pricing weekly.
- Updating Headlines - "Available this Weekend!" We will update headlines to help capture more attention
- Updating Cover Photos - People are no longer looking for the winter/snowy photos and instead looking for warmer photos.
- Relaxed Cancellation Policies - We typically have a "firm" cancellation policy but my moving this to "moderate" it will help our listings not only rank better but also help secure bookings from guests who are on-the-fence
- Email Marketing - We keep a list of renters who gave us 5-stars that have expressed an interest in repeat stays. We have the opportunity to reach out to them again (with discounts) to help entice them to stay again
- Airbnb Merchandising - This is a discounting feature in Airbnb that allows for your listing to be featured in Airbnb callouts and marketing blasts.
As we approach Memorial Day, demand will slowly but consistently rise and you can come to expect more bookings + more revenue as time progresses. This tends to be the appropriate season to complete home projects and enjoy the home yourselves! In the meantime, we will continue to optimize your listing earn you the very most we can in this time.