By Sarah Orchard
The podcast currently has 8 episodes available.
Are you ready to take back control of your business and increase your direct bookings?
Join Sarah Orchard in this solo episode, where she looks at the importance of understanding your ideal guest as the foundational step in an effective marketing strategy. She argues that without this knowledge, your marketing efforts will likely miss the target, leading to wasted resources - time and money! This step is so often skipped over, resulting in your marketing to miss the mark.
Sarah also shares insights from her own experience, highlighting the critical role of a search engine optimised website plays in attracting guests and generating bookings. By focusing on building your own marketing machine, including email list building and Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) strategies, you can significantly reduce your reliance on online travel agents (OTAs, like Airbnb) and increase your profitability.
Tune in for practical tips that can transform your approach to direct bookings and empower you to take charge of your business's financial success.
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Key Takeaways:
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Connect with Sarah:
Website
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Are you ready to take more direct bookings?
Take Sarah's FREE quiz here to put your business to the test!
Lindsey Holland, owner of Cleve Hill Hotel, shares her journey from working in hotel group hospitality to owning her very own independent hotel, near Cheltenham on the Cotswold Way, and the unique challenges she faces in attracting a diverse range of guests.
With eight distinct ideal guest profiles, Lindsey emphasises the importance of understanding her clientele to refine both her marketing strategies and guest experiences.
The conversation dives into how guest expectations have evolved, particularly in light of recent trends and post Covid, and how Lindsey has adapted her offering to meet these needs. She highlights the significance of location, local events, and the unique character of her hotel in attracting guests year-round.
By actively engaging with her guests and gathering insights, Lindsey has transformed her approach to marketing and hotel renovations, ensuring that her hotel not only meets but exceeds her eight guest profile types and their expectations.
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Key Takeaways:
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Take a look around Lindsey's beautiful independent hotel - Cleeve Hill Hotel
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Connect with Sarah:
Website
...
Are you ready to take more direct bookings?
Take Sarah's FREE quiz here to put your business to the test!
Are you struggling to capture guest emails as the OTA (online booking agents) that you use keeps a firm hold on this! They do this to stop you from growing your direct bookings.
Sarah dives into effective email marketing strategies to help STR and hospitality businesses move away from reliance on online travel agents, like Airbnb and Booking.com.
With over 20 years of experience in email marketing, Sarah emphasises the importance of building your own email list, as it offers a significantly better return on investment compared to social media. She shares actionable techniques to try to for capture email addresses throughout the guest journey, from the booking process to post-stay follow-ups. Whether through engaging sign-up forms or creative incentives, this episode is packed with insights to help you enhance your email marketing efforts and increase your direct bookings.
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Key Takeaways:
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Connect with Sarah:
Website
...
Are you ready to take more direct bookings?
Take Sarah's FREE quiz here to put your business to the test!
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Gated Wi-Fi providers:
StayFi (affiliate link)
BeamBox
BnB Amplify
STR Wifi
The Access Group
Are you eager to boost your direct bookings and reduce your dependency on online agents? This episode delves into the crucial differences between Google and Meta (Facebook) Ads, helping you determine which paid advertising option is best for your short term rental (STR) hospitality business.
Sarah shares insights on how each platform operates, highlighting that while Google Ads targets users who are ready to purchase, Meta ads can help you reach potential guests in a more engaging manner.
With practical advertising budget recommendations, Sarah explains that you can start with as little as £50 for Meta ads, making them accessible for many businesses.
Tune in to discover effective ad strategies that can significantly enhance your visibility and ultimately drive more direct bookings.
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Key Takeaways:
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Connect with Sarah:
Website
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Are you ready to take more direct bookings?
Take Sarah's FREE quiz here to put your business to the test!
In this episode, host Sarah is joined by guest host Wendy Bates to share her inspiring story as a holiday cottage owner in the Peak District in the UK. Initially an accidental host, Wendy recounts how her journey began with a desire to have a getaway in the scenic area, leading to the realisation that they could actually earn income by renting out their dream cottage.
They discuss Wendy's challenges in managing direct bookings and her eventual pivot from relying heavily on platforms like Airbnb to embracing a more hands-on approach to marketing. This shift not only increased her profitability but also allowed her to connect more deeply with her ideal guests, who often prefer searching for accommodations via Google rather than social media.
They explore the strategies Wendy implemented after attending Sarah's marketing bootcamp programme and becoming crystal clear on her ideal guest profile. By focusing on SEO and blogging, Wendy managed to craft content that resonated with that ideal guest, which in turn elevated her visibility on search engines.
This conversation emphasises the value of building personal connections with guests and the effectiveness of repeat bookings, offering listeners actionable insights to enhance their own direct booking marketing strategies.
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Key Takeaways:
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Find our more about Hall Cottage Baslow:
Hall Cottage Baslow Website
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Connect with Sarah:
Website
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Are you ready to take more direct bookings?
Take Sarah's FREE quiz here to put your business to the test!
In this episode, host Sarah Orchard dives into the often-misunderstood world of marketing, particularly within the short term rental (STR) and hospitality business sector.
She explores the negative reputation marketing has garnered over time, emphasising the importance of permission-based and relevant marketing strategies that respect the audience's needs.
Sarah highlights how effective marketing is not just about pushing your services but about bridging the gap between what businesses offer and what potential customers are seeking.
By reframing marketing as a tool for visibility and connection, Sarah encourages listeners to recognize that good marketing can lead to increased direct bookings and profits, ultimately defining the success of their business.
The episode wraps up with actionable insights and the importance of aligning marketing efforts with business goals, proving that marketing is an essential and positive force in achieving business growth.
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Key Takeaways:
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Connect with Sarah:
Website
...
Are you ready to take more direct bookings?
Take Sarah's FREE quiz here to put your business to the test!
Get Fully Booked is the brand new podcast launching on Monday 21st October.
If you're an Airbnb host, holiday cottage or glampsite owner who are ready to master your marketing so you can ditch your reliance on online agents and grow direct bookings, then Get Fully Booked is your go-to podcast.
Your host Sarah Orchard, an award-winning marketing strategist, #1 Amazon best-selling author, and fellow host; will share with you exactly what it takes to grow your direct bookings and the simple marketing steps to get more profit in your pocket!
Throughout this podcast, she shares her proven marketing strategies and interviews fellow hosts to find out what has worked for them and how they have achieved more direct bookings.
Get Fully Booked is the brand new podcast launching on Monday 21st October.
If you're an Airbnb host, holiday cottage or glampsite owner who are ready to master your marketing so you can ditch your reliance on online agents and grow direct bookings, then Get Fully Booked is your go-to podcast.
Your host Sarah Orchard, an award-winning marketing strategist, #1 Amazon best-selling author, and fellow host; will share with you exactly what it takes to grow your direct bookings and the simple marketing steps to get more profit in your pocket!
Throughout this podcast, she shares her proven marketing strategies and interviews fellow hosts to find out what has worked for them and how they have achieved more direct bookings.
The podcast currently has 8 episodes available.