Are you struggling to grow your direct bookings and feeling completely lost in the marketing maze?

Sarah Orchard emphasises the importance of having a clear marketing strategy as the essential link between your business goals and your marketing activities. Without a defined strategy, many business owners find themselves engaging in random marketing efforts that fail to yield the desired direct booking results.

In this episode, Sarah breaks down the difference between a marketing strategy and a marketing action plan, providing insights on how to align your marketing efforts with your overall business objectives.

She also shares valuable statistics highlighting the common lack of planning among small to medium-sized businesses, urging listeners to take proactive steps towards creating a more structured approach to their marketing.

Tune in to discover practical tips and a simplified framework that can help you effectively attract and convert your ideal guests.

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Key Takeaways:

• Having a clear marketing strategy is essential for achieving your business goals effectively.
• A goal without a plan is just a wish, emphasising the need for a marketing plan.
• Understanding your ideal guests is vital to successfully attract and convert them.
• Aligning all 3 elements of your business plan, marketing strategy and marketing action plan is crucial for effective action.
• Marketing should create a bridge between what you offer and those who need it.
• Creating a marketing action plan involves knowing what marketing will work best to reach your ideal guests.

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Connect with Sarah:

Website

Instagram

LinkedIn

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Are you ready to take more direct bookings?

Take Sarah's FREE quiz here to find out how ready you are with your marketing to ditch the likes of Airbnb! Put your business to the test...

Do you know the difference between your business brand and your branding?

In this podcast episode, Claire Robinson from Weekend Candy joins host Sarah Orchard to discuss the often misunderstood concept of a branded guest experience.

We explore how many hospitality businesses fall into the easy trap of using clichéd messaging that fails to resonate with their ideal guests, showing why it is so important to know your audience and what truly sets your guest experience apart.

Claire shares insights on using storytelling as a framework to clarify your brand identity to attract your ideal guests. This conversation highlights the importance of intentional marketing and the need to continuously experiment with messaging while maintaining a consistent brand voice.

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Key Takeaways:

• Understanding the difference between brand and branding is essential for a effective marketing strategy.
• A cohesive branded guest experience enhances customer satisfaction from discovery and booking, right through to arrival.
• Developing a 'brand story' helps businesses connect more deeply with their ideal guests.
• Experimenting with messaging can uncover what resonates best with your ideal guest.
• Creating distinct messaging avoids clichés and increases the chances of standing out in an ever more crowded short term rental market.

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Find out more about Weekend Candy:

Weekend Candy website

Follow on Instagram

Follow on TikTok

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Connect with Sarah:

Website

Instagram

LinkedIn

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Are you ready to take more direct bookings?

Take Sarah's FREE quiz here to find out how ready you are with your marketing to ditch the likes of Airbnb! Put your business to the test...

Are you struggling with marketing your STR hospitality business? This episode of the Get Fully Booked podcast explores the common discomfort many STR hosts and property owners feel towards marketing their business and offers insights on how to embrace it.

Sarah shares her extensive experience in marketing and hospitality, emphasising that promoting your business is essential for growth and success. She encourages listeners to reframe their perception of marketing, viewing it as a way to connect with potential guests rather than something pushy or braggy. By sharing personal anecdotes and practical advice, Sarah aims to empower hosts to take control of their marketing efforts, ultimately leading to more direct bookings and greater profitability.

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Key Takeaways:

• Marketing is essential for STR hospitality businesses to reach more potential guests and grow your profit.
• Many STR hosts and property managers feel uncomfortable with marketing, but reframing it can change perceptions.
• Using online agents can help initially, but direct bookings significantly increase your profit margins.
• Comparison with other businesses can lead to fear and judgment, impacting your marketing confidence.
• Embracing our mistakes and learning from them is crucial for effective marketing in small businesses.
• Engaging with a community of fellow STR hospitality hosts can provide support and encouragement in our marketing efforts.

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Connect with Sarah:

Website

Instagram

LinkedIn

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Are you ready to take more direct bookings?

Take Sarah's FREE quiz here to find out how ready you are with your marketing to ditch the likes of Airbnb! Put your business to the test...

Consistency in marketing is the cornerstone of achieving success and increasing direct bookings for your STR holiday business.

Sarah Orchard emphasises that the key to standing out isn't necessarily having a flashy website or a large social media following, but rather committing to regular marketing efforts. Drawing from her extensive experience in both corporate and small business settings, she shares insights on overcoming common challenges such as procrastination and the tendency to prioritise immediate operational tasks over your marketing.

Sarah shares tips to overcome this - from implementing time-blocking strategies and dedicating specific periods for marketing activities, you can create a sustainable marketing workflow that leads to measurable results over time.

This episode offers practical advice on maintaining focus and accountability in your marketing efforts, ensuring that you don’t fall into the feast-or-famine cycle of bookings.

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Key Takeaways:

• Consistency in marketing is crucial to achieving better results and increasing direct bookings.
• Marketing requires proactive effort; without it, even the best STR properties may go unnoticed.
• Time blocking for marketing tasks helps create accountability and reduces last-minute panic.
• STR owners and property managers must prioritise marketing just as they do with guest communications.
• Implementing small, regular marketing activities can lead to significant cumulative benefits over time.
• Avoid procrastination by scheduling dedicated time for marketing tasks to ensure they get done and not skipped!

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Connect with Sarah:

Website

Instagram

LinkedIn

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Are you ready to take more direct bookings?

Take Sarah's FREE quiz here to find out how ready you are with your marketing to ditch the likes of Airbnb! Put your business to the test...

This podcast episode features guest host Lorraine Robinson from The Roost Luxury Cabins, who shares her journey through various hospitality businesses, from running a busy campsite and traditional holiday cottages (STRs), to establishing award-winning luxury glamping cabins in the Forest of Dean, UK.

Lorraine discusses the significant differences in marketing strategies across these different STR hospitality businesses, and emphasises the importance of adapting to changing market dynamics, especially with the rise of social media.

A key marketing takeaway is her insight on leveraging direct bookings, where she has successfully achieved a remarkable 96% direct booking rate for her luxury eco-glamping cabins. She also highlights the challenges and opportunities presented by platforms like Airbnb, suggesting that while they can be useful for filling last-minute gaps, maintaining direct relationships with guests is crucial for long-term success.

Lorraine encourages fellow hosts to authentically engage with their audience, using social media to share genuine experiences and behind-the-scenes from their businesses.

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Key Takeaways:

• Building direct bookings can significantly increase profits compared to relying on OTAs, like Airbnb.
• Utilising social media effectively, especially Instagram, can help promote your unique guest experience.
• Creating engaging content that showcases the business owner and people behind the brand can attract more guests.
• Using email marketing campaigns strategically can lead to increased bookings and customer retention.
• Understanding the demographics of your guests can help tailor your marketing efforts.
• Emphasising genuine experiences and behind-the-scenes content can resonate more with potential customers.

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Take a look at Lorraine's two STR businesses in the Forest of Dean, UK - The Roost Luxury Cabins and The Old Dairy Holiday Cottages

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Connect with Sarah:

Website

Instagram

LinkedIn

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Are you ready to take more direct bookings?

Take Sarah's FREE quiz here to find out how ready you are with your marketing to ditch the likes of Airbnb! Put your business to the test...

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:

• Understanding your ideal guest is fundamental to effective marketing and driving direct bookings.
• Investing in a professional website is crucial for long-term success with your marketing.
• Control over your marketing assets, like your website, is essential for business independence and control.
• Collecting email addresses from day one can significantly boost your direct bookings in the future.
• Don't rely solely on social media - explore other avenues for reaching your potential guests.
• Narrowing your target audience can improve the effectiveness of your marketing efforts.

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Connect with Sarah:

Website

Instagram

LinkedIn

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Are you ready to take more direct bookings?

Take Sarah's FREE quiz here to find out how ready you are with your marketing to ditch the likes of Airbnb! 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:

• Effective marketing requires knowing your target audience / ideal guests and what appeals to them.
• Adapting your guest experience to cater to different guest profiles can enhance satisfaction levels.
• Listening to guest feedback helps refine your marketing strategies and improve the guest experience.
• Offering tailored information on your website can attract various types of guests more effectively.

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Take a look around Lindsey's beautiful independent hotel - Cleeve Hill Hotel

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Connect with Sarah:

Website

Instagram

LinkedIn

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Are you ready to take more direct bookings?

Take Sarah's FREE quiz here to find out how ready you are with your marketing to ditch the likes of Airbnb! 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:

• Email marketing is significantly more effective than social media for driving direct bookings.
• Capturing guest emails should be integrated throughout the entire guest journey process.
• Creative incentives can encourage guests to provide their email addresses during their stay.
• Using gated Wi-Fi can help capture multiple email addresses from group bookings effectively.
• Regularly engage with your email list to keep your accommodation top of mind for guests.
• Offer valuable content and unique incentives to make your email sign-up irresistible.

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Connect with Sarah:

Website

Instagram

LinkedIn

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Are you ready to take more direct bookings?

Take Sarah's FREE quiz here to find out how ready you are with your marketing to ditch the likes of Airbnb! 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:

• Google Ads target users already ready to purchase, while Meta Ads focus on brand awareness and discovery.
• Your website must effectively convert traffic from paid ads into actual bookings to succeed.
• Meta Ads allow for precise targeting based on user interests and demographics, unlike Google.
• A minimum budget of £500 per month is often necessary for effective Google Ads campaigns.
• Meta Ads can start with a budget as low as £50, making them far more accessible.
• Understanding your ideal guest is crucial for effective advertising on social media platforms.

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Connect with Sarah:

Website

Instagram

LinkedIn

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Are you ready to take more direct bookings?

Take Sarah's FREE quiz here to find out how ready you are with your marketing to ditch the likes of Airbnb! 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:

• Wendy's journey as an accidental host highlights the importance of adapting to market demands.
• Identifying and targeting your ideal guest is crucial for successful marketing strategies.
• Ditching social media in favor of SEO and Google searches can lead to more direct bookings.
• Personalizing guest interactions fosters loyalty and encourages repeat business for hosts.
• Engaging in blogging significantly enhances your website's SEO and visibility on Google.
• Using tools like ChatGPT can help generate blog ideas and improve writing efficiency.

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Find our more about Hall Cottage Baslow:

Hall Cottage Baslow Website

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Connect with Sarah:

Website

Instagram

LinkedIn

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Are you ready to take more direct bookings?

Take Sarah's FREE quiz here to find out how ready you are with your marketing to ditch the likes of Airbnb! Put your business to the test...