In this episode of The Heads In Beds Show, Paul and Conrad cover all things Foundational Planning for a vacation rental management company to thrive and grow. 

We cover:

Strategy & Foundational Planning

 • Mission, Vision & Values statements

 • Company origin story

 • Unique Value Proposition (UVP) — guests & owners

 • Geographic focus / service‑territory map

 • Ideal guest personas

 • Ideal property‑owner personas

 • SMART business goals & high‑level KPIs

 • SWOT & competitive analysis report

 • Growth & expansion strategy + market‑entry playbook

 • Succession / leadership‑transition plan

 • Service scope & business‑model definition

 • Market‑research repository (demand, seasonality, ADR benchmarks)

⭐️ Links & Show Notes

• Paul Manzey 
• Conrad O'Connell
• Conrad's Book: Mastering Vacation Rental Marketing
• Conrad's Course: Mastering Vacation Rental Marketing 101

🔗 Connect With BuildUp Bookings

• Website
• Facebook Page
• Instagram

🚀 About BuildUp Bookings

BuildUp Bookings is a team of creative, problem solvers made to drive you more traffic, direct bookings and results for your accommodations brand. Reach out to us for help on search, social and email marketing for your vacation rental brand.

In this episode of The Heads In Beds Show, Paul and Conrad try something new: a grab bag show with news and notes from around the world of vacation rentals and all growth and the Vacasa - Casago merger. Like this style of episode? Let us know! 

⭐️ Links & Show Notes

• Paul Manzey 
• Conrad O'Connell
• Conrad's Book: Mastering Vacation Rental Marketing
• Conrad's Course: Mastering Vacation Rental Marketing 101

🔗 Connect With BuildUp Bookings

• Website
• Facebook Page
• Instagram

🚀 About BuildUp Bookings

BuildUp Bookings is a team of creative, problem solvers made to drive you more traffic, direct bookings and results for your accommodations brand. Reach out to us for help on search, social and email marketing for your vacation rental brand.

In this episode of The Heads In Beds Show, Paul and Conrad talk all things conversions: getting more bookings, driving more leads and reviewing your website to find the friction points that stop direct bookings from growing. 

⭐️ Links & Show Notes

• Paul Manzey 
• Conrad O'Connell
• Conrad's Book: Mastering Vacation Rental Marketing
• Conrad's Course: Mastering Vacation Rental Marketing 101

🔗 Connect With BuildUp Bookings

• Website
• Facebook Page
• Instagram

🚀 About BuildUp Bookings

BuildUp Bookings is a team of creative, problem solvers made to drive you more traffic, direct bookings and results for your accommodations brand. Reach out to us for help on search, social and email marketing for your vacation rental brand.

In this episode of The Heads In Beds Show, Paul and Conrad cover the concept of a marketing audit for vacation rental businesses, discussing what a good audit entails from both the consultant's and the client's perspectives. They explore quantitative (data-driven) and qualitative (opinion and goal-based) aspects of audits for attracting both guests and homeowners. They also touch upon the challenges of conducting free audits, the potential for bias when sales are involved, and the importance of an audit leading to actionable improvements for the business.

⭐️ Links & Show Notes

• Paul Manzey 
• Conrad O'Connell
• Conrad's LinkedIn Post
• Conrad's Book: Mastering Vacation Rental Marketing
• Conrad's Course: Mastering Vacation Rental Marketing 101

🔗 Connect With BuildUp Bookings

• Website
• Facebook Page
• Instagram

🚀 About BuildUp Bookings

BuildUp Bookings is a team of creative, problem solvers made to drive you more traffic, direct bookings and results for your accommodations brand. Reach out to us for help on search, social and email marketing for your vacation rental brand.

In this episode of The Heads In Beds Show (Part Two), Paul and Conrad dive into the early stages of the vacation rental guest journey — where interest is sparked and decisions begin to form. 

They explore how true inspiration often comes from unexpected, memorable experiences and how smart property managers can tap into that moment before a guest is even planning a trip. From the role of local tourism boards to leveraging blog content and “pattern interrupts,” they unpack why this top-of-funnel phase is often overlooked—and how to make your brand unforgettable.

As guests shift into research mode, the pressure’s on. The hosts break down what travelers are really looking for when comparing destinations and rentals—and why your website needs to stand toe-to-toe with the likes of Airbnb. If your site leaks trust, design, or information, you’ll lose them fast. Tune in to learn how to optimize your marketing for these make-or-break early stages and build demand that puts your properties in high demand (waitlist, anyone?).

⭐️ Links & Show Notes

• Paul Manzey 
• Conrad O'Connell
• Conrad's LinkedIn Post
• Conrad's Book: Mastering Vacation Rental Marketing
• Conrad's Course: Mastering Vacation Rental Marketing 101
• Part One Of This Series

🔗 Connect With BuildUp Bookings

• Website
• Facebook Page
• Instagram

🚀 About BuildUp Bookings

BuildUp Bookings is a team of creative, problem solvers made to drive you more traffic, direct bookings and results for your accommodations brand. Reach out to us for help on search, social and email marketing for your vacation rental brand.

In this episode of The Heads In Beds Show, Paul and Conrad break down the difference between a Content Creator vs an Influencer and how BOTH can lead to success when installed into your vacation rental social media marketing plan. Enjoy!

⭐️ Links & Show Notes

• Paul Manzey 
• Conrad O'Connell
• Conrad's Book: Mastering Vacation Rental Marketing
• Conrad's Course: Mastering Vacation Rental Marketing 101

🔗 Connect With BuildUp Bookings

• Website
• Facebook Page
• Instagram

🚀 About BuildUp Bookings

BuildUp Bookings is a team of creative, problem solvers made to drive you more traffic, direct bookings and results for your accommodations brand. Reach out to us for help on search, social and email marketing for your vacation rental brand.

In this episode of The Heads In Beds Show, Paul and Conrad talk all things prompts, AI, how to get the best output for various marketing tasks and a LOT more...

⭐️ Links & Show Notes

• Paul Manzey 
• Conrad O'Connell
• Anthropic Prompt Generation Tool
• Conrad's Book: Mastering Vacation Rental Marketing
• Conrad's Course: Mastering Vacation Rental Marketing 101

🔗 Connect With BuildUp Bookings

• Website
• Facebook Page
• Instagram

🚀 About BuildUp Bookings

BuildUp Bookings is a team of creative, problem solvers made to drive you more traffic, direct bookings and results for your accommodations brand. Reach out to us for help on search, social and email marketing for your vacation rental brand.

In this episode of The Heads In Beds Show, Paul and Conrad dive into the early stages of the vacation rental guest journey — where interest is sparked and decisions begin to form. 

They explore how true inspiration often comes from unexpected, memorable experiences and how smart property managers can tap into that moment before a guest is even planning a trip. From the role of local tourism boards to leveraging blog content and “pattern interrupts,” they unpack why this top-of-funnel phase is often overlooked—and how to make your brand unforgettable.

As guests shift into research mode, the pressure’s on. The hosts break down what travelers are really looking for when comparing destinations and rentals—and why your website needs to stand toe-to-toe with the likes of Airbnb. If your site leaks trust, design, or information, you’ll lose them fast. Tune in to learn how to optimize your marketing for these make-or-break early stages and build demand that puts your properties in high demand (waitlist, anyone?).

⭐️ Links & Show Notes

• Paul Manzey 
• Conrad O'Connell
• Conrad's LinkedIn Post
• Conrad's Book: Mastering Vacation Rental Marketing
• Conrad's Course: Mastering Vacation Rental Marketing 101

🔗 Connect With BuildUp Bookings

• Website
• Facebook Page
• Instagram

🚀 About BuildUp Bookings

BuildUp Bookings is a team of creative, problem solvers made to drive you more traffic, direct bookings and results for your accommodations brand. Reach out to us for help on search, social and email marketing for your vacation rental brand.

In this episode of The Heads In Beds Show, Paul and Conrad discuss the crucial role of online reviews in the vacation rental business. 

They dive into which platforms deserve your focus, highlighting the importance of Google reviews for brand search, trust, and SEO. Discover why you should prioritize one review platform at a time for better results and the power of personalized review requests over automated ones.

The hosts share valuable insights on handling both positive and negative feedback, emphasizing the dos and don'ts of responding professionally and promptly without getting defensive. Learn when to take conversations offline and why generic responses are a no-go.

Paul and Conrad also touch on the significance of review velocity, understanding the different standards of review platforms like Airbnb and Verbbo, and when it might be worth claiming listings on niche sites like Yelp. 

Finally, they explore the dual impact of reviews on attracting both guests and homeowners and offer a unique tip on how to potentially boost review numbers. Tune in to master your online reputation and turn reviews into a powerful asset for your vacation rental business!

⭐️ Links & Show Notes

• Paul Manzey 
• Conrad O'Connell
• Conrad's Book: Mastering Vacation Rental Marketing
• Conrad's Course: Mastering Vacation Rental Marketing 101

🔗 Connect With BuildUp Bookings

• Website
• Facebook Page
• Instagram

🚀 About BuildUp Bookings

BuildUp Bookings is a team of creative, problem solvers made to drive you more traffic, direct bookings and results for your accommodations brand. Reach out to us for help on search, social and email marketing for your vacation rental brand.

In this episode, Paul and Conrad cover the unfolding situation surrounding the potential acquisition of Vacasa, discussing the initial bid by Casago and the subsequent unsolicited bid from Davidson Kempner Capital Management. They delve into the potential motivations behind these moves and the broader implications for the vacation rental industry. Paul and Conrad share their speculative insights on how they would approach the Vacasa situation if they were advisors.

Enjoy!

⭐️ Links & Show Notes

• Paul Manzey 
• Conrad O'Connell
• Conrad's Book: Mastering Vacation Rental Marketing
• Conrad's Course: Mastering Vacation Rental Marketing 101

🔗 Connect With BuildUp Bookings

• Website
• Facebook Page
• Instagram

🚀 About BuildUp Bookings

BuildUp Bookings is a team of creative, problem solvers made to drive you more traffic, direct bookings and results for your accommodations brand. Reach out to us for help on search, social and email marketing for your vacation rental brand.