On this episode, we have Tara Bergstrom. She’s a short-term host in multiple markets and has leveraged social media and a 5-star experience to gain more direct bookings. Podcast Summary In this podcast episode, the key takeaway is to approach new endeavors with confidence, even amidst uncertainty. Emphasizing an open mindset and belief in one’s ability to adapt and learn proves pivotal. Furthermore, the importance of prioritizing guest satisfaction is highlighted, stressing the significance of small gestures that enhance the overall experience. From providing essential amenities to setting clear expectations, attention to detail is paramount in fostering positive guest interactions. Moreover, leveraging social media emerges as a potent tool for driving direct bookings. By dedicating resources to content creation and engagement across platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, hosts can effectively reach potential guests. Additionally, the episode underscores the value of direct bookings in reducing anxiety, despite the complexities associated with integrating messaging systems. Lastly, maintaining high standards through proactive measures, such as incentivizing cleaning crews and conducting regular inspections, ensures continued success in the hospitality industry. Essential Highlights The overarching advice by Tara is to have confidence you can figure it out, provide a thoughtful guest experience, leverage social media strategically, and don’t be afraid to pursue direct bookings even while also using platforms like Airbnb. An open, guest-focused mindset is key. Follow Tara on instagram @tarambergstrom Transcription I’d say confidence, um, and not the cocky confidence where you’re like, I know everything. I think the confidence that I can do this, because once you finally take that leap and you do do it and you figure things out along the way, cause I mean, I have no idea what I was doing. I still don’t know what I was doing. I still don’t know what I’m doing. That’s how I feel at least, but I’m confident that I can figure it out and typically I usually do. So I think having, I’m That mindset of being open and being confident that you can do it is huge. And that’s, what’s going to help you succeed.  Hey folks, welcome back to direct booking simplified, where we break down the strategies and tactics to win in direct bookings. On today’s show, we have Tara Burstorm. She’s a short term rental host in a market that I’m very familiar with, the Smoky Mountains, and is going to walk us through how she leverages social media to get more direct bookings. So let’s bring her in. Hey Tara. Hi. Welcome to the show. Thanks for having me. I’m really excited to be here. I’m, I’m very excited to have you here. Uh, you are one of the few guests that is not only a guest of mine. You could even consider yourself a competitor since you’re in the same market that I am.  I haven’t had many, uh, smokies folks in there, even though I know a lot of smoky hosts as well too. Yeah. Yeah. How, how are your cabins doing right now? It depends on what cabin you’re talking about here, because, uh, I have two small ones, um, that like killed it April, May,  and then I have a bigger one that was just, it was sleepy for April, May. Um, but I did some work on the back end ahead of time and I was able to get most of that booked for the summer. So, um, it’s kind of flip flopping. So yeah. What’s your, what’s your booking window look like on both the smaller one and your bigger one? So the smaller ones are usually around like six weeks out. I try to have those.  Yeah. Um, the bigger one, more like eight to 12. I try just, I think bigger groups playing ahead of time, you know? Yeah. But these days I’m seeing more and more last minute bookings, like Memorial Day just booked last night. So for the big one, actually all of them, I think, uh, two small one and big one books last night. And then I had a booking today for Memorial day weekend. I’m finding the same thing. So I have a similar portfolio as you do. I have one bigger, one, one four bedroom, um, I guess I, I actually consider it more of a medium, like all bedrooms out there. So I would say large, then I have a medium size, um, four bedroom and now on last year, we had a booking window of like 45, 60 days. And now we’re probably looking at 20 something days, which gets me a little bit scared. Um, because then like, that’s in the cusp of where I start to decrease my price and try to aim for that occupancy. So like, I’m learning. Right now the open dates I have is much lower than what I charged last year for the same period. Um, but then my one bedroom is doing extremely well. Like I’m completely like, I think may we were 97 percent occupancy. We had like one or two days free. Um, yeah. And April, we did really well too. June coming up, we’re doing really well. And then it starts to teeter off like towards like, Mid mid after like 4th of July. They’re like, there’s like very little bookings. And I’m already starting to work on September, August, late August now, because I feel like it’s going to be like April, May this year. So I’m like trying, trying to get those booked up slowly, but surely. What are some of the things that you optimize for? Is it mainly like revenue management, like on the pricing side, or are you doing other things as well too? Um, mainly revenue management. Yeah. Yeah. I feel like with Airbnb or mainly the OTAs, that’s like the one lever you really can pull. Like there’s not much you can do. You can do something like the flip your pictures around, update your content. But I find

On this episode, we have Stephanie Figueros. She’s a short term rental operator, a public speaker, founder of Bravo VA, and the host of the STR Nation Facebook group and conference. She walks us through her entrepreneurial journey from being a nurse to having multiple starting multiple businesses. She also shares some simple tactics she uses to win direct bookings. Podcast Summary Stephanie’s career trajectory reflects a remarkable evolution from nursing to real estate investment, entrepreneurship, and remote workforce management. Her journey began with a shift from nursing to real estate, driven by a desire for greater autonomy and fulfillment. Inspired by YouTube videos, she ventured into short-term rentals, ultimately establishing her own real estate portfolio across multiple states. Recently, she transitioned to working as a full-time real estate agent specializing in short-term rentals, demonstrating her commitment to this niche market. In addition to her real estate ventures, Stephanie founded Bravo Virtual Assistance, a Philippines-based agency providing virtual assistants tailored for the real estate and short-term rental sectors. She emphasizes the importance of coaching both VAs and clients on effective leadership, focusing on providing context for tasks rather than just instructions. Through her agency, Stephanie aims to empower VAs as integral team members, fostering their growth and autonomy over time. Stephanie’s approach to leadership and team-building offers valuable insights for remote workforce management. By prioritizing compatibility between clients and VAs and emphasizing empowerment, she creates a dynamic environment where VAs can thrive. Her story highlights the potential for combining diverse experiences to create innovative business models, suggesting avenues for further exploration, such as writing or podcasting, to share her expertise with a wider audience. Essential Highlights Stephanie has had a fascinating career journey going from being a nurse to becoming a real estate investor, short-term rental host, entrepreneur, real estate agent focused on short-term rentals, and founder of a virtual assistant (VA) agency called Bravo Virtual Assistance. Here are a few key points: Stephanie seems to have leveraged her diverse experiences to carve out a unique niche combining short-term rentals, real estate, and remote workforce management. STR Nation ( Use code STEPHANIE ) Follow Steph on instagram @stephaniefigueros Transcription  Like, the truth is that, um, your team member, whoever they are, whether it’s in person, virtual, they’re only going to take 80 percent off of your plate, realistically. They’ll never take 100 percent because there’s still that 20 percent that requires you to actually manage and, you know, be a supportive role. And that’s kind of how it progresses. In the beginning, you are the teacher, you are the trainer, you are the manager. And eventually when they get a little bit more autonomy and confidence and you’re empowering them, you’re becoming more of like a support for them, but they’re the ones that have to be responsible for a certain task. Otherwise, if something doesn’t go well, uh, they’re the ones having to kind of fix it, not you.  So that’s just like, kind of like the progress and then it makes them better because, um, That pride in your work type of thing that you want your team members to have separate from you.  Folks, welcome back to direct booking simplified. We break down the tactics and strategies to win in direct bookings. Today we have Stephanie for girls. She’s a STR host herself. She’s a real estate agent. She has an eight VA agency to help hosts scale their portfolio. And she’s this public speaker. On today’s podcast, she’ll walk through her entire journey of how she got to where she is today and some tips on how to do in more direct bookings. So let’s bring her in. Hey Steph, welcome to the show.  Thanks for having me, Miguel.  Yeah, it’s really good. It’s really good to have you on the show. I, we’d spent so many phone conversations more recently. I was like, ah, it’s really good to have you on.   Thanks for Nick. I’m happy to be here. Like I love everything that you’re doing. So I’m really, really excited. Oh  my God. And I’m, I bet you it was hard to, to even find time from, from, from your busy day, given like all the things that you’re swimming in right now.  Ah, yes. But anything for you, Gail. So,   well, why don’t we start off with a kind of an intro on kind of who you are and all the things that Stephanie does.  Sure. So, um, I’m a former registered nurse. It’s actually something I don’t talk about that often anymore. Um, but turned into real estate investor, um, short term rental host, um, entrepreneur now, um, short term rental agent, uh, business owner, and  I’m also public speaker, so, um, I have properties in California, Texas, Tennessee, and Florida, primarily in the short term rental space. And, um, I, it’s been, it’s been a very, very awesome. Crazy nonlinear road to get to where we are now. So  I can’t imagine a linear road for that type of, you have a portfolio of a life.   No kidding. And it’s crazy. Cause we’re, we’re doing a lot of, um, changes actually in our portfolio, uh, me and my partners. So it’s like, there’s a lot of new and exciting things to come. Oh my gosh. Yeah. I forgot that you, you actually, you were a nurse not that long ago. It feels like maybe, maybe less than five years, right?  Yeah. Yeah. Um, it’s, uh, I’m technically still licensed. I actually just renewed my license in December, but I don’t practice anymore, but I’m going to keep it pretty much forever just, just because I did that. So, um, truly this is like a second career for me and everything I’ve ever learned about life and business is, gets translated through nursing first in my brain, then to real estate and business. So  that’s interesting. What was it?  Tell me the kind of origin story. How did you get started

On this episode, we have Candice from Boho A-frame. She’s a short-term rental host with a unique a-frame along the California coast. She walks through how she’s grown her social media following and why, even though she has 95% occupancy before direct bookings, she still invests heavily in marketing her own bookings. Podcast Summary In our conversation with Candice, we delved into the intricacies of working with influencers, cultivating a robust social media presence, and fostering direct bookings. A crucial point emphasized was the importance of thorough vetting when selecting influencers. Beyond just follower count, it’s imperative to scrutinize factors like engagement rates, follower demographics, and their track record in driving bookings for other hosts. Furthermore, we explored the diverse array of platforms available for property marketing, spanning Instagram, Pinterest, and even Facebook groups. The key lies in understanding the guest’s journey and strategically positioning oneself where they are most likely to discover the property. Leveraging opportunities such as getting reposted by travel accounts, networking locally, and investing in high-quality visuals emerged as effective strategies for organic audience growth. Direct bookings emerged as a cornerstone of sustainable hosting, offering independence from OTA reliance. Establishing a personalized website and booking engine is essential for this endeavor. However, beyond the transactional aspect, our discussion underscored the significance of delivering exceptional guest experiences. From thoughtful amenities to curated local recommendations, going the extra mile is pivotal in fostering guest loyalty. Finally, the conversation highlighted the value of experimentation and continual learning, urging hosts to remain open-minded and receptive to evolving marketing tactics within the dynamic landscape of hospitality. Essential Highlights Here are a few key takeaways from the podcast episode with Candice about working with influencers, growing a social media following, and pursuing direct bookings: The main takeaway is to take a multi-pronged approach to marketing, carefully vet influencer partnerships for ROI, and prioritize direct bookings while delivering an exceptional guest experience. An open, learning mindset is key. Follow Candice on instagram @boho_aframe Transcription Another thing I do to vet influencers is I always go to their page and I look at the posts they’ve shared and I see who they’ve worked with and I go to that person’s  social media page or it’s a hotel. I’ll find who the email, whatever.  I’ll be like, hi, I’m looking at working with this person. Would you mind letting me know what your experience was working with them? Did it bring you bookings? I specifically asked, did it bring you because  so often the answer is.  Um, not really bookings. We did get more views and we did, um, get a lot of followers from it, but we didn’t really get very many bookings. And so for me, if I’m paying an influencer trading, whatever you guys have come to an agreement on, if I’m paying them, say, I don’t know, a thousand dollars to work with them and I don’t get a single booking from that, what did I gain? You know? So it’s like, cool. Okay. I got followers, but that doesn’t make me money. At the end of the day, followers don’t make me money. Bookings make me money.  Back  to direct booking simplified. We break down the tactics and strategies to win in direct bookings. On today’s show, we have Candice from Boho A Frame. She has an A Frame cabin in Big Sur, California, not a place that you’ll typically find an A Frame, but she has done extremely well. She’s built up a social following and has locked in really high occupancy rates. On today’s show, she’ll break down how she’s built her social media following using different platforms, how she works with influencers and why direct booking is so important to her. So let’s bring her in. Hey, Candice.  Hello.   Welcome. Welcome to the show.  Thank you for having me.  Yeah, it was good. It was good to meet you. I think I found you because I think Either I followed you or you followed me, uh, and I started to see all the content that you were producing. I was like, I need to have this person on the show.  Nice.  Before we get too deep into it. Do you mind giving folks a idea of kind of who you are?  Yeah. I’m Candice. I run a short term rental on the central coast of California. Um, I have a background in science. I got my bachelor’s degree in kinesiology and I worked in emergency medicine for quite a while and got injured in that realm and it like diverted me and I got to start hosting, which was like my passion. I loved traveling to a bunch of, Vacation rentals. My husband and I would try and do like three countries a year back then. We don’t anymore with kids, but, uh,  but yeah, so it was like, I didn’t like choose this path, but I ended up here and I really like it. And it, it was a cool transition to something that I was passionate about in my personal life. And now I get to facilitate guest having experiences like the ones that I used to enjoy when I traveled. So that’s been fun.  Nice. And you have one of the, my favorite structures in of all, which is like the a frame, um,  my wife and I, we, we want to, we go to Tahoe every so often, every so, every so often, maybe like every one out of 20 houses, it’s an a frame with. It’s not very common over there. I  have to send you a few Tahoe rentals that I love that are,  yep. Oh my God. I would love to stay. I would love to stay at more a frames. Um,  um, actually what, like, what is it like? To own a short term rental in California.   Yeah, I mean, it’s got its pros and cons. I’m sure like any place, uh, the area I’m located is definitely,

On this episode we have Zoey Berghoff. She’s most known for creating unique stays. She started her portfolio with a yurt and is now working on a 1950’s cabin restoration. She walks us through her journey and learnings on how to approach unique stays and new land development. She also touches on how she’s built a community of folks who want to book directly. Podcast Summary Zoey’s discussion on unique stays and portfolio building was truly captivating, emphasizing several essential points. She highlighted the significance of embracing opportunities and facing the unknown with courage, as her unexpected venture into short-term rentals demonstrated. Zoey emphasized the need for adaptability in entrepreneurship, showcasing how being open to unexpected paths can lead to success. Moreover, Zoey stressed the importance of transparency in sharing the journey of property management, including its challenges and triumphs. By showcasing the real journey, flaws and all, property owners can foster a sense of community and intrigue among potential guests, ultimately enhancing the appeal of their unique accommodations. Zoey also underscored the significance of safeguarding one’s interests through thorough rental agreements and careful screening processes for direct bookings, especially when bypassing intermediary platforms. Furthermore, Zoey emphasized the value of prioritizing quality over quantity when it comes to property management. By focusing on creating memorable guest experiences that inspire positive word-of-mouth, property owners can cultivate a loyal clientele base. Zoey also advised considering long-term strategies, such as potentially selling the unique stay portfolio as a business in the future. Lastly, she encouraged aspiring entrepreneurs not to wait for perfect conditions to begin their journey, assuring that with proper balance, building a business alongside family life is achievable, even amidst imperfections. Zoey’s passion for this niche market was evident throughout the discussion, offering inspiration for continued success in creating distinctive and inviting accommodations. Essential Highlights A few key takeaways on Zoey’s fascinating discussion on unique stays and building portfolios Follow Zoey on instagram @zoeyberghoff Transcription I think having the mindset of like don’t be afraid of the unknown I think when you step into the unknown and you’re not sure what’s next that’s when like all of the opportunities really come forward because you’re not so dead on this one thing has to happen    welcome back to direct booking simplified where we break down the tactics and strategies to win direct bookings on today’s show we have Zoey Berghoff she has a portfolio of unique properties that she’s built herself she’s done everything from land development to new builds and now she’s working in a cabin on today’s show she’ll break down how she’s grown her portfolio of unique stays and how she thinks about direct bookings by growing your network and your community so let’s bring her in Hey Zoey   Hello thank you for having me  yes I’m so excited let’s get into it  awesome yeah we um really dive into unique stays with our own portfolio and those who we help build their own portfolio so I’m here to chat all the things unique stays  yes um so we started actually five years ago with our short term rental journey um we actually started by accident I like to say our first property was a yurt and you know we were in the middle of a pandemic we weren’t sure how it was going to go and it just blew us out of the water with what it was performing in the first month or two and from there that actually pivoted our whole entire strategy  so we  six months later turned a long term rental into a short term rental and that property was making 25 000 a year and in the first year it made about 120 000 and that was like  this is crazy like there’s something there’s more to unpack here so that really um like I said pivoted everything in terms of our goals our long term vision for short term rentals and real estate um and our most recent project in the last 12 months has been renovating a 19th century Forties historic log cabin that was built to out of Aspen and relocated in the twenties slash forties we don’t really have a precise timeframe on that um so everything we’ve done has been builds custom builds glamping and extreme renovations so we like to pick all the hard routes first I guess  Yeah so it was actually raw land that my husband had found and really wanted to build in the mar building and renovating i  to purchase than buying t which for a lot of areas But given where we are  t we’re around he found ra  Build on it so the first thing that went up was the yurt and that is like a 800 square foot dome um we put it on a deck and it’s only rented in the summer it’s only seasonal it can be winterized but I will not host people in the winter on it I just think it’s like negative reviews time and time again if I were to do that um so that was the first project and that was about 40 000 in terms of an investment um and in the first Six months of hosting and made 30 000 so we almost made our entire investment back in the first six months if we went a whole year I’m sure we would have made about 40 but we only do six months or so um and then on that same land um phase two was the single family home that was also built on the property so we’re huge in unique stays but also land tacking which is multiple streams of income on one property um maximizing your revenue and only having You know one set of expenses maybe  nope  it was spilled so the land was literally dirt it was raw land that we purchased so we brought all utilities into the property so well septic

On this week’s episode we have Janice Pollard. She comes from 20 years of marketing and advertising background and she stresses the importance of good design and branding to get more direct bookings. She walks through how she works with her clients, data that she’s gathered on expectations about guests and how this isn’t just a fundamental of direct bookings but overall guest experience. Podcast Summary In the world of short-term rental businesses, understanding the underlying motivation – the “why” – and knowing your ideal guest avatar are paramount. This comprehension serves as the compass for decisions spanning branding, design, amenities, messaging, and beyond. Utilizing the “5 W’s” framework – who, what, when, where, why, and how – helps hosts align their offerings with guest expectations. Additionally, relying on data and insights rather than subjective opinions is emphasized, enabling informed choices based on factors like competitor analysis, market trends, and guest preferences. Starting small and building incrementally is advocated as a prudent approach when embarking on new ventures within the short-term rental sphere. Cultivating a supportive community aids in both learning and accountability. Transitioning towards direct bookings is highlighted as advantageous, affording hosts greater control over the guest experience and access to invaluable first-party data not provided by Online Travel Agencies (OTAs). Furthermore, attention to detail in areas such as color psychology and branding can subtly influence consumer decisions, underscoring the importance of thoughtful curation in these elements. Finally, the discussion touches upon the benefits of having a dedicated booking website, which allows for enhanced optimization for conversion and Search Engine Optimization (SEO) compared to generic website builder tools. The dialogue encapsulates a wealth of practical insights, spanning from leveraging data for informed decision-making to refining brand positioning and enhancing guest experiences. Janice’s expertise in marketing and advertising enriches the conversation, offering valuable perspectives on strategy and execution within the short-term rental industry. Essential Highlights Here are a few key takeaways from the conversation: The episode covered a lot of useful ground in terms of utilizing data, defining your brand positioning, designing a great guest experience, and strategically moving toward more direct bookings over time. Janice brought an insightful perspective from her background in marketing/advertising. Follow Janice on instagram @marshmallowhill Transcription The avatar is important but I feel like it really  comes down to who they are, meaning their family type or their are they a couple  or do they have kids and if so  what are the ages of the kids? After that, you don’t really need to know all the psychographics and the demographics. They don’t really know need to know how much they make. There’s that whole marketing side. What really matters is what are their expectations   hey folks, welcome back to direct booking simplified, where we break down the tactics and strategies to win in direct bookings. Today we have Janice Pollard. She spent 20 years in marketing and advertising and is now a short term rental designer. Today we’re going to walk through how she designed spaces with our clients to drive more direct  So let’s bring her in. Hey Janice. Hi Gil, how are you?  I’m good. I’m good. I’m feeling really good now. I was terrible. Over the weekend. I feel like I’ve gotten sick three times in the last, in the last two weeks. Yeah. I don’t know what it was. I actually, I do know what it is. It is kids. It’s young kids. Yeah. Oh gosh. That’s awful. When you’re, you know, you have so much to do as entrepreneur and you have to keep moving forward. Oh gosh. So you’re, you’re on the, on the up and up now.  I am on the up and up and up. Um, you may, I may go on mute every so often to, to, to, to get out a good cough. Um, but I feel  10 times better than I did like last Sunday, this past Sunday. Gosh, that’s a long one too. Usually I’m sick for about three days, but.   It’s, it’s less so the sickness was like only like two days, but like. It’s that lingering cough that I just can’t get rid of. Yeah.  Oh,  yeah.  Well, you’re forgiven. If you have to cough, go cough. We’ll be, we’ll be here.  Yeah.   Thank you. I appreciate that.  So how you been?   I’m doing great. I’m, uh, in Michigan and the spring has sprung. So people are coming out of the woodwork and it’s just, there’s this feeling in the air that Summer is around the corner and I don’t know if you are in touch with pro football, but the NFL draft is downtown Detroit. So that was very exciting. We watched it last night. Um, and  whole city, there’s I think 275, 000 people downtown in. Wow. It was really awesome. So,  yeah, it’s just, we’re hitting this like really awesome time of year that, you know, when you live in a winter state where there is like legitimately storm, snow, ice, it makes it all the much more worth it when you see buds coming out and birds singing and it’s just really lovely. You’re coming out of hiding now.  Yeah. Yeah.  This, this is, um, this is a period of time where we’re many of the, our properties are coming out of our low seasonality side of things. Um, so like I’m really looking forward to, um, the summer months, but like, gosh, it’s been the occupancy has been a lot, it’s been a little bit slower this year. Um, but yeah, I’m, I’m looking for things to pick up. So I look forward to that.  Well, you have what remind me the two in Gatlinburg and one in Branson. Yeah.  Yeah, that’s right. Okay. Yeah. And so those are like super family friendly like no one’s traveling right now Like folks are enjoying their local town. They’re trying to get their graduation all those things So I think Memorial Day is when like our

On this episode we have Mark Mancini. He’s the host of VRBO Outstanding youtube channel and has several courses that helps hosts become amazing hosts. He shares his knowledge of hosting for 13 years and how he’s able to fill up the majority of his calendar with direct booking by leveraging your niche and marketing your site. Podcast Summary Mark emphasizes the pivotal role of technology and strategic marketing in optimizing rental property management. He advises implementing a Property Management System (PMS) like OwnerRez from the outset to automate tasks and enhance efficiency as your rental business expands. Integrating such systems streamlines operations and facilitates scalability, laying a robust foundation for growth. Another crucial aspect highlighted by Mark is the branding of rental properties. Instead of opting for generic names, he advocates for crafting unique, brandable identities that can be leveraged for Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and marketing purposes. This branding strategy enhances visibility and distinguishes properties in a competitive market, bolstering their appeal to potential guests. Moreover, Mark underscores the importance of targeting specific guest niches and tailoring amenities and marketing efforts accordingly. By identifying and catering to niche markets such as anglers or luxury travelers, property owners can optimize guest satisfaction and attract lucrative bookings. Offering unique amenities and experiences further sets properties apart, positioning them as desirable destinations. Additionally, Mark suggests staying ahead of emerging trends, such as the rising popularity of electric vehicles, by installing amenities like EV chargers to gain a competitive edge. Overall, his advice underscores the fusion of technology-driven efficiency, targeted marketing, and niche specialization as key strategies for success in the rental property industry. Essential Highlights Here are a few key points from Mark’s podcast episode: The main thrust is leveraging technology and targeted marketing to drive direct bookings, while specializing your property’s offerings to attract your ideal, lucrative guest niche. Follow Mark on instagram YouTube and VRBO Transcription You want to exploit your niche, right? With some homes like for instance, if you’re on the waterway, you might have a home that’s specific to anglers, right? So you have a boat dock, maybe you have a fish cleaning station, you’ve got water electric, they could plug their boat into and wash their boat off, right? And you want to go and gravitate and market towards that market. Hey folks, welcome back to Direct Booking Simplified, where we break down the strategies and tactics to win in direct bookings. On today’s show, we have Mark Mancini. He’s a host of the VRBO Outstanding YouTube channel. He has several courses of his own and has been a host for 13 years. Today he’s going to walk us through some of the tactics that he uses to win direct bookings. So let’s bring him in. Hey, Mark, welcome to the show. Hi Gil. Thanks for having me. It’s it’s good to see you I’ve been following your your YouTube channel for for a little while now even in my early days before I got my my first acquisition There so what’s what’s new with you now? So right now we I have a little sabbatical. This weekend, I’m going back down to one of my rentals. We have a wedding this weekend. I’m flying down, flying back, and then I get a date of myself and then we’re driving down to spend two weeks down on the keys at our vacation rental, so we’re using it for recreational purposes at the end of the month. That’s awesome. That’s awesome. Before we get too deep, do you, do you want to give a, a listener’s a sense of who you are and what you do? My name is Mark Mancini. I’ve been in vacation rentals for over 13 years now. Entering my 13th year, I started off in the Myrtle beach area. I’ve since transitioned to the Florida Keys. Cause that’s where we plan to retire to. And I want to be somewhat close to where my vacation rentals are. Got a deep business background in it. Mostly I had a, an it company in Atlanta that I had for 15 years. I sold to publicly traded company. And one of the key things I learned, Gil you can’t run a company and grow it. And sell it to a NASDAQ traded company, unless you’ve got software that controls and runs your business. And that was something I did early on. And so when it came to vacation rentals, I did the exact same thing. Yeah. So how did that influence your, your vacation rentals? So you have to have. Some kind of unified tool. You don’t want to have disjointed pieces of information where you’re, you’re manually docu signing an RA, you’re manually doing security deposits, and you’re manually updating listings on different channels in all different places. You know, you want to have everything really ideally in one place. So if you update your pictures, if you need to change your calendar anything you do update your RA, you’re doing it, everything in one place. And it goes to every different aspect. And that’s what we did when I was a managed services provider. We had one piece of software that. I could remote into clients machines. I could push out the updates to antivirus. I could push out Windows updates defragment their computer, do a ticket right in one panel of the screen. And that’s what you know, a property management system allows you to do. And that’s why it’s so important when you do direct bookings. Got it. Got it. So you’re, you’re, you’re big on, on, on having a PMS. Early on in, in your, in your hosting journey. Yeah. I always tell people the best time to get a PNN PMS is when you want to start your business. I started with one property with my PMS. I’ve expanded now to two. Don’t really see a need to go anymore. Only because the two properties I have are

On this episode we have Adam and Deavon Peterson, a couple that plays on each other’s strenghts. They own over 100 long-term-rental doors and 4 short-term-rentals. They went against the grain and purchased in non-mainstream vacation destinations and found a niche that has allowed them to outperform their investor peers. They walk us through their philosophy that lead them to major direct booking wins by serving a short-term-rental market that does not fit airbnb’s demographic. Podcast Summary Adam and Deavon have achieved success in the short-term rental business by leveraging Adam’s established fishing charter venture and targeting properties in areas renowned for fishing and outdoor activities. Their strategy revolves around catering specifically to anglers and outdoor enthusiasts, enabling them to drive direct bookings through focused marketing efforts. Key tactics include active participation in relevant Facebook groups, collaboration with local businesses such as other fishing charters, and hosting influencers and YouTubers at their properties to amplify their reach. Central to their success is the advice to pursue one’s passion and embrace it fully, rather than conforming to predetermined paths that may not align with one’s skills and interests. Adam encourages self-belief and perseverance in the face of challenges, emphasizing the importance of resilience. Deavon underscores the significance of supporting a partner’s aspirations, even when the route to success isn’t immediately clear. Their partnership thrives on the synergy between Adam’s visionary approach and Deavon’s practical implementation skills, illustrating how complementary mindsets can lead to success. In summary, Adam and Deavon have distinguished themselves by capitalizing on their expertise and passion for fishing and the outdoors, rather than attempting to compete directly in saturated vacation markets. Their unique approach has enabled them to carve out a niche and achieve notable success in the short-term rental industry, demonstrating the power of focusing on what one knows and loves. Essential Highlights Here are a few key takeaways from this podcast episode: Follow Adam and Deavon on instagram @southernparadisevacation Transcription We’ve even started marketing a lot on the different fishing groups on Facebook. We’ll send out our, through our direct booking website. We’re able to share that on a lot of different Facebook groups that maybe it doesn’t look as good coming from an Airbnb/VRBO sharing, but if you’re able to share it through a direct booking website and you put it out there and you say, hey, you know, here’s a way to reach me, you can book directly right here on our site. It also allows them to ask questions and, you know, Hey, if you’re on here, it says you might know a little bit more about parking and a little bit more about what we’re trying to do. And it started just popping off immediately,  to where, it’s been steady. Our occupancy is over 80 percent in our off season, which is typically 30 to 40%.  Welcome back to direct booking simplified. We break down the strategies and tactics to win in direct bookings. On today’s episode, we have Adam and Devon, their long term rental investors that turned short term rental. They currently have more than a hundred long term rentals and four short term rentals and starting to migrate their portfolio into more short term rentals. They went away from investing in mainstream markets and now has outpaced their peers. They leverage their passion in fishing to double their occupancies. Today, the walk us through how they think about investing into short term rentals and how they’re able to get more direct bookings. So let’s bring them in.  Hey, A am Hey, Deavon. Hey, how’s it going? I’m, I’m doing well. How are you going? How are you guys?  Great. Good We’re good. What’s what’s been up with you folks?  Well, we are on a spring break with our little kiddos right now. So busier than usual running everybody here and there. And we just spent the weekend at one of our short term rentals enjoying, you know, enjoying all our hard work. So that was fun. Yeah. Did you guys have any Easter egg hunts and such? We did. We did. And we’re in South Louisiana. So we had the obligatory crawfish boil. I don’t think anybody else does, but I don’t think we have that in the city. We don’t have a top of the Easter egg on.  Nice. Nice.  That’s okay though.  I love it I love it. Um, to kind of kick us off. Um, do you mind giving folks a brief introduction to both of yourselves?  So Adam Peterson, we are, or I am a real estate investor.  I left my W two job after 15 years, um, about two years ago. Um, I started investing in long term real estate, um, about 10 years ago. Um, we had built up to about a hundred doors, 150 doors, and then decided, but we started getting into the, um, started getting into short term rentals and we started, we really liked that space better. Um, so we started to almost trade up our long term rentals and a few short term rentals. Um, started with one, we’re up to four, uh, currently that we’re operating and working on, um, converting another, uh, long term rental that we’ve already owned into a short term rental, as well as another, um, short term rental that will go along with our fishing company, which we’ll talk more about in a little bit, but, um, so we’re working on five and six right now to, uh, get us moving. So it’s full time trying to move a hundred percent into short term real estate, along with, uh, a charter fishing operation.  And I’m Deavon, I’m his wife. Uh, I still work full time as a nurse practitioner. Um, but I do most of our management for the short term rentals. I take care of more of the, like, email messaging.  All of the more finite details out of his word, the dreamer, the big picture person, I kind of

In this episode, we have Chris Petzy. He’s a seasoned operator with over 80 doors and is a coach at STR Secrets. He walks us through his operational framework of Technology, People, and Processes that lead him to consistent direct bookings. Podcast Summary Chris underscores the significance of technology, processes, and personnel as the foundation for delivering consistent 5-star guest experiences that encourage direct rebookings. His tech arsenal includes platforms like Guesty, Pricelabs, Stayfi, GoSTR, and Breezeway, each serving a specific function in managing various aspects of the business. Central to his approach is the establishment of robust processes and documentation to train team members effectively and uphold standards across properties. Utilizing tools such as checklists, standard operating procedures (SOPs), and regular communications, Chris ensures consistency is ingrained within the organization. A key focal point for Chris is assembling a team of “A players” who embody the company’s vision, which he deems as the most critical factor in success. By emphasizing strong leadership, clear processes, and an inspiring vision, he attracts and nurtures top talent within his organization. In terms of direct bookings, Chris employs post-stay email/SMS journeys and monthly email campaigns that highlight seasonal offerings, promotions, and new properties to keep guests engaged. He places great importance on tracking leading indicators such as website traffic, follower growth, and top-performing content to optimize strategies for direct booking growth, reflecting his data-driven operational approach. Chris’s operations background underscores his commitment to being data-driven and understanding the key performance indicators (KPIs) behind guest experience and direct booking performance. The overarching theme of his insights revolves around integrating operations and guest experience seamlessly into the business, establishing them as systematic components that foster consistency and drive repeat bookings. Essential Highlights Here are a few key points from Chris’s insights on operations, direct bookings, and guest experience: The overarching theme is making operations and guest experience an embedded, systematized part of the business to foster consistency and repeat bookings. Follow Chris on instagram @chris_petzy Transcription It all has to do with operations. So we didn’t really touch on this earlier, but if you talk to people in the mastermind, they, they kind of see me as the, the ops guy. Um, and that’s actually my group coaching call is operations and scale. That’s where my niche is. That’s where my focus is in this business.  And to do that really well, I always say you need three things. You need great technology. You need great process and you need great people. The people being the most important part, but if you put those three things together and then monitor that, have good, the quality control in place,  that’s going to be what creates that consistent experience for. Uh, your guests, your clients, et cetera.  Hey folks, welcome back to direct booking simplified. We break down the tactics and strategies to win more direct bookings. On today’s show, we have Chris Petsy. He operates over 80 doors and is a coach at STR secrets and is an operational beast. Today. He’s going to walk us through his operational framework of technology, people in process to win more direct bookings. So let’s bring him in. Hey, Chris. Welcome to the show.  Hey, thanks for having me, man.  Yeah. Um, I’m, I’m glad to have you on. Uh, I’ve been referred to you by a couple of folks from, uh, from your cohort address, your secrets cohort. Um, so I’m, I’m glad to have you on,  um, to kind of kick us off. Can you give a brief intro on who you are and what you do?  Yeah. I’m the co owner of Seacoast Summit. And we operate a couple of brands, Seacoast vacation rentals and summit vacation rentals in the New Hampshire mass coastline, as well as the New Hampshire and Vermont mountains, lakes and mountains. And we were founded by my business partner actually in 2019. And over that five year run, we partnered two years in  and we went from about 10 listings when we first started to, we’re going to be over 80 by next week. Whoa. Is that mainly co hosting nowadays or are you still acquiring?  Yeah, I got started by acquiring. So I have nine doors myself. My business partner has seven. So I think one of the cool things about our model is we’re not just co host. We get it from the investor side of the house. And,  uh, but the rest are, are co host deals. And we do have one,  I guess, like a part hotel. So that’s an 11 unit in Hampton beach. So we have a little bit of that experience to operating a hotel style  accommodation.  Yeah. I bet.  I bet you, given that you’re a host yourself, it makes it a lot easier to have conversations to other hosts on taking over because they trust you on your own properties.  And you’re able to kind of empathize back to them about Really? Like, how do you make mortgage? How do you actually get good revenues back in return?   Yeah. Is this relatable, right? So like we, as, as investors, we have goals for our properties, whether that’s profit or, you know, maintenance free and all the systems and things that we do for our own businesses we do for our clients. And so it’s in perfect harmony and alignment. The business that we, you know, execute on for our personal properties. It also happens for our clients as well. So it’s a benefit for everybody.  Got it. Yeah. That makes sense. You’re also, um, you’re also a coach as well too. Is that right? Yeah. So a  couple, almost two and a half years ago now, I, I had joined short term rental secrets, the mastermind by Mike Shogren when I first got started. So as soon as I bought the property, I was like, I want to just have all the answers. So who’s got that blueprint? And Mike did. .So

On this episode we have Megan Castor. She’s a short term rental copywriter and helps hosts nail their messaging to reach the right customers. She walks us through the myth of reaching casting a wide net when going direct and why it’s critical to narrow your market in order to make an impact in direct bookings. Podcast Summary In this episode with Megan Castor regarding the importance of defining an ideal guest avatar for vacation rentals, several key insights emerged. First and foremost, identifying this avatar is foundational for effective marketing strategies and ensuring the guest experience is finely tuned to meet the expectations of your target audience. Without a clear persona in mind, messaging risks being generic and failing to connect meaningfully with potential guests. To construct this avatar, it’s essential to delve into past guest reviews and consider various demographic factors such as age, family status, and interests, crafting a comprehensive persona that can be vividly visualized. Once the ideal guest avatar is established, the focus shifts to tailoring both the marketing approach and the property itself to cater specifically to their needs and desires. From amenities and property descriptions to communication style, every aspect should be finely tuned to resonate with the identified persona. Importantly, this approach allows for the infusion of personality and emotion into marketing efforts, ultimately driving bookings from those most likely to appreciate the unique offering. To implement these strategies effectively, it’s advisable to start small, perhaps by refining one aspect such as the property description, before expanding efforts across various channels like websites and social media. The overarching lesson gleaned from this conversation is the significant payoff that comes from investing time and effort upfront in defining the ideal guest avatar. By aligning marketing efforts and property design with the preferences of a specific audience segment, vacation rental owners can create a more compelling and tailored experience that resonates deeply with potential guests. Moreover, sharing this persona with the entire team ensures alignment and consistency in portraying an experience optimized for the target audience, ultimately leading to increased bookings and guest satisfaction. Essential Highlights Here are a few key takeaways from the conversation with Megan Castor about defining an ideal guest avatar for vacation rentals: Overall, taking the time upfront to thoroughly define your ideal guest pays dividends in more compelling, resonant marketing and a property tailored seamlessly to the right audience’s needs. Follow Megan on instagram @thevacationrentalcopywriter Transcription And just because you narrow down your messaging doesn’t mean that other people won’t come stay there too. Um, it just really means that you’re being clear and focused and targeted. Um, when you market to Everybody you’re marketing to nobody and you’re not speaking to anybody. You’re not pulling at anybody’s heartstrings. You’re not, you know, getting anybody to say, Ooh, yes, that’s me. Of course. Like this place is for me. That’s awesome. Um,  so you’re, you know, you’re kind of missing the mark there.  Hey Megan. Hi, how are you doing? I’m doing great. It’s been a, it’s been a good week on my side. Um, we’ve been spending a lot of time growing the company and it’s been, it’s been really good. How are you been? That’s so exciting. Um, it’s good here too. Um, I’ve been working on a lot of projects, um, for my copywriting clients, um, and really honing in on, um,  you know, understanding your target market. Um, I’ve really been talking about that a lot this week. So I’m excited to talk about it with you.  Yeah, I, uh, I think I came across you because I ended up following your Instagram. Um, and we’ll get into this, but like the ideal guest avatar, like you nailed it in capturing my attention as, as possibly your audience. But yeah, it, it struck me pretty, like pretty hard. Like I started scrolling through your feed right after I saw that one post, I forgot which one it was, but it definitely resonated.  Yeah. Yeah. I mean, You know, I talk about that a lot just because, um, I feel like it’s one of the biggest mistakes that people make in marketing and it’s  one of the simplest things to correct and kind of should be your starting point. So, you know, it’s something that I address a lot.   Yeah. Um, to kind of get us started, why don’t you give our audience a sense of kind of who you are, what you do? Um, yeah, you’re kind of your background there.  Yeah,  of course. Um, so I am actually a former teacher. Um, I decided to switch over to copywriting because my one of my dreams was always to be a writer. I wanted to be a teacher and I wanted to be a writer. So, um, when I had my young family, um, You know, it seemed like a good time to kind of transition to that. So I started diving into copywriting and I was really drawn to vacation rentals because I stay in vacation rentals all of the time with my family. Um, and I’m really passionate about them because they’re such a good place for people who have families. You have all the space, you have the, you know, fully equipped kitchen. Um, it’s just like the ideal experience when you’re traveling with a family. So I love them. Um, and it was just natural for me to niche down into vacation rentals. Um, I’ve worked with travel companies, um, but really my bread and butter is marketing and copywriting for vacation rental brands and owners. Um, so I write everything from website content and copy to blogs  to property descriptions. Um, And really focus on speaking to the ideal guests through every channel that you use to market, um, your property. So that’s really what I do.   Yeah. How did you make that transition from being a teacher to a copywriter?   Yeah. Um, it seems like kind of a big leap,

Sam is a short term rental operator with properties in 5 markets and is the founder of GoSTRMarketing, the done-for-you str marketing firm focused on getting repeat bookings through email and text campaigns. Podcast Summary In this podcast with Sam Minstretta on utilizing email and text marketing for vacation rentals, several key insights emerged. Firstly, the combination of text messages alongside emails proves significantly more effective than relying solely on emails. Texts boast impressive open rates (98%) and rapid readership (90% within 3 minutes), highlighting their potential for quick and impactful communication. Secondly, consistency emerges as a crucial factor for success. While initiating strong campaigns is feasible, maintaining momentum over time requires systematic and regular outreach efforts, which in turn yield compounding results. Furthermore, personalization emerges as a cornerstone strategy. Tailoring communications to include the guest’s name, property details, and reminders of past stays enhances engagement and fosters a sense of connection. Importantly, offering value beyond mere promotions is emphasized. Providing local insights, restaurant recommendations, and event suggestions enriches the guest experience and fosters a sense of community. Leveraging existing data, such as past guest contact information, is highlighted as a valuable resource with significant revenue potential when utilized effectively. Lastly, maintaining a positive mindset and visualizing goals are underscored as crucial for success when embarking on direct booking efforts. Tracking key metrics like unsubscribe rates and click-through rates enables optimization over time. However, the true power lies in consistently expanding and nurturing the guest database year after year. By implementing these strategies, vacation rental marketers can enhance their outreach efforts and cultivate lasting guest relationships. Essential Highlights Here are a few key takeaways from the podcast with Sam Minstretta about using email and text marketing for vacation rentals: Follow Sam on instagram @samuelmistrpm Transcription The email by itself, I’ve tried that before and, um, just email marketing alone. And that took a little longer to kind of gain traction. But whenever we started doing the text and email marketing, I mean, it was within days    Hey there, welcome back to direct booking simplified, where we break down the strategies and tactics to win in direct bookings.  And on today’s show, we have Sam and Shada. He’s an SDR operator with properties in five markets and is the founder of go STR marketing and SDR marketing firm focused on email and text marketing. Today he’s going to walk us through how he leverages email and text marketing to win more repeat bookings for his portfolio and his customers. So let’s bring him in. Hey, Sam. It’s, uh, it’s great to have you on the show.  Yeah, Gil. Thanks for having me, man. Excited to be here. How things been for you?  It’s been, it’s been good. It’s been good. Um, we did a whole bunch of releases on craft to stays a few weeks back, new templates, new additions, um, onboarded a whole bunch of new customers. So it’s been, it’s been really good there. I, I definitely can’t complain. Yeah, that’s awesome,  man. I think it’s so cool what you guys are doing.  What’s been, what’s been up with you, man,  just, um, trying to, trying to do the best at, at we can, both in the short term rental side of the business and then also helping people drive some direct bookings, man. So, um, yeah, just fulfilling those bookings for the summer, doing the, uh, revenue management things on one end and then, uh, really the team’s kind of been doing that. So we’ve got a great team, uh, that’s helping me while my main focus is over on, you know, the go STR side. Uh, just, just helping people reach out to those contacts and rekindling those relationships so they can be, you know, bookers for life, man. So go STR has been keeping me busy. All good. Yeah.  I live also the dual world of Um, being, uh, being a host,  being a full time host and a full time, uh, entrepreneur as well, too. Um, I find that now I have less mind space to tend to like the day to day of hosting. Um,  but I, I try to carve out like the beginning of my days to like take care of all of my hosting stuff so I can then focus on just the business thereafter.  But it’s, it’s challenging. It’s challenging.  It’s a great plan.  Time blocking, you know, I love it. Do all the same, but. It’s so easy for one thing just to kind of spin off, but yeah, it’s just awareness. I guess, you know, I mean, like, I feel like if I don’t spend the time in the morning to do the SDR stuff, then it, I think about it. It’s in my mind, it’s implanted in my mind for the rest of the day. So I do take, make sure that everything is running. I’m checking my pricing for at least like 10, 15 minutes in the morning just to make sure that like, I don’t have to worry about for the rest of the day.  Absolutely. Yeah. How’s, how’s your properties been, um, on your side? Um, have they, is it looking as, as good as it was last year? Or are you seeing a change this year around?   Yeah, man. Uh, actually I had the best January I’ve ever had. It’s typically, uh, I’m in five different markets, so it’s kind of different. I’m in two beach markets and, um, um,  Three, well, I guess three beach markets in, in two kind of, uh, I guess college towns, I guess you could say all along the Gulf coast. So, um, man, uh, January is typically the slowest month. We’ve had the best January we’ve ever had. I think we were up like 40 percent over last year.  It’s crazy. It’s crazy, man. And then, um, February was good. It was just up 8%, but, uh, Feb, uh, March is, March is looking pretty good. So, so I