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Ep#31 - Driving on the road to direct booking success without a map
Jenn: Hello, and welcome to this episode of the Direct Booking Success podcast. I'm your host, Jen Boyles. I am super glad you are here with me today. Now, I've been hearing from more and more people listening every week, and I wanted to take this opportunity to say thank you. When I record these solo episodes, it's just me speaking out loud in my office, and it sometimes feels quite odd.
I then put the episodes out there for you to listen to. This is because, I can then start to see numbers of how many people are listening, which is the only thing that tells me if anyone out there is listening at all. So thank you. Thank you for letting me know that you're listening. And thank you for leaving reviews.
It is helpful and helps others find the Direct Booking Success Podcast. And even if this is the first episode that you've listened to, thank you for listening. If you weren't here, it would really just be me speaking to myself. Now, today I want to speak to you about the importance of having a marketing plan to achieve direct bookings for your hospitality business.
Imagine you were on a road trip without a map or a GPS. You might have a general idea of your destination, but you won't be clear on how to actually get there. Sure, you can follow the road signs, and with a bit of good luck, you might actually reach your destination. But what about having to make a detour around an accident or roadworks construction on the road? Tackling that without a map or a GPS would be like licking your fingers, sticking them in the air to feel the wind, and then deciding which way to go. I don't know about you, but I think I would get pretty lost using that method.
I did once actually take a detour when the G P S wasn't working. I was already kind of lost, so I thought I would just follow the car in front of me with my fingers crossed and hope that they were going the same way as me. I can tell you right now it didn't quite work out, and I don't suggest that you ever try to do the same.
So let's apply this analogy to trying to attract direct bookings without a marketing plan. Not having a marketing plan is like going on a road trip without that map or a G P S. You know what your goal is, your destination. Still, you just aren't clear on how to get there and the road signs that you could follow, think of them as like free, like tidbits of training or webinars you attend in hopes of them helping.
And they will, but they will give you a partial picture. Sometimes there'll even just be a distraction from your driving and the stress. Imagine going around and around and around the roundabout not knowing which exit to take. Everyone in the car is fighting. Your blood pressure is rising. Ugh. I hate being stuck like that.
I hate not knowing what exit to take. Have you ever felt like that?
Now, let's imagine that we do have a map or a G PS for this road trip. Your travel companion or the G P s is giving you clear directions on which turns to take and which roads to follow. You might come to some roadworks or an accident that you need to detour, but it's okay because you can easily look at the map and find a different road to take, which will still lead you to your destination.
Imagine how you'd be feeling during this road trip. I know I would feel calm. The music would be on, and I'd be singing. I'd be happy, and I'd feel confident that I knew I was on the right road, and if a detour was needed, I had the knowledge and the tools to make that course correction and keep going.
Feeling confident, feeling assured, feeling good. I love feeling like that. . So how can you feel like this in your marketing for direct bookings? How can you have the confidence that you're on the right road to direct booking success? How can you have the knowledge and the tools to get you there? You need your own map, your own plan.
And let me say; your plan might not be the same as someone else's. In fact, your plan will be different. Your business is different; your life is different. You are different. At first, creating your own plan might feel a little daunting. Perhaps you're not sure where to start. So let's walk through some of this, okay?
With what to do and the questions to answer in order to put your plan together. Let's start with your ideal. . And if you don't know why I use the term Ideal guest, it's because I want this person to be a real person. I don't say avatar. I don't say persona. You want a real ideal guest. So let's start with them.
Who are they? Where do they hang out? What do they need from you in order to book a stay? Answering these questions will help you give the basis of your plan. Now, look at your property. What are you providing? What's your U S P U S P stands for? Your unique selling proposition. Why will your ideal guest book with you and then look at how you were gonna make this happen?
Where on social media are you gonna be? How many times a week are you going to post? What type of posts are you going to create? What about your email list, your website, SEO, and blogging? The list goes on and on about how you can actually deliver, but this is also where you need to know that you don't have to do it all.
You don't have to do everything that everyone else is doing if it doesn't work for. You. Perhaps you hate social media, but love to write, so you wanna grow your direct bookings using, using SEO and blogging on your website. That is fine. Perhaps you hate writing and love the visual aspect of creating reels on social media.
That is fine as well. It is your business; it is your life. You can make the rules. . Now I get that this might be a tad overwhelming. Perhaps you are thinking, how can I make a marketing plan when I don't even know the answers to those questions? I just don't know what to do. And here you are, listening to me while driving or doing a changeover, out for a walk, and I'm peppering you with questions.
So here is an offer for you. I would like to give you a free 15-minute call to help you get the clarity on the three areas you need to focus on to progress. Does that sound like something you'd like to do? I'm happy to give you this time as a gift if it will help you progress with your direct bookings.
This is not a sales call. There will be nothing you can buy from me on this. This is a coaching session, and I am serious about helping you get that clarity. Clarity on the areas you need to focus on in order to grow your direct bookings. The call will be all about you. What your business looks like right now, what the current situation is, what you'd like in the future, and what roadblocks are you facing? Let's get you some clarity. You might only be a few strategies away from making a real difference in yours.
You will come away from this call knowing the three things that you need to act in order to progress on your road trip to direct booking success. So take advantage of this offer. Just head to my website, direct booking success.com/call. Okay, the website direct booking success.com/call to book your very own 15-minute free call with me.
I will also put that link in the show notes. I can't wait to meet you to find out more about you and your short-term rental business.