7 Ways To Advertise Your Holiday Home For Free

You may well be lucky enough to own an amazing holiday home but, if you aren’t advertising it properly, no-one is going to know it exists. We know that the various costs of advertising your holiday property can start to add up, so we’ve put together some ideas for how you can advertise your property that cost nothing but your time. The tips below are designed to help you take more direct bookings — that means no agency fees or commission to pay, and more money in the bank for your business.

If direct bookings are what you’re looking for, there are also a number of great listings sites out there that don’t charge any commission at all, including Group Accommodation.

1. Create Your Own Website

You don’t have to be a web developer or a graphic designer to build a good website. Use free tools such as Wix or GoDaddy to build a website to advertise your property. Make sure to include a large number of good-quality images as these will really be the driving force to getting someone interested in your property. You’ll also need to have all the essential property details and make it obvious to the visitor what steps they need to follow to book or enquire about your property. There are some great tools out there to help you manage your bookings — have a look at InnStyle and SuperControl.

Property listing websites like GroupAccommodation.com will allow you to include a direct link back to your website, which is a great way to boost your sites visibility.

2. Blog

If you have a bit of spare time and you like writing, consider running a blog. Your blog content could be centered around your local area and cover things like local news, best restaurants or unique activities. Highlight the unusual and interesting things surrounding your home. Alternatively, if you travel a lot you could run a travel blog, and review places you’ve stayed in. A good quality blog can boost your SEO presence and help to drive more direct bookings.

Top tip: in each blog try and encourage users to check out your property and include a link to how to book on your website.

3. Forums

Go into forums and find topics that are relevant to the area of your holiday cottage. People might be searching for ‘the best walks in the Brecon Beacons’ or ‘where to sail in Poole’. Answer questions regularly and remember to link to your website or blog in the comments.

4. Social Media

Make sure your Facebook and Instagram pages are kept up to date. Regularly post pictures and videos of your property and the surrounding areas, or interesting news stories in the local community. Social media is a great way to allow you to interact with both existing and potential new guests. You could: Ask guests to tag you in any of their holiday pictures during their stay at your property so that you can re-share these on your own platforms. Create captions that encourage engagement, such as ‘tag a friend who deserves a holiday!’ Like and reply to any comments you receive to let users know you are friendly and helpful.

There are also lots of great Facebook groups out there for advertising holiday rentals. Many are focussed on late deals and offers, check out this one to get you started.

This should indicate to them that you’ll be just as friendly if they decide to stay in your holiday home. Here’s our guide to creating a Facebook business page for your rental.

5. Word of Mouth

Word-of-mouth recommendations are a great way to get new visitors to your holiday property. If you give your guests an amazing experience, they are likely to recommend your property to their friends and family. Don’t be afraid to ask for these recommendations as you say goodbye to your guests, or in your follow-up email.

6. Reviews

In a similar vein, you could ask your guests to review their experience of staying in your holiday home. Sourcing these reviews won’t cost a thing, but will be a great trust indicator to potential guests of your property. Post these reviews on your website and social media platforms to make sure that they get seen!

7. Build a network

Try to build professional relationships with people or companies that could give your property a boost and some additional coverage. This could range from getting advice from a marketing or PR expert, to speaking to the editor of a local business magazine that is happy to advertise your property. Once you’ve built a strong network that you can leverage, you may well be able to advertise your property in lucrative spots for free (or at a very discounted price).

If you feel you’ve maximised all the free avenues at your disposal, speak to us about how you can grow your enquiries. At GroupAccommodation.com we understand that holiday homeowners want to make the maximum profit from their property, so unlike most holiday letting websites, we charge an annual fee for listing your property, rather than a commission.

For more in-depth tips and tricks for marketing your property, check out our guide.