Do you want to boost your vacation rental bookings?
The style and quality of your vacation rental listing have a huge impact on the interest it generates among travellers. When you do everything the right way, you could enjoy a significant advantage compared to competing listings.
Many vacation rental owners do the bare minimum, but putting in the hours to make your listing look great will boost interest, increase bookings, and could even land more returning visitors.
In this article, we are going to list the top tips on writing a great vacation rental listing. Follow these practical recommendations to take your holiday rental ads and descriptions to a whole new level.
1: Understand Your Audience
You need to know your target group of your holiday rental. When you figure that out, it's time to speak their language. Use words and expressions that would feel familiar to these people.
It's not only about the language used, but also about the features and amenities you choose to highlight. These features and amenities should reflect the interests and preferences of your target market. For instance, families with young children would be happy to hear about a games room that keeps the little ones busy while the grown-ups enjoy drinks and a BBQ.
Similarly, if you have a unique getaway for newly-weds, you can focus on other amenities, such as the "spacious spa bath" or "romantic promenade" options.
The idea is simple: know your target group, understand their wants and needs, and then address them in a way that makes your property inviting.
2: Be Honest
Always keep everything honest. Even if you feel that something could sound "a little better" a certain way, if it's not entirely true, then forget about it. People expect the listing descriptions to be as accurate as possible. You don't want to disappoint them.
Listings can sound desirable and instantly bookable without resorting to the use of little white lies. You may feel that sugar-coating things can get you quick bookings, but the review you get after a stay matters even more.
In order to not mislead anyone, be transparent. If you know about a minor flaw, just let the visitors know. Doing this will prevent the pile-up of reviews that go "I liked the place, but I was shocked that…" as you'll disarm your guests beforehand.
3: Create an Image
Be specific in your descriptions and try to paint an image in your reader's mind. The particular picture you want to paint again depends on your target group. However, the idea is to ditch overused words like "magnificent" and "stunning."
Instead of using these empty adjectives, let your readers know why your rental is stunning. And replace the "magnificent view" with a description of what they will see, feel, smell, and hear when they look at that beautiful vista.
While it's true that a picture can say more than a thousand words, you still can't communicate some sensorial experiences through visual means. This is exactly where a great property listing copy is the right tool to convey the emotions.
4: Find the Correct Tone
Remember that you aren't doing a formal real estate presentation with your holiday home listing. You are directly speaking to prospective visitors. The tone and style you use must reflect this type of exchange.
Find a friendly conversational tone that best suits your personal style. The tone should always feel natural. This is the key to making connections. When you make that connection, the people will want to book your vacation rental.
One mindset tool is imagining the listing copy as a conversation. Imagine the various things that your potential visitor would want to know. Then, address these questions in a conversational manner.
5: Focus on Value Proposition
Value proposition isn't a term you should use in your friendly and conversational listing copy, but it's an important concept that should guide your holiday home writing.
The unique selling points (USPs) help you get more bookings faster. Whenever people book vacation rentals, they sift through dozens of listings. You should do the same for holiday rentals in your area before uploading your own listing.
Find out what you have in your rental that others don't. For instance, the number of parking spots, an upscale kitchen, or the number of beds could very well all be important USPs.
When you write the listing, it's crucial to highlight and describe these USPs for your prospective visitors. This will set your listing apart from its competition. People will notice the differences and take note. More bookings are likely to follow.
6: Keep Things Simple
You need to make your point before the potential visitor clicks on the next listing. Nowadays it's critical to write a short, clear, and simple copy.
Create short sentences that are broken up into snappy paragraphs. Multiple paragraphs deserve a subheading. Improved readability leads to better engagement. Doing so can help land you more holiday renters.
In a Nutshell: Writing a Vacation Rental Listing
Vacation rentals are a hot commodity, especially during peak seasons. Plenty of competition exists in most areas as well. That's why you need to write a vacation rental listing that sells.
These are our top recommendations for writing great holiday rental copy:
- Paint a picture of the vacation rental experience in your readers' minds.
- Find the unique selling points (USPs) of your property and focus on these.
- Write to your established target group instead of general audiences.
- Remain honest and refrain from sugar-coating any of the rental's shortcomings.
- Write clear and simple descriptions in a friendly and conversational tone.