Posts

Attracting Millennials to your coastal holiday home

Attracting Millennials to your coastal holiday home this Autumn and Winter

Attracting Millennials to your coastal holiday home

‘Millennial’ is a word that we hear more and more as time goes by and it’s used to mean many different things.  In essence, millennials are currently aged between twenty-six and forty-one. So, what are the chances of attracting millennials to your coastal holiday home? According to research from the National Coastal Tourism Academy (NCTA), millennials are the least likely age group to visit Britain’s coastlines for a holiday, despite being the most likely to take a break in the UK. 

NCTA research findings…

The reason? The research says that they find coastal holidays to be ‘old fashioned’, perhaps likened to the ‘kiss me quick’ seaside holidays other generations had enjoyed in perceived ‘by-gone’ times.

However, there is a large glimmer of hope; of the 1,000 people the NCTA polled, 28% believed that some activities are at their best in winter, with 51% saying the coast offers activities year-round.

Their research therefore gives us a few key findings from which to work:

  1. This sector is already holidaying in the UK but isn’t aware of everything the coast has to offer.
  2. They believe that the coast is an attractive proposition for activities, no matter what time of the year it is.

Although the two seem to be in opposition to each other, it does offer holiday homeowners a large opportunity; to educate and engage them in everything the coast has to offer in the off-peak season.

So how can you go about attracting millennials to your coastal holiday home this autumn and winter?

Moving from holiday home to destination marketing will help in attracting millennials to your coastal holiday home

Your millennial guests are going to be spending the majority of their time outside of your holiday home.  In essence this can be as much as 80% of their waking hours throughout a holiday, so ensure that your marketing and content is as equally divided between your accommodation and selling the destination. 

What can they do? Where can they go? Can they get there without a car? Are there surfing lessons available? Where can they take the kids? What happens if it rains?

These should be at the forefront of your marketing; create a destination for them to immerse themselves in, not just a beautifully appointed cottage for them to sleep.

Make the most of the view

There’s something about a sea view; home owners will pay hundreds of thousands of pounds for just a glimpse, while budding tourists will fill up from the beach backwards. Use plenty of imagery of your coastline in your social media posts and email newsletters. 

If you’re on Facebook adding more than five photos to a post will turn it into a gallery, which is proven to increase engagement. 

Video is another sure-fire winner – videos beneath a minute in length are the most popular and can get as much as 10 times the amount of engagement a photograph will.  Remember you’re trying to sell the destination, so you don’t always need to make the videos or take the photographs yourself; share from the coastal path, the local surf school, restaurant or activity centre and work together to build your millennial destination.

Know your marketing

If you’re looking for millennials, then you’ll need to be searching in the right place.  That place is Facebook and Instagram, both of which have incredibly high engagement and usage levels in this demographic.

Keep it focussed

Although you’re finding them on social media, you’re going to need to get them to your website in order to secure that eventual conversion.  Don’t just limit your destination marketing to your Facebook or Instagram account; always ensure you’ve got the content that they want to know about readily available on your website no matter what time of the year.

Boshers offer specialist holiday home insurance to owners across the UK. Need an insurance quote for your holiday let? Give us a call on 01237 429444 and we’ll be happy to answer any questions you have.

/1 Comment/by
Wales Coast Path

Making the most of the Wales Coast Path as a marketing tool

If you’ve got a holiday home in Wales then you’ll undoubtedly have plenty to shout about to your prospective guests; rugged coastline, heritage, beautiful blue seas and sandy beaches make up just some of the many reasons tourists flock to the 870 mile coastal path that flanks the country each and every year.

St Davids Head

Here are a few things you might not know about the Welsh coastline…

  1. Over 43 million visits are made to the Wales Coast Path every year.
  2. Walkers along the Coast Path are estimated to spend nearly £550 million a year.
  3. 47 beaches in Wales were awarded Blue Flag status in 2018 – more than anywhere else in the UK.
  4. It would take about two & a half weeks to walk the 186 miles of Pembrokeshire coastline

With all of this on your doorstep, how do you make sure that those browsing for their next holiday know everything the local area and coastline has to offer?

The Wales Coast Path has put together a free online resource which gives coastal businesses in the country wide access to a range of resources aimed at promoting the welsh coast as a destination.

You can find a copy of their toolkit on this link:

We’ve had a good read and it’s incredibly thorough – here are just a few of the things you could and should be taking advantage of as a coastal business in Wales…

Make use of their library of images

If you’ve got an incredible coastline, one thing you’ll definitely want is for your potential guests to see it! The toolkit includes a large gallery of professional images that can be used to promote the local area and coast path, so be sure to make the most of them in your social media and newsletters, as well as on your website.

You can find access to their gallery on page 9 of the toolkit.

Take advantage of technology

The coastline isn’t just about breath-taking views and scenery; buried beneath the sand and stone is centuries of Welsh heritage and history.  Your guests won’t miss a thing with the new Wales Coast Path App, designed to keep children and families entertained and informed as they make their way along the coast.  Here’s a taster of how the App can get your guests inspired by the stories and secrets of the coastline…

Attracting the dog-friendly market

There are 12 million dog owners in the UK and there’s nothing our furry friends love more than to hit the great outdoors with the excitement and vigour only a dog knows how to! The good news is that the coast path is open to a man’s best friend as long as they’re kept on a lead, so the dog friendly market is certainly one you need to be tapping into. 

The Coast Path Toolkit highlights a number of ways you’ll be able to attract dog owners to the area, including badges you can place on your website showing you openly welcome dogs. To download a copy of the Toolkit please visit the Wales Coast Path website here:

Boshers offer specialist holiday home insurance to owners across the UK. Need an insurance quote for your holiday let? Give us a call on 01237 429444.

/0 Comments/by
social media

Five social media hacks to increase your Holiday Let bookings

,

social mediaSocial media has changed the way in which many of us find and book our holidays; more and more potential paying guests are now finding their holiday home accommodation provider through platforms such as Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, where once upon a time they’d be at the local travel agent or reading about them in a glossy magazine or directory.

The question is no longer if you’re using social media as an agent or a cottage owner, it’s whether you’re utilising it to its maximum potential. With that in mind, here’re five very simple tips to increase your performance and generate more enquiries from your social media presence.

It’s good to find a niche and be targeted

All social media needs content; whether it’s 140 character tweets on Twitter, photos and some text for Facebook or that perfectly filtered image to go onto Instagram, content makes the world go round.

So how can you make that content more focused? By understanding who you’re targeting and thinking before anything you post, ‘would that person be interested in this content?’

Your holiday home will attract a certain type of person; if it’s ideal for young families then your content needs to be interesting and engaging to those with children. Are there soft play areas nearby? Is your cottage ram-packed with kids toys?

If it isn’t interesting to your target market, then it’s unlikely to stimulate response and intrigue.

A picture speaks a thousand words

No matter what platform you’re on, always try to include stimulating photography. It’s undoubtedly the easiest way to stand out from the crowd, and also sell your destination and accommodation. Consider stock-piling photography during the summer and brighter months which will tide you over during the winter. Many can become stuck for photos when the nights are longer and the leaves are long gone from the trees!

Timing is everything in social media

It’s important to understand the best times to post in order to boost the levels of interaction you gain. When it comes to Facebook, evenings (6.30pm – 10pm) are particularly effective. A massive amount of holiday research and bookings are made on a Sunday evening. If you’re not posting late in the afternoon or early in the evening on a Sunday, you could be missing out!

Twitter also buzzes during the evening when interaction is proven to be higher (people have more time having left the office for the day), whilst Instagram have done away with chronological post feeds meaning that post interaction is less dependent on timing (although first thing in the morning is still a winner!).

You’re more than just a holiday home (destination)

Holiday homeowners can sometimes come unstuck when trying to come up with content ideas. It doesn’t have to be just about your cottage, so worry not that you’ll need to be putting that same photo of the master bedroom up for a fourteenth time!

Visitors are likely to spend a good deal of time away from your cottage, so what is it that your area has to offer and how can you use this to entice potential guests? As much of the content you’re sharing should be about your destination as well as your property, and remember to make this all relevant to the person you’re trying to reach (as mentioned in our first point!) so it really strikes a chord and encourages an enquiry.

Be focused when it comes to advertising

Facebook make it incredibly simple and easy to advertise through their big blue boost buttons. Although it doesn’t mean that you need to be doing this recklessly. If you are considering boosting a post, then always consider if there’s any point to doing so before you do.

Trying to fill a week after a cancellation and have a special discount to encourage a booking, then fine, boost away!

Just posting an image and an update with no real call to action? Keep your money in your pocket!

Selectively boosting when there’s a distinct action you’re wanting the viewer to take can be extremely effective. By avoiding irrelevant post boosts you’ll have more spend to ensure it really works when you should be using it!

When holiday letting your second home to paying guests it’s essential to take advice on suitable insurance. Boshers offer specialist holiday home insurance to holiday letting owners across the UK. Need an insurance quote for your holiday letting property? Please give us a call on 01237 429444.

 

/0 Comments/by
promote your holiday let as a destination

How to promote your Holiday Let as a destination

promote your holiday let as a destinationDestinations are the places we all fall in love with; the home to our holidays and the areas we all want to visit and experience. The word ‘experience’ is the key here; it’s not just about a holiday home, it’s a long weekend, a school holiday or a week-long retreat packed full of experiences, some large, some small, but all incredibly important in building the overall destination experience.

So how should you promote your holiday let as a destination?

Given that your guests will spend the majority of their time away from your holiday home, we take a look at a few of the areas you should be promoting in order to get them to your door…

Access

The first thing any would-be guest is going to need to do is get there, meaning accessibility is going to play an important role in the holiday booking process, particularly if they’re going away with young children.

So how easy is it? Have you got the facility on your website to give them directions or an inkling as to how long the journey would take?

If you have good travel links then highlight these.

Also consider where the majority of your visitors come from; is there additional information you could provide for those travelling from the midlands as an example?

Attractions

We’ve already said that your guests will spend the majority of their time outside of your holiday cottage, and even more so in the summer months.

What is it they’ll be doing when they’re out there?

Know your market and highlight the attractions that are going to tick the boxes; if you’re appealing to the young family market they’re going to want to know of local family days out.  Based near the sea, on a moor or in an area of outstanding natural beauty? You’ll want them to know of all the best beaches, hiking routes and killer views!

A common mistake can be to highlight attractions too far from your holiday home. If there are some large attractions that are more than 30 minutes from your cottage ensure you make it clear how far they are in order to manage your guest’s expectations.

Eateries

Great food, fine wine, a relaxing atmosphere; these are things that many visitors will be looking to enjoy in local pubs and restaurants during their stay.

So, are you utilising local eateries to the fullest advantage when looking to secure bookings and add value for your visitors?

Many holiday home websites will provide plenty of information about places to visit, but sometimes neglect the great local food and drink. If this is a thriving asset to the local area be sure to do it justice. If you’re looking for more ideas on on how you can promote your holiday let by embracing culinary tourism, we have some tips here:

Places to shop

Don’t just think clothes and shoes! They’re going to be staying in your holiday cottage, so if they can’t be tempted by some of the great local pubs and restaurants, where are they able to buy the necessities? Are you near a town or a local village shop that gives them everything you need?

Having said the comment about clothes and shoes, if you’re near a great shopping district, perhaps an area steeped in history and local art then make sure they know everything there is to know.

Events

Events will often bring mass numbers of people to a specific location; think Glastonbury, Run To The Sun or any number of events held throughout the year.

They don’t always need to be large in order for people to travel; if you have an event near to your holiday letting property ensure it’s promoted. Here are some helpful tips on how you can do just that!

Where could you promote your holiday let?

Content makes the online world go round; be sure to regularly update your blog with latest news and information on the local area, as well as having a dedicated area on your website.  Share and team up with local businesses in order to increase the reach you can all gain; your customers are theirs too.

When holiday letting your second home to paying guests it’s essential to take advice on suitable insurance. Boshers offer specialist holiday home insurance to holiday letting owners across the UK. For more information on how a specialist insurer can help and support your holiday home business, please give us a call on 01237 429444.

/0 Comments/by