Lately a lot of our communications have been about how to Optimize your property website with the Search Engines to gain better recognition and ranking to drive more traffic to it. Although Search Engine marketing is of huge importance, other areas of your marketing should not be forgotten… here we give examples on how good ol’ traditional advertising can still be very powerful and provide ideas on where else online you can promote your property.
We have many members who tell us that they use their domain name on business cards, as part of their signature in their emails, pay the 75p a week cost to have a postcard in the local newsagent window or place an advert in their local parish magazine for a few pounds. All come with success stories of varying degrees, but it shows that with just a little effort enquiries and bookings can be gained from going back to the basics.
Plenty of frills
One Member recently reminded us of our University days when you couldn’t pass a notice board without being waved at by a sea of strips of paper attached to a ‘room to let’, ‘guitarist required’ or ‘cricket bag for sale’ waiting for an interested party to tear off the phone number for future reference. No idea what I am talking about? Let me try and explain. Simply take an A4 sheet and on about two thirds of it describe and promote your rental property kicking off with an eye-catching headline eg:
Dip your toes in the pool! Lie back in the sun!
Air conditioned luxury apartment in Costa Blanca is available to rent from £265 pw. Sleeps six… that works out at less than £45pp per week. Located on a gated resort the apartment boasts everything you need for a great holiday. Etc etc.
Then at the bottom include your domain name as many times as you can at right angles to the text you have just written. Next take a pair of scissors and snip between each URL creating individual strips that potential renters can simply tear off and keep. You may need to be a dab hand with the PC to pull this together effectively – but it can be hand written.
The result is a fantastic advert for your property that can be pinned on to any noticeboard and interested viewers will not have to try to find a pen and paper or test their memory skills. They simply take your domain name with them and look it up next time they are in front of a computer. Be prepared to revisit the noticeboard regularly to replace your ad with a new one. All you have to do now is locate a few noticeboards!! So, do you know any teachers, tradesmen working on building sites or employees of small businesses? What about business centres locally or adult education centres? Go for it.
Sunday Times
Just a quick reminder that it is still possible to benefit from a free three line ad in the Sunday Times… go to Times Newspaper Online Advertising, choose Travel form the drop down list and select the FREE option and follow the instructions. Simply include a very brief description plus your domain name. You can check the layout before you submit and you will receive email confirmation of your advert. Yes, I know, the Sunday Times and its free!!
More than just listing sites!
We all know about the top listing sites that should be considered… but who else should you be looking at?
Why not research those organisations that have paid for the opportunity to appear in sponsored listings and adverts online to attract holidaymakers. These are the advertisers that appear in your CMA or to the top and/or right of the search engine results pages. If you are seeing them then potential renters are too.
Some are newbies trying to generate traffic and climb the ladder but others are established businesses that generate regular enquiries via paid for promotions. Next time you are in your CMA take a look at a couple and check out what they have to offer you as a rental property owner?
Keep up the good work with your Search Engine Optimization but do take the time to explore other avenues of promotion. Hopefully the above gives you the opportunity to fill the ‘spare’ time you have at a weekend!! If you have any tips or ideas you wish to share with other IndependentOwners.com Members then add your comments to this post on the IndependentOwnersblog.com.
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