Bill's Beneficial Blog

Does anyone really read the millions of blogs out there? Or are they really just a ploy to entice Google for a bit more ranking or space? Every other ad agency blog is going to be all about how great they are, why they are the smartest and other clearly self promoting stuff.

So we decided to just write about what interests us. Our only hope is that - every now and then - you find a nugget that is a slight value for you. We hope. If you want to get these rantings in your inbox every so often, Signup to get emails. Here goes.

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Lodging Newsletter 20240229 Noel Coward Snake

By Wm, May
Published: 02/29/24 Topics: Advertising, AirBnB, Marketing, Self Improvement, Selling Comments: 0

Sir Noel Coward, the playwright, composer, director, actor, and singer, was known for his wit, flamboyance, and what Time called "a sense of personal style, a combination of cheek and chic, pose and poise."

When asked his advice for young actors, he said, "Speak clearly, move about the stage gracefully, and falling back on the playwright is always a good idea."

Why is it that in some careers that some people just do the basics, some become reasonably competent and still others become exemplary, like Sir Noel?

In lodging management, vacation rentals in particular, the playing field is now littered with managers and individual hosts at every level. And all feel they are successful. Mostly because they don't know the facts, because they don’t study.

AirBnB and VRBO enticed people by proclaiming how easy it is to buy a vacation rental, get some bookings and live happily every after. That pitch works because, indeed, if a home is listed on a single website, it will get some bookings. Not necessarily a lot, but at least some bookings.

Unfortunately, that gives every participant confidence that they are doing things right. But in fact, if a home is only listed on one or two advertising websites, it is leaving money on the table.

The rule we were taught in college is that advertising is a matter of reach, frequency, consistency and messaging. It is a simple formula.

To get more sales, get more inquiries
To get more inquiries, get more visibility
To get more visibility, advertise every way you can afford

There are hundreds of duties necessary to achieve maximum income. The most fundamental is to advertise everywhere always. If you don’t know how, you need a professional full-stack manager.

- - - - - - -

Lodging Newsletter

by Wm. May, for February 28, 2024

Property owners hire professional vacation rental managers to do the work they don't have time to do, or don't know how to do, or that they may feel uncomfortable doing.

A recently retired Colorado manager explains to owners that managers take on sophisticated tasks to propel vacation rental success, (such as guest services, wide ranging advertising, personnel training, and guest services) but often they pay managers "to scrape poop off toilets."

Over decades of managing homes in various locations, from beaches, to lakes, to cities and mountains, our staff have invested tens of thousands of hours mastering every duty, from the lofty to the mundane.

SNAKE OIL

As the vacation rental industry has grown (and as happens in every popular topic - think Pickle Ball!) the industry is now rife with so-called experts.

These "experts" speak at every conference, author bland blogs, write never-ending articles on websites (like LinkedIn), pontificate on podcasts, and own paid, member-only forums. Some of these have some good information, but many have the kind of headlines that have always come with get-rich-schemes.

"Get rich working only 4 hours a week!"

"Become a manager in just 30 days!"

"Make your vacation rental a money machine!"

"Slick ways for easy rentals!"

And all these riches will be yours by buying their product, book, or seminar from people with insufficient knowledge and experience. If you think this sounds like a late-night infomercial for hair-growing vitamins, you are correct.

Unless you spend many hours every week mastering the industry, you will never maximize your income. The trouble is that snake oil sales people are providing 10% facts and 90% nonsense that harms readers by promising far more than they can deliver.

Benjamin Franklin said "Freedom of the press should be restricted to those who can afford one." But now the internet has made everyone a author, broadcaster, editor and publisher. How can you know who is really an expert? You can't.

The American Idol TV show is famous for promoting tone-deaf singer auditions, because the signers believe they can sing. How sad for those contestants. And how sad that homeowners are being led astray by experts who aren't.

It was once said, "That those who can, do. Those who can't, teach." But today those who can't, just say they can.

Better advice for vacation rental home owners is to heed dear old Sir Noel Coward, rely upon the author. For vacation rentals, that is to hire a competent, consistent, always learning, full-stack, professional manager.

Author: Wm, May, Vortex VIP
Blog #: 0982 – 02/29/24

Sponsor: Vortex VIP – – VortexVIP.com

Vacation Rental Guest Psychology - Lodging Newsletter June 30, 2020

By Wm, May
Published: 06/30/20 Topics: Lodging Newsletter, Marketing Comments: 0

Well, where do I start? It has been a wild ride since the outbreak of the Covid-19 virus.

First, it was the massive economic slow down. But then, slowly, lodging guests realized they could "Get outta Dodge" and stay in a nice clean private vacation home, with contact-less entry, quarantined with their families, but still get out and about in nature.

Vacation rental bookings have rebounded in all our areas, and jumped hugely in some areas. As mentioned in last month's update letter, our super secret S2D2 Yield Management software prompted us when demand plummeted, but also alerted us to pump up rates when demand then jumped.

The result has been higher income for June and July. August is strong, too. And, with schools not re-opening, we think summer demand and, even, rates can continue into September.

Forgive us for gloating yet again, but we giggled as the local competitors were asleep and snickered as carpet bagging out-of-town managers missed the trend, because they are not in touch with every local market. Some panicked early and dropped rates by half.

We did the opposite and our clients are profiting.

The first office in our network opened in 1964 and we have been watching and learning as consumer behavior and habits change. Never have they changed as greatly and as rapidly as with the virus.

Here is the story.

==================================================================

The Advertising Industry has always been greatly misunderstood. It is not all commercials with beautiful celebrities and cavemen selling insurance on TV. On the Internet, advertising is not all about search engine optimization, pay-per-click Google ads or Facebook's spying on its members.

Having started in the ad agency business, I have spent decades watching, studying and anticipating what customers want to buy. Ad pros never try to sell things to people who don't want them or don't need them. And not just because they want to be ethical, but because they know it's not sustainable.

Famous advertising professor, Ed Bannister, startled his class when he said, "Good advertising just makes a poor product fail quicker." (People try it, hate it, and forget it.)

An agency partner one said, "Advertising is easy. You ask people what they want and then you give it to them." Never has this been more true than during the last four months of a pandemic.

With the advent of vacation rental websites just 20 years ago, travelers figured out that staying with their family in a private vacation home is simply a better deal than staying in a cramped hotel room, with no kitchen, no living room, long walks to the parking lot, and outrageous rates - on a per-guest basis.

The 9/11 tragedy frightened the world, of course, but slowly travel returned. The 2008 recession took away discretionary income, some of which would have been for travel. Slowly it rebounded.

Some guests fall for the pitch from Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) such as Expedia, because they buy the pitch that all bookings are cancellable, that the OTAs list all lodgings, and that they can earn "points" that may have some value.

VRBO.com implied that guests were booking with the "Owner" when, in fact, the majority of properties --especially the well maintained, properly cleaned ones -- are from professional managers. But some guests fell for it.

AirBnB sold guests the option of renting a couch or room in someone's house, until they figured out that guests really want private vacation rental homes. AirBnB produces lots of bookings, but guests can be -- shall we say -- weird. Such as expecting the host to meet them for a drink when checking in, even if it's late at night.

At first Covid pushed people into panic, but then travelers ran out of patience and figured out that the safest lodging option is to rent a professionally-managed private vacation home.

We soared because we always ask customers what they wanted. Yes -- our cleaning exceeds high hospitality standards. Yes -- you can check in without "touching" anyone. Yes -- you can bring your family. Yes -- the homes have solid internet so guests can work while vacationing. And oddly, no -- there are no early check-ins to assure the home has been sufficiently empty prior to arrival. (That is the answer the guest actually wants to hear.)

Our ability to adapt to the changing market place has given even more visitors wonderful vacations and our property clients even more money. If your vacation rental home income has not soared, please give us a call. We'll fix it.

Author: Wm, May, Vortex VIP
Blog #: 0772 – 06/30/20

Sponsor: Vortex VIP – – VortexVIP.com

Best Halloween Advertising. Cheapest too.

By William May
Published: 10/31/15 Topics: Advertising, Marketing Comments: 0

Many experts will rattle your brain with every kind of advertising and marketing. But the restaurant - Two Doors Down - exceeds them all with their latest Halloween advertising idea. It may not be what you expect. Boo. Read more

Sponsor: MayPartners – Pumping Advertising for decades but a new kinda marketing machine. Old fashioned marketing smarts with new technological know how. Our platform of constant promotion pumps up your sales. But you gotta call us now to start. – MayPartners.com

Creepy Vacation Rental Videos

By Wm. May
Published: 05/27/15 Topics: Marketing, Vacation Rentals, Videos Comments: 0

Videos are now being used as background graphics for many websites including for vacation rental advertising that depict guests inside homes in seemingly innocent moments like lounging bed or playing with their children. But does it cross the line? Read more

Nothing Beats Chateau Chocolate Cake

By William May
Published: 10/01/10 Topics: Advertising, Marketing, Packwood WA, Radio, Selling Comments: 0

Years ago when I operated an advertising agency we sure thought we worked long and hard. Not to reveal my age, but I remember when we had to "spec" type, courier the details to a type setter and then wait days while it was set and returned to us. We then had to paste the galleys onto art board along with photos or other art to arrange the desired final ad. Read more

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