It is pretty safe to say that this year property managers will most probably be saved by internal demand. National tourists will be pretty much the only ones around and will most probably be the ones supporting the entire vacation rental field on their own being the main, if not only, source of income. This evolution is forcing companies to focus on internal clients rather than international ones and this has an effect on their marketing strategies.
How are marketing strategies changing?
1.Competitive advantages and differentiated services
It won’t be necessary to struggle so much to promote and sell the territory because the internal demand knows pretty well what it can offer: culture, nature, enogastronomy etc. Naturally, being prepared to suggest people and places will be important but not as it was in the recent past, where most of the tourists knew little about the destination. On the other hand, supplements and extras may very well make a big difference to differentiate the offer within a local market, usually homogeneous by definition.
For example, having an agritourism nearby that offers biological products at an exclusive price for those who stay in one of our properties, having the property ready to host handicapped clients or simply having a garden and/or a swimming pool will probably make a difference. Some property managers realized it and tried to invest and improve their structure without exaggerating too much with costs.
2. Promote via social network
World wide the main tool surely is Instagram, which in the meantime keeps on growing leaving an empty space behind. Thanks to such vast use, we are talking about 1 billion active users every month, this APP allows us to reach a pretty important and appealing basin of potential clients. There are alternative APPs, maybe more adapt to some niche markets, but Instagram is by far the most popular tool.
In any case, first of all it is necessary to create a business account with a complete and updated profile including pictures, business name and a small description of it. Next, it will be essential to insert content with a certain frequency while remaining faithful to the selected business style. This way the property manager will be able to build its own virtual character and attract even more visibility. Content can be realized and exploited in two different ways, through classic posts to share videos and photographs or by using stories, visible for only 24 hours after being posted. The important thing is to always ping the location in all posts because it may very well generate more visits and therefore potential sales. Finally, another important factor is interaction with clients, when possible, in order to have the profile always active and well positioned.
3. Adapt prices to national calendar
Bank holidays and long weekends are undoubtedly the most important days so it is essential to apply the correct pricing strategy. Pricing strategy doesn't necessarily mean higher prices, it could manifest via specific packages or discounts depending on the property.
4. Reservation policies and restrictions
National tourists will reserve with much less anticipation compared to foreigners as these usually need more time to plan their trip to the destination. Last minute discounts and specific cancellation policies may allow property managers to be more flexible and make a difference when counting reservations at the end of the season. Also, being internal, the demand will prefer shorter stays so it would be wise to keep an eye on the minimum stay configuration in order to be more in sintony with the actual demand.