May 1st, 2019

In this 3-part blog series, we’re breaking down what it takes to market to an Emotionally Motivated Buyer, ways you can resonate with your guests and how to build long-term relationships that will help you grow your business.

Part I

Today’s travelers expect a level of service that combines luxury accommodations with experiences that touch them emotionally to create cherished family memories. To compete in the vacation rental property market today, you need to differentiate your brand from your competitors and provide your visitors with a “Best-in-class” luxury experience that exceeds their expectations and resonates with them long after they leave.

However, creating an experience that reaches your customer is not only about providing a luxurious environment and crafting creative experiences, but it also requires an integrated approach. From the first contact, through your potential visitor’s buying process, for the duration of their visit and beyond, every touch point needs to be designed to provide value, while resonating with your guests on an emotional level.

Every aspect of your outreach, from your marketing – both traditional and digital, to your collateral, your social engagement, your customer service, and your follow-up should be geared toward creating the emotional connection that will make your property stand out. By creating a comprehensive, integrated emotional experience for your guests, you’ll not only stand out from your competition, but you’ll also be building brand ambassadors that will go and spread the word about your brand and what makes it different. This then brings the experience full-circle, reinforcing and energizing all of your other efforts, growing your brand and your business in the process!

Let’s explore some key areas that can help you to differentiate your properties from your competitors.

First, Some Interesting Data…

Today’s leisure traveler is seeking a vacation experience that goes beyond having a nice room, sipping cocktails by the pool, or laying on the beach. They are trying to reconnect with experiences that they had as a child, or attempting to create lasting memories with their families. This is especially true when it comes to Millennials, who are the most significant demographic since the boomer generation.

Recent studies have found that:

• 33% of travelers say they’d prefer to stay in a holiday rental home or apartment over a hotel (Booking.com 2018)
• 75% of Millennials say that they’d rather buy a “physical experience” than a physical product. As Millennials age and disposable income increases, this statistic shows the potential for tremendous growth for experiential travel going forward. (Recode 2018)
• A new report from Arival found that of US adults surveyed, one in four travelers plan to book all of their activities before their departure date. 23% will book all of their activities in advance, 24% will schedule most of their activities before departure, 16% will book half in advance, 18% will book most in-destination, and 17% will book all of their activities upon arrival. (PhocusWire 2018)

What these statistics show is that today’s traveler is seeking to create “experiential vacations” and about half are researching and booking all or most of their activities before they depart. That means that to stand out from your in-market competitors, attract visitors and close bookings, you’ll need to create an emotional response from the earliest stages of engagement, during your guest’s research phase.

Let’s explore some ways that you can take this information and use it to differentiate your brand and provide your guests with a “Best in Class” experience!

An Overview

Developing an emotional response from your potential customers requires a comprehensive and integrated approach. From the quality of your content, website, and search engine listings to creating an exceptional customer service experience, every touch point your guest encounters needs to work together to resonate emotionally.

Here are seven areas where you can create an emotional response with your potential guests that can help to close the sale, create customer loyalty and build lasting relationships that will result in a more significant long-term value per guest.

1. Stand Out Within Your Digital Channels
2. Add Guest Value
3. Use Professional Photography and Images
4. Create “Brand Ambassadors” and Drive Reviews
5. Increase Guest Engagement with Social Programs
6. Create “Best in Class” Guest Activity Programs
7. Provide Exceptional Guest Services and Customer Service

By focusing on developing each of these seven areas together, you can begin to create an emotional resonance with your guests from their research stage, until they leave your property and beyond!

To be continued . . . in Part II of Marketing To The Emotionally Motivated Buyer