{"id":4684,"date":"2024-04-26T15:02:54","date_gmt":"2024-04-26T14:02:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.helpfulholidays.co.uk\/blog\/?p=4684"},"modified":"2026-03-11T10:30:09","modified_gmt":"2026-03-11T10:30:09","slug":"south-west-holiday-let-advertising-and-marketing-tips","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.helpfulholidays.co.uk\/blog\/south-west-holiday-let-advertising-and-marketing-tips\/","title":{"rendered":"South West Holiday Let Advertising and Marketing Tips"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"color: #043570;\"><strong>Whether you\u2019re a seasoned holiday let owner or just venturing into the world of holiday lets, navigating the competitive market can be daunting. So, if you\u2019re looking for tips on holiday let advertising to increase your bookings and revenue, you\u2019re in the right place.\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">From maximising your property\u2019s appeal to reaching your target market effectively, we\u2019ve put together some tips to help you boost your bookings.<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2><strong>Holiday Let Advertising<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Click the quick links below for a specific topic or read on for tips on holiday let advertising:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"#1\">Know your target audience<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#2\">Photos sell<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#3\">Be creative with your content<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#4\">Sites to advertise holiday lets<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#5\">Social media<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#6\">Magazines and print publications<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#7\">Pricing<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#8\">Repeat guests<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#9\">Benefits of a holiday letting agency for holiday let advertising<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#10\">Why Helpful Holidays?<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr \/>\n<h2 id=\"1\">Make sure you understand your target audience<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Now that you\u2019ve purchased your holiday let, you want to ask yourself a simple yet important question &#8211; <\/span><b>who is my property best suited for? <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The best way to work this out is to look at your property\u2019s features, what it\u2019s close to, and the guest experience you want to deliver. You want to make sure these match your intended target market.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While focusing on one main target market is important, you should also make sure your property appeals to as many people as possible to maximise bookings. By appealing to couples, families, dog owners, hikers, and walkers you\u2019ll be able to stretch your bookings into the shoulder months as well as the peak school holidays.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At Helpful Holidays, our access to national and regional marketing allows us to advertise your holiday let more effectively. Our research shows that staycation bookings in the UK are made up of around 40% couples, 27% adult groups, 2% solo travellers, and 31% families. Be sure to consider this when advertising and marketing certain features of your holiday let.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2 id=\"2\">Photos sell<\/h2>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-4690\" src=\"https:\/\/www.helpfulholidays.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2024\/04\/Holiday-Let-Advertising-and-Marketing-Tips-Photography.jpg\" alt=\"South West Holiday Let Marketing and Advertising Tips: Photography icon overlaid on an image of a shepherd's hut\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ever heard the phrase \u2018a picture\u2019s worth a thousand words\u2019? Nothing has been more true when it comes to marketing your holiday let. High-quality, professional images are vital when it comes to showing off your holiday let. They will really help to sell the experience to your intended target market.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At Helpful Holidays, our New Property Consultants use top-of-the-range equipment to take high quality images of your holiday home, which are then edited by our Digital Media Team. When it comes to displaying these images, our market-leading website uses algorithms to determine which order is best for the images based on which ones customers engage with.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Photographs are included as part of our service to owners. You also have the option to organise professional photography yourself if you wish.<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2 id=\"3\">Be creative with your content<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Now you\u2019ve got those all-important photos, you\u2019ll want to make your property stand out from the crowd even more. How? With a well-written, creative property description. When writing your holiday let description, always keep your target market at the forefront of your mind and use a fairly informal tone to attract potential customers.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Be sure to include the following:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Your property\u2019s features and facilities<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Information on the local area including things to do, shops, points of interest, and places to eat<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Not keen on writing the description yourself? At Helpful Holidays, our team will take care of it for you. We use a specific structure to ensure it appears in relevant Google searches. We use a combination of descriptive text and an informative summary so your guests are able to picture themselves moving around your property before they\u2019ve even clicked the \u2018book now\u2019 button.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2 id=\"4\">Sites to advertise holiday lets on<\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-4691\" src=\"https:\/\/www.helpfulholidays.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2024\/04\/Holiday-Let-Advertising-and-Marketing-Tips-Websites.jpg\" alt=\"South West Holiday Let Marketing and Advertising Tips: Internet icon overlaid on an image of a sea view\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To maximise your property\u2019s visibility, you\u2019ll want to get it on as many holiday letting websites as you can. This can be tricky to do by yourself, but at Helpful Holidays we can do this for you.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">All our properties are listed on both the Helpful Holidays website and our parent site, Sykes Holiday Cottages. However, that\u2019s not all, we also give owners the chance to advertise their property on over 700 specially selected partner sites. These sites include booking.com, Snaptrip!, and Airbnb.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We also work with a range of local tourist boards and affiliate sites to ensure that our brand is visible across the South West of England.<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2 id=\"5\">Social media<\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-4692\" src=\"https:\/\/www.helpfulholidays.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2024\/04\/Holiday-Let-Advertising-and-Marketing-Tips-Social-Media.jpg\" alt=\"South West Holiday Let Marketing and Advertising Tips: Mobile phone icon overlaid on an image of a shepherd's hut\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Leveraging the power of Social Media to market your holiday let has never been more important. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Recent research<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> shows that more people are using social media than ever before, with the typical user spending around 15% of their waking life on at least one social media platform.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Facebook continues to be the preferred platform used by older social media users, so it\u2019s one platform to consider when marketing your holiday let. Research also shows that users aged 16 to 24 are less likely to have a Facebook profile, so making sure you are on several social media platforms, including Instagram, is key to getting your property out there.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A consumer survey showed that 9 in 10 people buy from brands they follow on social media, so having a presence on these platforms is vital. Gaining a presence online can take time and effort, which is why owners who let their property through Helpful Holidays have an advantage over those who do it themselves.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We are constantly optimising our social media to increase our brand presence and website traffic, driving guests to your property in turn. Guests who have a question can also message us directly for a quick response, establishing trust and building on our brand reputation.<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2 id=\"6\"><strong>Magazines and print publications<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-4693\" src=\"https:\/\/www.helpfulholidays.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2024\/04\/Holiday-Let-Advertising-and-Marketing-Tips-Press.jpg\" alt=\"South West Holiday Let Marketing and Advertising Tips: Magazine icon overlaid on an image of a holiday cottage\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In a digital society, print is still a highly effective marketing strategy. At Helpful Holidays, we always recommend a mix of both offline and online marketing to maximise your holiday home\u2019s bookings and revenue.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You\u2019ll want to consider the types of publications your intended guests might be looking to determine where will be best to place your print ads. Consider publications like tourist information brochures, local tourist guides, or newspapers. Helpful Holidays\u2019 press marketing strategy means we advertise in a number of local publications like Dartmoor Magazine, Moor Links and the Exmouth Journal, as well as larger national titles like Coast.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Good ads will always have a call to action, which invites the guest to do something, whether that\u2019s to make a booking, connect on social media, or scan a QR code.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">By using an experienced holiday letting agency like Helpful Holidays, all of the marketing and advertising of your holiday property will be taken care of. We use tried and tested techniques to attract as many customers as possible to our brand websites, which in turn generates bookings for our owners\u2019 properties.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2 id=\"7\"><strong>Pricing<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-4694\" src=\"https:\/\/www.helpfulholidays.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2024\/04\/Holiday-Let-Advertising-and-Marketing-Tips-Pricing.jpg\" alt=\"South West Holiday Let Marketing and Advertising Tips: Money and magnifying glass icon overlaid on an image of an outdoor dining area\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At Helpful Holidays, we know that working out how much to charge for your holiday let can be difficult. That\u2019s why we use a dynamic pricing tool to actively adjust prices in line with demand. When demand is higher we increase your rate to maximise your income, and when demand is lower, we decrease your rates to secure more bookings.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We will never let rates drop below a base rate which we agree with you in advance. In 2023, our research found that owners who used our dynamic pricing had 20% more revenue and 5 additional bookings compared to those who did not.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Thinking of letting with us? We can provide a free income proposal that details your expected income across the year as well as high and low season rates.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2 id=\"8\"><strong>Repeat guests<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Retaining guests is your biggest asset. Having previous customers come back time and time again will cost you less than new guests.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Great ways to encourage guests to come back to your property include:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Detailed information packs<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Welcome gifts<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Responding to guest feedback<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Taking note of recommendations<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Making necessary improvements in a timely manner<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sending out \u2018welcome back\u2019 offers in the form of discounts for future stays<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Personalised emails or mailings<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr \/>\n<h2 id=\"9\"><strong>Benefits of using a holiday letting agency for holiday let advertising<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Marketing and advertising your holiday let on your own is often time-consuming and involves a lot of hard work. Using a holiday letting agency to advertise and market your holiday let can have several benefits. Here are 8 key benefits to help you decide whether using a holiday letting agency like Helpful Holidays is right for you:<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Professional marketing expertise<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Our team of industry experts are highly skilled in marketing properties to potential holidaymakers. They understand market trends, target demographics, and which advertising channels are best to maximise visibility and bookings.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At Helpful Holidays, we have a <\/span><b>\u00a335 million annual marketing budget <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">and are proud to be part of the Sykes Cottages brand. This allows us to offer owners local and national marketing to maximise revenue and bookings. All properties listed on the Helpful Holidays website are also listed on Sykes\u2019 website.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Wider reach<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Alongside market-leading websites, Helpful Holidays has a broad network of partner sites where we can list your properties. We have over 700 specially selected partner sites including Airbnb and Booking.com, to bring our owners the best chances of gaining bookings.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We also have a wide range of small affiliate sites and local tourist boards, to ensure that our brand is visible across the South West.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Expert advice &amp; professional support<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Holiday letting agencies can provide valuable advice and insights on everything from pricing strategies and legal compliance to property management and guest expectations. By using a local holiday letting agency, you can also gain valuable information on the local area and marketing insights that will help maximise your revenue.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Holiday letting agencies are also on hand if any issues arise during a guest\u2019s stay. This ensures that guests have a positive experience and you don\u2019t have to worry about being close to your phone 24\/7. At Helpful Holidays, we have a dedicated team who will be there should any emergencies arise, so you can rest assured your guests are well looked after.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Overall, using a holiday letting agency for advertising and marketing your holiday let offers convenience, expertise, and peace of mind, so you can focus on other aspects of property ownership whilst maximising your income potential.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Learn more about <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.helpfulholidays.co.uk\/blog\/holiday-property-management\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">South West Holiday Let Management<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> on our blog.<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2 id=\"10\"><strong>Why Helpful Holidays?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-4695\" src=\"https:\/\/www.helpfulholidays.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2024\/04\/Holiday-Let-Advertising-and-Marketing-Tips-Helpful-Holidays.jpg\" alt=\"South West Holiday Let Marketing and Advertising Tips: Helpful Holidays logo\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Helpful Holidays has a team of industry experts who specialise in property management, reservations, finance, and administration. We pride ourselves on delivering a personalised service to our customers and holiday let owners.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Based in the South West, with a local office in Chagford, as well as a team at our national Sykes office, we offer a combination of local service and national marketing power. We have built up our brand reputation over several years, meaning Helpful Holidays can be seen everywhere from local tourist information centres to your potential guests\u2019 Google searches.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Let your cottage with us<\/h2>\n<p>For more information about letting your cottage with us, <strong>complete the form below<\/strong>. Our team will be in touch to answer any questions, and you&#8217;ll receive a copy of our <strong>FREE Owner Guide<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<div style=\"margin-top: -25px; margin-bottom: 20px;\"><script type=\"text\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/sykescottages.jotform.com\/jsform\/250763125518961\"><\/script><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Whether you\u2019re a seasoned holiday let owner or just venturing into the world of holiday lets, navigating the competitive market can be daunting. So, if you\u2019re looking for tips on holiday let advertising to increase your bookings and revenue, you\u2019re in the right place.\u00a0 From maximising your property\u2019s appeal to reaching your target market effectively, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":119,"featured_media":4689,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4684","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-owner-advice","location-south-west-england"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.helpfulholidays.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4684","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.helpfulholidays.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.helpfulholidays.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.helpfulholidays.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/119"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.helpfulholidays.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4684"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/www.helpfulholidays.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4684\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5469,"href":"https:\/\/www.helpfulholidays.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4684\/revisions\/5469"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.helpfulholidays.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4689"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.helpfulholidays.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4684"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.helpfulholidays.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4684"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.helpfulholidays.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4684"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}