Peak season is officially in full swing. Schools are out for summer, staycations are in action, and the warmer weather attracts travellers from near and far. This is a significant time of year for the UK’s self-catering community. It’s a time when we all strive for back-to-back bookings and a jampacked calendar. It’s not all plain sailing, but year after year presents a magnificent opportunity to enhance revenue and entice new custom.
Perhaps you’ve found yourself with fewer bookings than anticipated. This can be concerning, but we’re pleased to share that all is not lost! Booking behaviour is ever-changing, and it’s important to remember that the scope of travel has changed significantly in the past two years.
Our booking diaries are no longer comparable with the staycation boom of the pandemic, and we should reflect on 2019 as an equivalent data source. According to our stats, overall, we’re ahead of Q1/Q2 in 2019, with the summer months looking much the same.
If you find yourself looking to capture more bookings for the remainder of peak season, we have some helpful top tips to get you started.
Be aware of lead times
Interestingly, lead times have changed significantly into the summer months. While you’re likely to work against typical booking lead times VS occupancy rate, there’s been a shift to much shorter lead times in July and August. If you find yourself with free slots in the months ahead, there’s a possibility of capturing last-minute bookings for guests yet to organise their summer break.
Create a distribution plan
An excellent distribution plan will inevitably lead to further bookings. Love or loathe them; online booking channels act as one of the most powerful sources of bookings in your properties’ marketing toolkit. Platforms such as Airbnb and Booking.com can reach millions of potential guests every day. Best of all, you can quickly list your properties on a multitude of platforms using SuperControl’s channel manager. If you’re already utilising booking channels, you can take steps to optimise your listings to increase visibility and improve your likelihood of appearing up top in search results. Of course, direct bookings are the ultimate goal, and there are several steps you can take to efficiently market your property, such as:
- Social media marketing and targeted ads
- Website optimisation
- Google ads and SEO
- Local advertising opportunities
- Email marketing
Consider dynamic pricing tools
Adapting to the changing market and optimising your pricing to suit is no easy feat. To find the optimal price, you might want to consider using dynamic pricing tools such as Beyond Pricing to take the guesswork out of pricing and optimise the value of each booking. Tools like Beyond Pricing are designed to enhance revenue and boost occupancy. Removing the fuss of manually pricing your properties by using real-time data and market insights, dynamic pricing saves you bucketloads of time that can be better spent focussing on your business. This handy guide will tell you everything you need to know to nail your pricing strategy and make the most of the current market conditions.
Entice repeat guests with email marketing tactics
There’s something particularly heartwarming as a self-caterer when a guest chooses to stay with you time and time again. Enticing repeat guests is a fantastic way to fill the blind spots in your booking calendar throughout the summer months. One way to attract this market is through targeted email campaigns. You can produce focused campaigns for past guests by segmenting your existing database. For example, you might want to offer a pooch promotional discount to those who have previously stayed with their pet. Best of all, you can send trigger-based automated emails straight from your SuperControl account.
Are you interested to learn more about how SuperControl can support your business during peak season and beyond? Get in touch today.
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