| There are a number of factors coming together | | | | But like most social media, Facebook is not a set |
| that have vacation rental owners looking at the | | | | it and forget it vehicle. It takes cultivation. You |
| ways they promote their properties with the | | | | will get out what you put in. With a little |
| utmost scrutiny. The soft economy is hitting | | | | interaction, however, you will see your list of |
| owners on both the revenue and cost side of the | | | | friends grow exponentially. And with each layer of |
| VR---what ever locale it is in | | | | growth, your vacation rental can get more and |
| geographically---prompting careful evaluation of | | | | more exposure. For example, Second Porch |
| where to spend time and money in getting | | | | allows you to cultivate a community of future |
| visibility. | | | | guests, past guests and folks who recommend |
| | | | | your home. All of this can greatly influence |
| In addition, the scam quotient is rising with owners | | | | future inquiries, but you need to invite people to |
| now skeptical of the legitimacy of their rental | | | | be part of this community |
| inquiries and protective of their reputations on line. | | | | |
| | | | | Twitter is a great way to get your message out |
| This confluence of all these concerns has VR | | | | in small bites. The function only allows 140 |
| owners looking at social media. What is it? Does | | | | characters per message, so you can’t really |
| it work for a vacation rental? What works best? | | | | rave on about your VR. It’s best used to |
| | | | | promote your geo-area or your blog, but will be |
| Social Media is simply just another form of | | | | an unwieldy vehicle to do direct advertising of |
| communication that can take the form of a blog | | | | your property. Again, it’s free to join, and if |
| (think Blogger), a social network (think Facebook), | | | | you have a blog, it’s easy to just get out a |
| a microblog (think Twitter), and can include any | | | | tweet on your most recent blog post. |
| number of online alternative vehicles such as | | | | |
| YouTube or Flickr. All of these social media | | | | All three of these functions, Facebook, Twitter |
| outlets can help with promoting your VR. | | | | and blogging, are best used together but any one |
| | | | | of them alone can be effective. All three are |
| Facebook alone added 100 million users in less | | | | free, easy and high impact over time. None will |
| than nine months, growing to over 300 million | | | | work overnight. |
| members now. If Facebook were a country, it | | | | |
| would be the fourth most populated place in the | | | | More challenging is creating a video for YouTube |
| world. This means it easily beats the likes of | | | | that will be engaging and effective. Photo sharing |
| Brazil, Russia and Japan in terms of size. | | | | with Flickr is an easier reach, and your great pix |
| | | | | can be a powerful way to show off your |
| Now, Facebook offers its members access to an | | | | VR’s location to an audience already eager to |
| application devoted to vacation rentals. The new | | | | find the beautiful and unusual in the world. |
| app, Second Porch, allows owners to post their | | | | |
| property for rent or trade, allowing their pages to | | | | Vacation rental owners willing to step out of the |
| be public or private. Facebook and Second | | | | box and explore alternatives to traditional VR |
| Porch are low lying fruits, easy to join, easy to | | | | portals will find a world of assistance in social |
| make friends, easy to use. | | | | media. It just takes the will to look for another |
| | | | | way. |