Direct Booking Success Podcast

What is better than receiving a referral for a stay? Perhaps having a steady stream of referrals. That's exactly what Melanie Kriel discovered, and it's revolutionising the hospitality industry in her area. With her well-executed referral system, she's not only increasing her bookings but providing exceptional hospitality to visitors in the area.  We talk about: Melanie’s background and how s...

Curl up and listen while I tell you stories of two short-term owners who were looking for direct booking success? Both were struggling in their businesses and life but were able to see a way to having the success they wanted. Direct booking success means different things to different people. What does it mean to you? I talk about: The challenges faced by vacation rental owners in achieving direct...

Imagine finding the one thing that can help your short-term rental business stand out from the rest?  This week’s guest is Sara Sokol from Bath, Maine, USA where she has one vacation rental. She has taken her passion from her day job as a dog trainer to a new level by going all in with being not only pet-friendly but pet welcoming. Making this decision started her down a path of helping other...

I believe that having your own marketing plan is crucial for achieving more direct bookings for your holiday/vacation/short-term rental business. Without one, it's like going on a road trip without a map or GPS – you just won't know where you're going or how to get there. Having a plan gives you the confidence that you are on the road for direct booking success along with the knowledge and tools t...

Today's podcast is with Evan Dolgow from Aidaptive.com. We chat about staying ahead of the curve in the ever-changing digital world. Evan compares direct booking to e-commerce and tells us what we can learn from giant e-commerce platforms. He also emphasises the importance of understanding your ideal guest and their booking journey and how taking the time to do so can provide immense value for you...

In this episode of the Direct Booking Success podcast, I talk about the term "passive income" and its implications for those in the hospitality industry. Many people who initially bought into the idea of passive income from property rentals now realise the amount of work involved and that the money does not come in passively. I also offer advice on how to stand out in the industry, including not p...

In September 2022, I hosted the second Direct Booking Success Summit, a three-day online summit for hosts, owners and managers in short-term rentals. It was packed with learning from top experts in the field, and today's episode is a recording of a live session I hosted with three of those experts about what hospitality is. They're all so knowledgeable and inspiring, I just had to share the conver...

What does the word hospitality mean to you? The market has been saturated over the past couple of years with more and more people getting into our short-term rental business. The fact is that there's now more competition than ever. So how are you going to stand out? We talk about: I hear so many people getting into short-term rentals as a get-rich-quick strategy Those who don't invest time and ene...

Do you want some tips to help increase your direct bookings? In September 2022, I hosted the second Direct Booking Success Summit. It was three days of free online learning from the top experts in our short-term rental field.  Today I'm bringing you a conversation I had with five of them as part of a special live session where they give you their one thing that you should do to increase your...

Statistically, your ‘About’ page is the second most looked-at page on your website. What distinguishes you from your competitors? Today's guest is copywriter Concetta Cassidy, the owner of the Cheeky Pineapple, a copywriting studio that provides stress-free vacation rental marketing, for owners, hosts and property managers. Singing and playing the piano from an early age taught Concetta how to res...

If you were already on the direct booking journey, then you know how important having somewhere for your guests to ‘book direct’ with you is. If you are just starting, let me tell you straight up, you need your own website! Topics discussed:  Guests need to be able to ‘book direct’ on your website  Stop putting obstacles in front of guests Not every booking will do Using your marketing to get book...

Are you an Airbnb Host or a Property Manager?  In this episode I speak about going from being a host to a professional property manager and why this is such an important change needed in your mindset. Topics discussed: Setting goals at the start of the year Hospitality is a 24/7 business Running a vacation rental/holiday let is hard work Booking trends of the past few years You are the CEO of...

Are you ready for direct bookings? Or need to inject some adrenaline into what you’re been doing up-to-now? Today I'm speaking about the two must-haves you need to drive your direct bookings along with a bunch of tips to get you going. Topics discussed: How to get your ideal guest's attention Encouraging people to know, like and trust you Be consistent in all your marketing Make it manageable for...

How many of your bookings come through an OTA (an online travel agent like Airbnb or booking.com or VRBO)? Perhaps you are only listed on one of them, or maybe you're listed on all of them. In this episode, I talk about why you should get off the OTA rollercoaster and concentrate on your own Direct Booking Success. Topics discussed: Stop putting all of your eggs in one basket OTA listings get shut...

Using social media for your airbnb/vacation/holiday/short-term rental? How's that working for you?  Are you chasing numbers and followers, getting frustrated that you are not getting more bookings? In this episode, I talk about how I think you should be using social media to your advantage and getting your ideal guests to book direct with you. Topics discussed: Chasing followers on social med...

When I ask owners and managers of Holiday/Vacation/Short-term Rentals – What is holding you back from actually sending emails? The answer I usually hear is that they have no idea what to write about in an email.  In this episode, I’ll help you get off the starting block and on to sending out emails to those on your list. Topics discussed: Speak to your ideal guest, not everyone on your list a...

First off, don't panic from the title of this episode! You do need to be building two email lists, not just one. But don’t worry, not only am I gonna tell you why, but I'll also tell you a bit about how to actually do this. I will not leave you high and dry, believe me! Topics discussed: Previous guests are your fans or VIPs Previous guests are your first email list Who should be included in your...

 This time of year is not always looking fully booked. Don’t panic! Sometimes that's not a bad thing if you've been really busy over the summer, and you need a bit of a rest or perhaps you're just looking for new ways to get those bookings for this off peak time. So let's talk this through… Topics discussed: Marketing when you’re busy That calendar will not stay fully booked It’s not too late to g...

Ever wondered how one of those ‘Escape to the Country TV episodes turned out? This week I speak with Sarah Orchard. Sarah is a marketing consultant and creator of fully-booked.com and host with her husband Adrian of the Hudnails Hideout Treehouse. Sarah and Adrian were guests on the British TV show ‘Escape to the Country’ when they were looking for their own piece of land to build a holiday rental...

Wow! I have just wrapped the second Direct Booking Success Summit! I really hope you were there. But just in case you missed it, today I'm going to chat about my own presentation which was – You don't have to do it all to still have direct booking success. I hope you enjoy it. Topics discussed: How you can still have direct booking success if you don't or can't do everything What direct booking su...

The Direct Booking Success Summit is nearly here! I just wanted to say a few ‘thank-you's’ to the people behind the scenes and to let you know what we have in store for you at the summit this week. Plus I’ll give you a look at awesome prizes and VIP content on offer, I can’t wait to see you there. Topics discussed: A big thank you to Carol and Nina for helping me put together everything needed to...

In today's episode, I speak with Louise Brace, owner of Rental Tonic who helps owners and hosts create direct booking strategies for their Direct Booking websites and other channels. Louise is a copywriter and digital marketing strategist and is also speaking at the Direct Booking Success Summit this year Topics discussed: Home is where your heart is How marketing your property has changed in the...

Today we speak with serial entrepreneur Heather Bayer who has been immersed in the vacation rental industry for over 25 years. In this episode, Heather shares her story and also what is coming up for her since selling her 95% book direct, 20-year-old company in Canada earlier this year. Hear how the idea was born for her to leave the UK and head to Cottage Country in Ontario, Canada. And how the d...

Put your hands up if you believe that sustainability should be a core part of your business. Now keep your hand up if you are already implementing sustainable actions. How did you do? This is just a snippet of my conversation with Bob Garner, another speaker at this year’s Direct Booking Success Summit, starting on the 27th of September. Bob owns and operates Casal dei Fichi, six holiday apartment...

Ever thought of what it would be like to start your own B&B business in a foreign country, virtually on your own with children? That is what today’s guest, Yvonne Halling did. And that’s only the start of her amazing story of reinvention.  Yvonne Halling is a speaker at this year's Direct Booking Success summit this September. Yvonne's jaw-dropping story will have you hooked from start to...