During the Airbnb high season everyone can maintain a high occupancy rate, but it's the slow season that separates amateurs from professionals.
Investors and homeowners reach out to us during the slow season because they are not able to attract guests and generate consistent profits.
Our full-service Airbnb operations team in the Poconos implements various strategies to make keep homes booked during the off-seasons in the mountains.
Update Your Listing to Cater to Your Guest Avatar
Identify the avatar that travels to your area during this time and update your listing according to their interests. For example, if your units are usually rented out during the summer months to guests attending various summer activities such as water parks; those travelers aren't looking for a place to stay come winter because it's too chilly.
You'll need to adjust your marketing campaign accordingly and target visitors in your area who are looking for winter activities such as skiing.
Update your listing descriptions to reflect the new seasons and activities guests’ can participate in.
You can also consider things like fireplaces, hot tubs, or other features that are more related to the winter season.
Implement Pricing Strategies and Discounts
During peak Airbnb season, many vacationers are traveling to the destination. This creates higher demand, resulting in higher prices and occupancy levels.
When the peak travelers are no longer going to that area then occupancy levels drop and so many times you would have to adjust your pricing strategy to stay competitive with other hosts.
We recommend using a pricing tools to help measure and adjust prices based on demand for the area. Tools such as Beyond Pricing, PriceLabs, and Wheelhouse are all great options.
Convert Your Prior Guests
As your investment, handling a property well means that you need to constantly develop new leads and attract new customers.
But it doesn’t mean you should forget about the people who have previously stayed or have talked to you about staying in your home because they haven’t booked yet.
Warm leads have a higher conversion rate and cost less in marketing costs than new leads.
Utilize Social Media to Spread the Word
While the busy travel season is in full swing, it's possible that you may not need to market a whole lot. People will likely already know that they're traveling and will be looking for accommodations.
When the high Airbnb season ends, however, you may want to do a little marketing for your place to make travelers aware of what you offer. Social media is an amazing way to get eyes on your property.
Focus on sharing content with communities that will book your place and focus on getting as many shared posts as possible.
Final Remarks
Obtaining bookings during the slow season can make or break many Airbnb hosts. If you are not able to generate income during the slower months, then many investments can go negative and become an issue if trying to build momentum before going into the peak season.
Luckily, Desired Stays is here to help. If you are looking for the best Airbnb management company in the Poconos to help make your listing one of the top performers in the area, then schedule a call with us TODAY!