Running ads for direct booking website

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Running ads for direct booking website

Alton Johnson
Investor · Atlanta, GA · Member since 2021 · 34 posts · 10 votes

Hi all! I'm curious to know how many of you have explored running Facebook ads to promote your STR and generate more bookings. Additionally, I would greatly appreciate any insights or examples of successful ad creatives that have worked well for your STR properties.

We've got a direct booking website getting built at the moment (which I'm particularly excited about), but then the next step will be promoting it, so I'm curious to get some thoughts and feedback around this.

I know not everyone is excited about direct booking sites, but I'm mostly curious about the people who actually do have them and how it's promoted.

Thanks for any tips!

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John UnderwoodPro Member
Investor · Greer, SC · Member since 2014 · 13k+ posts · 17k+ votes
2y

You only meet with your wife annually?

4Reply
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  • Jeff ChisumPro Member
    Lender · All 50 States · Member since 2020 · 248 posts · 142 votes
    2y

    After our annual meeting with my wife I took responsibility of increasing cash flow at our two STR's. I started with increasing bookings. Next step was increasing marketing. Facebook has it so dialed in and easy to run. I was pleasantly surprised with engagement. Just have to be consistent to post.

    3Reply
  • Alton Johnson
    OP
    Investor · Atlanta, GA · Member since 2021 · 34 posts · 10 votes
    2y

    Hey @Jeff Chisum thanks a lot for sharing that information and example too! Any chance you do it on just Facebook, or other social media platforms as well? I imagine if anything else, it would just be Instagram? That's a really beautiful ad and I can understand why there's such good engagement with it!

    0Reply
  • Jeff ChisumPro Member
    Lender · All 50 States · Member since 2020 · 248 posts · 142 votes
    2y
    Quote from @Alton Johnson:

    Hey @Jeff Chisum thanks a lot for sharing that information and example too! Any chance you do it on just Facebook, or other social media platforms as well? I imagine if anything else, it would just be Instagram? That's a really beautiful ad and I can understand why there's such good engagement with it!


    1Reply
  • Jeff ChisumPro Member
    Lender · All 50 States · Member since 2020 · 248 posts · 142 votes
    2y

    Happy to help.  When you create a business page on FB you can link it to Instagram so you don’t have to double your efforts

    3Reply
  • Alton Johnson
    OP
    Investor · Atlanta, GA · Member since 2021 · 34 posts · 10 votes
    2y
    Quote from @Jeff Chisum:

    Happy to help.  When you create a business page on FB you can link it to Instagram so you don’t have to double your efforts


     Gotcha - makes perfect sense!

    1Reply
  • Jeff ChisumPro Member
    Lender · All 50 States · Member since 2020 · 248 posts · 142 votes
    2y

    I have long ways to go and people doing it much better than me but see how quickly engagement can grow.  To me it’s the fun part of the business.  Like anything else…more attention=more results

    1Reply
  • Alton Johnson
    OP
    Investor · Atlanta, GA · Member since 2021 · 34 posts · 10 votes
    2y
    Quote from @Jeff Chisum:

    I have long ways to go and people doing it much better than me but see how quickly engagement can grow.  To me it’s the fun part of the business.  Like anything else…more attention=more results


    Agreed! Since you've started running ads, have you joined any new groups or communities with hosts that are primarily focused on running ads as well? Most of my experience with ads is from another business and I'm sure many of the principles apply, but I'm super curious about any communities that may be out there sharing tips and trips.

    1Reply
  • John UnderwoodPro Member
    Investor · Greer, SC · Member since 2014 · 13k+ posts · 17k+ votes
    2y

    You only meet with your wife annually?

    4Reply
  • Alton Johnson
    OP
    Investor · Atlanta, GA · Member since 2021 · 34 posts · 10 votes
    2y

    Lmao!

    1Reply
  • Jeff ChisumPro Member
    Lender · All 50 States · Member since 2020 · 248 posts · 142 votes
    2y

    https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid0F9gNENUERo...

    https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid0AtD6o8Evjz...

    I used ChatGPT to write the text.  Need to mention my cohost originally started the page and I just started posting this month.  

    I created this separate page for one property and have plans to create another one so they have their own page


    https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61555332234546&m...

    0Reply
  • Alton Johnson
    OP
    Investor · Atlanta, GA · Member since 2021 · 34 posts · 10 votes
    2y
    Quote from @Jeff Chisum:

    https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid0F9gNENUERo...

    https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid0AtD6o8Evjz...

    I used ChatGPT to write the text.  Need to mention my cohost originally started the page and I just started posting this month.  

    I created this separate page for one property and have plans to create another one so they have their own page


    https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61555332234546&m...


    This is REALLY good and solid information. I really appreciate this, Jeff!! These posts and ads look really great as well!

    0Reply
  • Jeff ChisumPro Member
    Lender · All 50 States · Member since 2020 · 248 posts · 142 votes
    2y
    Quote from @John Underwood:

    You only meet with your wife annually?


     Haha.  We have a weekly business meeting and annual.  

    3Reply
  • Theresa Holl
    Investor · Minneapolis · Member since 2023 · 265 posts · 162 votes
    2y

    Facebook and Google shake hands with each other.  Before you run any ads on Facebook, make sure your website and all OTA listings are outstanding and recently optimized.  People see a business on Facebook and they Google it.  Then people see a business on Google and check out its social media presence.  Because of that, a lot of businesses make sure always to run ads on both.  One of the things to Google around this is "advertising empathy map." That is a guide into how to connect with the ideal client emotionally, which will inform your copy and imagery.  Ad strategy is a fun world. :)

    2Reply
  • Patricia Andriolo-Bull
    Member since 2022 · 527 posts · 413 votes
    2y

    I recently started running ads but paused for some time until I made some updates to a newly acquired property. I saw website traffic go up substantially. Maybe a few new bookings but not sure. One thing I’d better like to understand from people that are successful with this is the markets they choose. When running an add, you have to determine where to run them. I have guests literally from everywhere and have a hard time narrowing down the markets I should target. Any thoughts?

    0Reply
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