Marketing Strategies for keeping an STR Rented in Off Season

[Rachel Kokosenski]

I have a STR in a gorgeous waterfront town in Western Michigan in prime location (walking distance to shops, restaurant, waterfront)....Renting it in the summer is super easy, but things seem a bit quiet in the winter months. I'm brainstorming ideas on how to get renters in the off-season.

Some ideas I've had....

1. Send letters to local realtors letting them know the place is available for clients they may have that are renovating a house, need a place to stay while a house is being built, etc.

2. Reaching out to insurance companies that pay for hotels for clients that have been displaced due to fire/water damage and reconstruction.

3. Trying to attract visiting nurses to stay during their (typical) 13-week contracts.

4. Contacting local hunting/fishing guide companies to see if their clients may need a place to stay when they are hunting/fishing in the area.

Would love to get a discussion going here about creative marketing strategies that others in seasonal locations have used...