At first glance, you might think that Pinterest is just another social media platform. But the thing that makes Pinterest unique is that it works as a search engine. It’s full of ideas in a variety of niches, and it’s made up of “pins” or images that link to other websites. Users can save pins to boards, which are collections of ideas. You’ll often see boards revolving around hair, makeup, fitness, crafts, recipes, weddings, and vacations. In this article, we’ll cover why Pinterest marketing is important to your vacation rental business, provide tips for marketing on Pinterest effectively, and share a few ideas for pins and boards to get you started.
Contents
Why Is Pinterest Marketing Important For Your Vacation Rental?
Pinterest is an underrated marketing tool that can positively impact your vacation rental business. Learn about the advantages of using Pinterest for your vacation rental property below!
Pinterest is yet another free tool like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter that rounds out your social media presence. In general, social media marketing is important to your vacation rental property’s success. Plus, it’s easy to link your Pinterest account to your Facebook and Twitter profiles for additional promotion. You can also reuse your Pinterest photos on other social media platforms, making them even more valuable pieces of content.
Attract More Motivated Users
Because Pinterest is a search engine, Pinterest users are typically searching for something specific rather than aimlessly scrolling along a timeline. Since they’re actively looking for things that they’re interested in, Pinterest users are more likely to book your property than other social media users.
Generate Website Traffic
Every pin on Pinterest includes a link. Link out to your vacation rental property’s website or blog, and you’ll see a boost in your traffic.
Take Advantage of Underrated Platform
While most people are somewhat familiar with Facebook and Instagram, Pinterest isn’t as well-known. However, it drives a huge amount of traffic, with 454 million monthly active users worldwide, so it’s worth targeting! Another benefit is that the lifespan of a pin is four months. Compared to around five hours for a Facebook post and 24 hours for an Instagram post, pins continue circulating to Pinterest users for a much longer amount of time.
Target a Different Market
Social media platforms like Instagram and Twitter are mainly used by younger generations, but Pinterest allows you to target a different market. The Pinterest audience consists mostly of women of all ages, and half of the American women who use Pinterest use it for vacation planning. This is a great opportunity if your vacation rental property’s target market includes middle-aged guests and families.
Get Ahead of the Competition
Compared to other social media platforms, not as many vacation rental owners are actively marketing on Pinterest. This allows you to get ahead of your competition by extending your marketing strategy to a mostly untapped platform.
Appear in Google Searches
Aside from appearing in Pinterest searches, your pins will also appear in Google searches. Since each pin can link back to your vacation rental property’s website, this can increase overall visits to your site.
Tips for Increasing Bookings with Pinterest Pins
Not sure how to begin with Pinterest marketing for your vacation rental property? Follow the tips below to start off successfully.
Create a Professional Business Profile
Be sure to create a professional business account on Pinterest rather than a personal account. This will allow you to view various statistics regarding your pins. Add a logo and a well-written bio to your profile. Your bio should include a short summary, your website link, and your phone number. Be sure to briefly explain exactly why your vacation rental is the best in the area as well.
Post Quality Content
Consider your target audience and what they may be searching for or interested in seeing on Pinterest. Create content that will directly benefit your target audience, always linking it back to your vacation rental property’s website. For example, if you have a family-friendly vacation rental, you could create an infographic with various kid-friendly activity recommendations in the area.
Add a Watermark
Always add a watermark to your Pinterest pins so that no matter where the image is shared, it will always link back to you. You could use your website address or social media handle as a watermark.
When you use hashtags, your pins are placed into specific categories, increasing their search visibility. If you tag your posts with #vacationrental, then anyone searching for vacation rentals is more likely to come across your pins. Other good hashtags to use are your city, state, #vacation, #familytravel, and #travelblog, which are all frequently searched by Pinterest users planning vacations.
Do Keyword Research
You can easily do some basic keyword research by typing various keywords into the search bar. You’ll see that other keywords pop up underneath as you type, and this shows you what other related topics people are searching for. You can then take those other keywords and create related content, such as inspiration boards, to appeal to the people searching for those keywords. Always look for relevant, eye-catching buzzwords that you can take advantage of.
Automate the Process
Rather than logging onto Pinterest on a daily basis, it’s wise to automate the process. You can set aside a few hours to create all of your pins in one sitting, and then schedule them to post throughout the week or month.
Interact with Others
To grow your following on Pinterest, be sure to engage with others by following them and liking their pins. Many people will follow you back if you follow them and support their content.
Consider Paid Ad Posts
You can use Pinterest for free, but another option is to invest in paid ad posts. This is an effective way to increase traffic to your website.
Use High-Quality Images
Pinterest is all about visual attraction, so grab viewers’ eyes with high-quality images that make them stop scrolling. You can show off your vacation rental with artsy, aesthetically pleasing photos. Look at the types of images that are popular on Pinterest, and try to imitate that style.
Another tip is to use a 2:3 ratio on all of your pins. Most users access Pinterest using their phones, so this size is best for them because the whole image will fit on the screen. You can use free online editors like Canva and PicMonkey to edit your photos. You can also find free stock photos from sites like Unsplash, Pexels, and Pixabay.
Creative Pin and Board Ideas
Here are a few ideas to get you started on Pinterest!
Show Off Your Interior Design
Fill a Pinterest board with interior design inspiration. You can include photos of your own rental property as well as other pieces of interior design that fit the aesthetic. Check out our blog to discover some interior design secrets for vacation rentals that can help your listing stand out and appeal to a larger audience of potential guests!
Showcase the Local Area
If there’s a good view of nature near your vacation rental, take some high-quality photos and add them to a Pinterest board. The ocean, mountains, trees, and sky can all serve as Pinterest-worthy inspiration.
Preview Your Welcome Basket
Another fun idea is to preview your welcome basket. This can entice potential guests to book a stay with you because it shows how much effort you put into the guest experience!
Link to Online Guestbook
Show off your five-star reviews by linking pins to your online guestbook. Previous guests can leave feedback and post photos of their memorable experiences at your vacation rental. You can also create pins with links to an online welcome letter that provides more detailed information about your vacation rental property.
Create Food and Drink Boards
Are there any tasty local delicacies in your area? Create a food inspiration board filled with them. You can even make pins with recipes for various dishes. Drink boards are a popular idea as well. Depending on your location’s climate, you might want to share recipes for tropical blended drinks or warm drinks.
Activity Recommendations
Create a board filled with fun local activities and events near your vacation rental property. You could also include pins with travel hacks and tips to live like a local.
Main Takeaways
- Pinterest is a social media platform and search engine that can be valuable to your vacation rental business’s social media marketing plan.
- Pinterest can help you attract motivated social media users who are likely to take action and book your vacation rental. It’s a great tool for appealing to families and middle-aged guests.
- Every pin you create can link back to your website and generate more traffic. Be sure to use high-quality images and keep your target audience in mind. Add hashtags for increased search visibility.
- Create multiple boards on your profile, and be sure to interact with other Pinterest users to grow a larger following.
