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Key Takeaways
You don’t need 40 hours a week to do effective marketing: If you can dedicate just four focused hours a week to marketing—and build smart systems or use support—you can significantly grow your direct bookings. The goal isn’t to do everything, it’s to do the right things consistently.
Focus beats frequency: Pick 1–2 marketing channels and go deep. Avoid spreading yourself thin across 10 platforms. Instead, go a mile deep and an inch wide. For most property managers, the core channels that drive bookings are:
- Search (SEO + Paid Google Ads)
- Social media (Facebook and Instagram)
- Email & SMS (Outbound marketing)
Build a strong foundation before scaling: Before diving into marketing tactics, make sure your essentials are solid:
- A fast, mobile-friendly, bookable website
- Your brand presence on key platforms (even if you’re not active yet)
- Email capture & CRM integrations in place
Without this foundation, your marketing won’t convert.
SEO and content are long games; start now. Don’t wait to invest in SEO. Write value-packed blog posts, create helpful local content, and build backlinks over time. A single post won’t do it. You need consistent publishing over months to drive traffic and bookings.
Use AI and freelancers as leverage, not replacements: AI can help you brainstorm blog topics, generate outlines, or write drafts, but it still needs your voice and quality control. You can also use freelancers or agencies to execute your ideas while you stay focused on strategy.
Outbound marketing (email & SMS) is one of the highest ROI activities: Your past guest list is marketing gold. Regular newsletters, promotional offers, and rebooking campaigns (including SMS) can drive repeat bookings. And yes, you should send more emails than you think.
Direct bookings come from consistent systems, not random tactics: Level up your marketing by building systems—weekly emails, monthly content, retargeting ads, etc. Don’t rely on one-time efforts. Document your processes and delegate or automate where possible.
A marketing flywheel builds momentum over time: Use content you create once across multiple channels:
- Blog post → Email newsletter → Social post → Retargeting ad
This approach increases reach without adding more work.
Don’t ignore paid advertising, but spend smart: Track ROI on your non-branded Google Ads and scale what works. Run retargeting ads for past website visitors and guests using Facebook/Instagram. Keep messaging aligned with your current offer.
Your homeowner marketing should stem from your guest marketing: Great guest marketing = great owner marketing. Homeowners care most about your ability to fill calendars. Show up in Google, send strong emails, and they’ll notice.
Track progress, not just results: Direct bookings won’t double overnight. But if you’re seeing growth in:
- Google Search Console impressions
- Email subscriber count
- Engagement on social
…you’re on the right track.
Know your level, and what to do next: The hosts described stages like:
- Level 0: Spectator, no real marketing
- Level 1: Contender, dabbling in tactics
- Level 2: Champion, with systems & early results
- Level 3: Expert, with scaled direct bookings & strategic delegation
Know where you are, and make a plan to move up one level at a time.
What We Cover In This Episode
In this webinar, Conrad O’Connell is joined by Adam Norko (Fractional Sales at BuildUp Bookings) to talk about how to make 4 hours of marketing time WORK for your business. We break down how to get more direct bookings in 4 hours per WEEK using digital marketing for your vacation rental business.
