Vacation Rental Owners Blog

Create Facebook Posts That Get A Reaction

Posted: 09 Nov 2013 09:00 AM PST

You diligently post to your vacation rental's Facebook Page on a regular basis, and you know many of your Page's fans are seeing your posts. So why don't they do anything?

Facebook Page fans can “like” posts, share them with their friends, or add comments with their own opinions. Getting people to do one of those things is ultimately the goal of every Facebook post: It builds connections, helps keep your vacation rental "top of mind", and helps ensure these interested folks will continue to see what you post (because only a fraction of your fans will).

However, getting your fans respond is part of the art of using Facebook to promote your property. There is no magic way to succeed – but it's not as much guesswork as you may think, either.

Benefits don't matter, but dreams do

In a helpful (and free!) ebook from Marketo, Contagious Content, marketing professional Brian Carter explains why a lot of Facebook marketing gets ignored.

“One of the first things we learn in marketing is to talk about benefits rather than features…but on Facebook, benefits aren't enough,” he writes. “Your customers use the benefits of your products and services to achieve their goals and dreams.”

This means your Facebook Page really isn’t about you or your spectacular property; it’s about how you can help them get what they want from their vacation time or visit.

Give your Facebook fans what they want

How does that translate into content for your Facebook Page? You can post different types of information – like photos, links or questions – but Carter recommends that every post do at least one of the following.

Give them something, like a special deal or a contest. Getting a discount is one of the top three motivations to like a Facebook page, according to a survey from Syncapse.
Offer advice, like travel tips – especially about more common problems that anyone could run into, not just your fans.
Warn about dangers that could impact anyone, including your guests. There is a bit of a risk here: A lot of warnings are nothing but hoaxes! Check alerts with sites like snopes.com before sharing this sort of information.
Make them laugh with a funny photo, video or quote. Avoid sharing anything that may be offensive or otherwise questionable, though – remember, everything you share represents your business.
Inspire your fans through stories and quotes – even local news items that celebrate special actions by everyday people.
Amaze people by sharing something remarkable, like an astonishing photo or fact.
Unite your fans with a post that makes them feel as if they're members of a special group.

You can track how far your messages spread, and how people react, using Facebook's recently-updated Insights tool.

Tell people what they should do

People are more likely to respond to something you post if you tell them what to do. This may seem weird. After all, there are only three things a person can do with a post – can't they figure it out on their own?

Survey results consistently say “No”. We're all busy and consume a ton of content on a daily – even hourly – basis. Even when something excites or interests us, we don't necessarily think to do anything else.

Your fans are no different, which is why a small prompt – a "call to action" – can make a measurable difference to the responses you get.

Want to learn more about Facebook marketing? Check out

Contagious Content, from Marketo
Facebook for Business, direct from the social network
Other recent Facebook marketing tips from MyVR

photos by ninacoco, lilivanili

Saturday, November 9, 2013