10 Short Term Rental Advertising Rules

If you’ve ever run ads before, I’m sure you remember how intimidating it felt at first. 

Similar to a first date when you were a teenager.

• You're scared to touch anything.

• You can't help but think of the long term effects.

• You don't know what to do with your hands.

I’ve been running ads successfully for over half a decade. Since starting, I’ve come up with 10 advertising rules that help me NOT:

• Get distracted by new features.

• Over analyze a new platform.

• Rely on AI to tell me if my ads are working.

Let's dive in...

#1: Keep The Pool Big Enough

The number of people I target and show my ad to is always between 2 and 10 million.

You need to give the ad algorithms a little wiggle room to freely roam and find your buyers. 

Sometimes I'll make it bigger but I try to never make it smaller.

The algorithms are smart. Give them permission to do their thang.

#2: The 3-5 Rule

Always have at least three but no more than five ads.

If you have less than three, you won't have enough to test. If you have more than five, some ads won't get shown.

I'll admit, I don't know why this is the case but it works. And that's good nuff for me.

Note: This rule does not apply if I am in a testing phase. I follow the sprint test plan for that.

#3: Creative Wins

90% of your results will come from the creative. Here's the creative variable for each platform:

Meta: The photo or video visual element.

Google: The headlines (text in blue) or photos.

I focus 80% of my time here. I am always testing out new creative.

#4: 7 Day Shifts

Every new ad or creative variable gets tested for no more than 7 days. If new variables out perform the ones from the previous week, they stay on.

After enough shifts I start to see the common elements every good ad has. Then I make more ads with those elements.

This is when things become exciting.

#5: Track the Engagement Metrics

Not many people who see an ad will book. Roughly about 1%. Which can be discouraging. But, there are other actions they take that turn to a later booking. Like:

• Becoming a lead

• Viewing a property

• Starting the booking process

I call these micro goals. Track this stuff. After enough time you’ll start to notice how many micro goals equal a booking. This is called “funnel math.”

#6: Spend At Least $20 Per Day

I’ve always gotten the best results spending $20-$50 per day. For me, I get plenty of data to make decisions with this spend. 

Note: Once an ad rips and I start making at least $3 for every $1 I spend on it, I’ll increase my spend.

#7: If It Rips, Let It Rip

If you have an ad that is ripping and profitable, don’t touch it. 

Don’t touch the ad set or group either. Just don’t touch anything. Let it ride.

An ad could do well for a week or months. Right now, I have an ad that’s been ripping since September. When it rains, it pours.

#8: The 20% Rule

At the start of every new campaign theres a “learning phase.” This is the time where ad algorithms are finding your guests. 

If you increase daily spend by more than 20%, you may enter that learning phase again.

#9: Rip The Bandaid Off

If you’re new to advertising and nervous to start, just rip the bandaid off. 

Spend $100 and see what happens. You might not get anything but you’ll see how it all works. 

Don’t let the lack of trying be the bottleneck in your marketing.

#10: The 30 Day Rule

After you’ve spent $100 and want to continue, advertise for 30 days. 

This is a short enough timeframe to give advertising a good effort and long enough to see if it works.

Pro tip: Google and Meta ads are the best channels for rental operators. I’d start there.

That's all for today. I'll see you in the next article.

Before you go

I just launched my brand new direct booking marketing agency, Lodge Social.

We help rental operators get more guests to like, share, and book.

Apply to work with me and my team here.

Links you might like:

1. Who the heck is the modern traveler? Here’s why they matter. 

2. Speaking to everyone is speaking to no one. Let me explain.

3. Learn how to speak like a caveman.

4. Why I started this newsletter. (Instagram)