What is Shoulder Season?
Let’s start with clearly defining what constitutes shoulder season. The shoulder season is the window of dates between your peak and low-demand periods. If you’ve been hosting for longer than 12 months, you may already be familiar with the demand cycles of your market, but if not, you can utilize market intelligence tools to evaluate the seasonality in your area and determine exactly what range of dates constitute your shoulder season. In general, the shoulder season is a transition time, where you can attract savvy travelers looking for an off-peak escape. But how can you make the most of this opportunity? Let’s find out.
Top 5 Tips to Boost Airbnb Bookings During Shoulder Season
1. Competitive Pricing: Learn ways to determine the rates your local competition is charging so you can be competitive.
2. Your Ideal Shoulder Season Guests: Consider who your ideal shoulder season guest is.
3. Shoulder Season Listing Makeover: Creating an irresistible shoulder season listing.
4. Targeted Marketing: Reach your ideal guests with an offer they can’t refuse.
5. Engagement and Connection: Responsive communication and thoughtful gestures leads to more bookings.
Smart Pricing Tactics
Pricing your listing is always a balancing act between supply and demand. In general, as the demand softens during shoulder season, your pricing should soften as well. It’s important that you keep a pulse on what comparable properties are charging so you can determine a price range that keeps you competitive, but still makes sense for your business.
There are two ways you can determine what your local competition is charging, the free way, and the easy way.
The Free Way: Open a new browser window in incognito mode and go to Airbnb, Vrbo, Booking.com, etc. Once there, search similarly sized listings for your shoulder season dates. Look for listings that are in a comparable location and have comparable finishes and amenities. Make a note of the nightly rates you see for the listings. Once you have pricing information for six to twelve listings, you should have a sense of what your local competition charges during the shoulder season.
Side note – While you’re at it, create a new wishlist and name it Comps (for comparables). Add the local properties you find that are comparable to yours to this wishlist. This will save you time in the future when you want do another price comparison with your local competition. In the future, just go to your Comps wish list and you be able to see what your local competition is charging quickly.
The Fast Way: Utilize dynamic pricing software such as Pricelabs, Wheelhouse, Beyond, or others. These dynamic pricing software companies have features that constantly keep tabs on numerous aspects of markets and can tell you in moments what you local competition is charging. Additionally, they can automatically adjust your nightly rates based on the demand in your area.
Consider Your Ideal Shoulder Season Guest
Your ideal guest during the shoulder season may be different than your ideal guest during peak season. While the sun-soaked months of summer might usher in families seeking playful adventures, the crisp days of autumn often bring out retirees looking to enjoy a vacation without the summertime crowds. Consider whether your area would be attractive to other types of travelers as well; think adventurous solo travelers, business professionals attending local conferences in winter, or even artistically-inclined visitors seeking inspiration during the quieter months. Consider carefully which category of traveler is best suited for your location and property as you plan your shoulder season strategy.
Shoulder Season Listing Makeover
Consider tweaking your listing to highlight amenities and attractions that are especially appealing during these less busy months. For example, if your area has stunning fall foliage, make sure to update your property photos to include the colorful scenery. Promote indoor amenities like a fireplace, board games, or a home theater system for those chillier days and nights.
You might also provide information on local events or activities that are unique to the shoulder season in your area. For example, you could highlight a fall festival, Oktoberfest, opening day at the local ski resort, winter carnivals,etc. Be sure to include information about the proximity to these locations and events if applicable. Adding these listing updates can set you apart from your local competition and make your property not just a place to stay, but part of creating a local travel experience for your guests.
Shoulder Season Targeted Marketing
If you’ve done the first three steps outlined in this guide you know what price range you should be setting your nightly rate at, you know what demographic and persona you are targeting, and you have optimized your listing to speak to that type of person. Now you are ready to utilize marketing strategies to stand out and optimize your shoulder season revenue.
Social Media Marketing: Social media advertising on platforms like Facebook and Instagram offer granular targeting options, including age, interests, and even past travel behavior. Craft your ad content to focus on the unique benefits of visiting your area during the shoulder season, such as fewer crowds, lower prices, and seasonal events as mentioned above.
Email Marketing: Setup and utilize email marketing to past guests who gave you positive reviews. They already have a favorable impression of your property, which makes them more likely to return. Offer them special ‘loyalty discounts’ for booking during the shoulder season, thereby incentivizing a repeat stay.
Shoulder Season Packages: Partner with local businesses to create shoulder season ‘experience packages.’ For example, you could team up with a nearby vineyard for a wine-tasting weekend or a local ski resort for early-season discounts. By offering these exclusive packages, you provide extra incentives for guests to book during the less popular months, making your property more appealing. Be sure to include information about your packages within your shoulder season emails and in your social media marketing. These targeted marketing strategies will not only boost your shoulder season bookings but also help you build a loyal guest base that appreciates the unique experiences your property offers.
Engagement and Connection
Engagement and connection are pivotal factors that can sway a potential guest’s decision to book your Airbnb property over another. Many travelers reach out to multiple hosts before finalizing their stay, gathering information and gauging the level of customer service they can expect. Hosts who are quick to respond, helpful, and approachable stand a far better chance of securing that booking. This principle extends beyond Airbnb’s platform; when you’re advertising your property on social media or through email campaigns, timely and informative responses to inquiries can dramatically increase your booking conversion rate.
Being a responsive host does more than just get you that initial booking; it fosters a connection with your guests. People like to feel seen and heard, and when they do, they’re more likely to share their positive experiences in reviews. These 5-star reviews serve as invaluable social proof, influencing potential future guests who are scrolling through options and considering your property for their stay. By mastering the art of engagement and connection, you are much more likely to have above-average occupancy rates in the shoulder season and optimize the earning potential of your Airbnb property.
Conclusion
The shoulder season presents a prime opportunity to boost your Airbnb revenue when many hosts start to wind down. By implementing competitive pricing, optimizing your listing for your ideal shoulder season guests, utilizing targeted marketing, and providing top-notch communication, you can transform this transitional period into a profitable booking window.
Even during shoulder season, there are travelers out there looking for their next great escape. Be the host who gives it to them. Follow the guidance outlined here to make this shoulder season your most successful yet!