Marketing a Portfolio of Holiday Cottages with Clare Burgess – Suffolk Coastal Escapes

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Hello again.

I'm back with another episode of the Get Fully Booked podcast.

I'm your host, Sarah Orchard.

Today I'm delighted to welcome one of my marketing club members and a fellow host to the podcast who has a successful property management company.

I've invited Claire to share with us what has worked for her in her marketing, particularly with a bigger portfolio of quite different properties.

Welcome to the podcast, Claire.

Hi, Sarah.

It's great to have you here today.

Thanks for asking me.

I think you're actually the first person that I've interviewed who's got a portfolio of properties.

So I thought this would be really good for those people maybe who have, you know, a property management company or a slightly larger portfolio.

So I. I know you've got some great things to share with us today, but I thought it'd be good to start initially with a little intro to your business and what you do.

Okay.

Well, I own and manage Suffolk Coastal Escapes.

We're on the Suffolk coast, which is an area that not a lot of people have heard of.

So we have 11 properties all quite closely situated together near Patefield and Kesseland, which is just on the edge of 50 mile stretch of National Beauty coastline.

So it's a lovely area but not very well known.

So a big part of my job is trying to educate and attract people to come and enjoy and discover the local area.

And that's a big part of the job that I enjoy.

And when did you get started?

How many years have you been running the business now?

We've had six properties locally that were let out residentially and one that was actually the nearest one to the sea became empty.

It was something that I'd had in mind for years, even when we were buying the property and I thought I'd give it a go.

So we started off with one one apartment, did a lot of the renovating and setting up myself and it was a bit of an experiment, but it was exciting because it brought a lot of my skills together.

I was a property manager in London before.

I've worked in customer service, the organisational skills management stuff.

It sort of brought all of me together and I really enjoyed the renovation side of things.

We've done a lot of renovations in our personal life, lots of homes and yeah, it was great.

And the first one really took off.

And the difference between residential letting and holiday letting waste a revelation.

Once, once I got, I just got the bug, you know, just reading the lovely messages for people that come and stayed and really enjoyed and the area and the place that I've created was, yeah, I was hooked.

Yeah, it can be quite addictive, isn't it?

It's obviously very different to having like say residential sort of longer term let properties, you know, having those guests coming and going and enjoying the area that you.

Because you live there as well.

So obviously you love your area and seeing them enjoying it, you get a real buzz from it.

And we all know the challenges of hosting, but I think, you know, for most of us the positives generally outweigh the negatives, don't they?

Yeah, exactly.

Yeah.

It's the first thing that myself and our, the housekeeper, as soon as we open up, when guests have left, we head straight to the guest book to see, you know, still now, still get a real buzz out of it.

Yes.

A does exactly the same thing when he goes into the hideout.

The first thing he does is he reports back whether they've left a, you know, a comment in the guest book or not.

And what they said, isn't it worthwhile?

Y. Yeah, exactly.

Making, making memories.

And I sort of know, I don't know your area very well, but I think you're right, it's.

It's a very beautiful area, but it's also one of the sort of less known sort of holiday spots in the uk and I think that always makes it a bit harder when you're a bit off the beaten track.

We always find that, you know, people don't know where the Y Valley is, where our hideout is.

So, you know, it does always make the marketing maybe a little bit more challenging.

And we'll come on to talk about that.

You mentioned about having initially having the six properties that you had yourself and obviously you've expanded now to 11 and I know that's sort of growing.

So what made you decide to do that and to grow the portfolio of cottages?

Well, I just started with the one at first and to see how it went and that, as I said, that went really well.

So I then spent the next three years, which happened to be over Covid, which is quite useful because we used the downtown to renovate, but I sort of immersed myself in renovating them one by one and opening them up one by one.

And during that time I was actually approached by a few local owners who asked me to would I consider taking on that, the management of that.

But I just wasn't in the right place there.

Was it renovating takes a lot out of you.

I was very conscious that my website wasn't where I wanted it to be.

I wanted to really get stuck into the marketing.

I was getting fed up with paying all the Commission to the OTAs.

I want to really concentrate on switching and get more direct bookings.

It really wasn't the time to get distracted by taking on other people.

So I wanted to get my own house in order first and all the systems in place.

So it's only recently, in the last year that I felt that, yes, I'm now at the stage where, with your help, Sarah, my marketing is doing what it should do.

And I'm now.

And I'm also someone who likes a project, so everything's up and running and it's like, okay, what next?

Looking around, there isn't anybody who is so dedicated to the local area as I am.

You know, I've been very much at doing a rabbit hole, very focused on promoting my little patch in my area and there isn't many people doing that.

So when I speak to local guests, there isn't anybody that they can turn to for support.

And the hosts are struggling.

A lot of them are with big agencies and they're just a number.

Yeah, it's been really.

It's a completely different side to the business now, working with owners, not guests.

So I'm having to divide my attention and devotion to not just guests to owners.

But.

Yeah, and it's.

It's nice that we're now starting to grow organically because people are now approaching me and.

Yeah, it's a new chapter.

Yeah.

And I think, like you say, you've now got two sort of two customer types, haven't you?

Like you.

So you've got the guests and you've got the other fellow hosts who you're managing their properties for them.

And that brings, obviously, we'll come on to talk about maybe some of the challenges, but it's obviously quite a different business model to those maybe that are listening in, who've got a more traditional.

Either renting out just their one or two holiday cottages and maybe, or a glamping business.

I mean, you've been working very hard on your marketing.

You've been a club member for quite a while now, and I know you've been putting a lot of effort into your website and things like search engine Optimization.

But is marketing 11 more difficult than obviously when you started with that one, or even when you built it up to sort of the six of your own properties?

How are you finding marketing the larger number?

I'm actually finding it easier.

That's the best side of gradually taking on more, because rather than just focusing on one, I'm now building a brand and it's helping with the trust element as well.

And I think rather than just focusing on one cottage, you know, everything that I do, the marketing, the SEO, the emails, all benefit all of the properties.

Obviously, a big bit of that is making sure we're all on brand.

The properties that I take on are dog friendly.

And I think that the more I have, the more attractive proposition I have.

And also psychologically, I think when guests come along to the website, the more properties you have, you look more established, you look almost more credible, don't you?

So, yeah, it's the only tweak I've had to make is one of the properties I've recently taken on is a larger house.

It's got seven bedrooms.

Most of my cottages are two or three beds.

And so with that I've just had to make.

I'm actually in discussion with my web developer to create a separate page for group bookings because I have another larger property potentially coming on.

That's a good idea.

Targeted blogging about group stays on the Suffolk coast, a member of and posting in Facebook groups that are all about group stage and larger holiday homes.

So you sort of have to tweak, obviously, to your ideal guests.

And that's the only one that doesn't fit to my standard ideal guest.

But it's still.

It's still dog friendly.

We're still by the coast.

It's just that we can obviously sleep a lot more in the bigger townhouse.

But, yeah, it's.

I'm finding it easier.

I've got more content.

I don't have to think, you know, I've got 11 homes to post about now.

So, yeah, content's easier.

And all the stuff I do about the local area benefits all of them.

Yeah, that sort of does make sense.

It's like you have more content because you've got 11 properties with all the different sort of imagery and, you know, lifestyle content that you can post around that as well as, like you say, focusing on your ideal guests, which might vary a little bit, but definitely it sounds like that's.

That's making your.

Your job a bit easier.

And I do think that.

Do you find guests that.

Do they always come back to this once, if you get repeat guests, do they want the same cottage or now that you've got a portfolio, are they.

Are they tempted to try maybe a different one or one that wasn't available when they were inquiring and then they may try and book a different one a bit.

Both, really.

I do have a lot of returning guests and there are some that are loyal to the particular cottage that they've always visited.

And then I've got.

I've actually got a dog influencer who stayed in all of my cottages and literally keeps like.

And starts again and then keeps on and she hasn't got a favourite and she said she just, you know, just when she can come what's available and she'll.

Oh, let's one.

And she's.

It's great because she's.

She literally leaves me great coats that how much she loves all of the properties and they all hit the mark.

So.

So yeah, I do have people that sort of swap about and they've stayed in a few properties and I have some that just, just come to the same one at the same time of year each day each year.

So, yeah, they've got their favorites.

So obviously you've talked about the sort of benefits, but what about some things that maybe have been a bit more challenging since you've expanded the portfolio of cottages?

In terms of running the business, managing owners has been a lot more.

Not difficult, but definitely a challenge.

They each have different attitudes in terms of the type of guests they would like, how flexible they are in terms of whether they consider two night stays during the winter months or a stickler for seven night stays through the summer.

They all have different attitudes to what they want their asset to do.

You know, someone's to maximise and get every penny they can.

But some would rather see it empty and have premium guests and be quite picky.

And that's different for me, managing my own properties.

So I'm having to walk and abide by their guidelines in terms of what.

What they're after.

So that's been the biggest challenge that I didn't necessarily anticipate.

But yeah, it's all good.

Do you have like a set of.

For anyone else that's maybe thinking of creating more of a property management company sort of offering any tips in terms of.

I mean, do you have like guidelines for the.

For the owners that come on.

I presume there's a contract that they have to sort of sign, but do you have anything that sort of.

I suppose helps to set expectations from both sides because like you say, that's quite a challenging thing, isn't it?

Because everyone wants maybe different things from their.

Like you say, it's an asset, their property and their, their own perceptions of what they, you know, they want to achieve.

At the moment I'm, I'm, I am being flexible, potentially too flexible.

But I've got quite a mix of owners and it's.

And I'm learning as I go because I definitely like the more dynamic, flexible and willing to try anything owners but which are more like myself.

You know, we, I think we have in this market we have to be as flexible and as dynamic as possible.

If you sit still and stick to the same model, we're not going to do very well.

So almost like guests, it's a bit of an education and I think what the owners are liking is I'm an owner myself, I'm not Mr. Sykes, Mr. Ho Seasons and sitting there, just a number.

I'm speaking from local knowledge, local experience and just offering them ideas that I've tried that work with me and maybe look at contractor bookings during the winter and just mixing things up and trying to fish in different in pools and just trying to get as much visibility and people through the door.

I probably might have to.

I think it'd be very difficult as an owner.

I would, I just would walk away if someone tries to restrict me and tell me what I can do, what I couldn't do with my properties.

So I'm very reluctant to be setting any restrictions.

But it's a case of having to guide, isn't it, rather than tell.

Exactly.

And I think you've hit a really good point there about you walk the talk because you are a fellow host and you know your area so well and because you've niched down and you're not trying to cover like you mentioned, like the bigger agents, you know, agencies.

If it's like host Seasons or Sykes, they don't have that in depth knowledge of the local area.

They don't have the experience of running the properties in the area that you have.

So you bring all of that to your owners and for them as well.

I mean it's quite lonely hosting.

Yeah, I know.

That's one of the things that my club members really love is that community.

And I think, you know, being with a property management company and someone who's local and knows your area really does give you that experience and they've been on the ground and they sort of can help you with your property rather than you being doing it solo and having to Sort of find your own way and you've got that experience now that you can share with them to make it easier for them.

And I'm just one of them, you know, as I said to the person I met this week, you know, I feel everything you're feeling.

I feel the anxiety over, you know, the weather, all of that.

You know, I'm living it myself.

So I'm very much in tune.

And that's.

Yeah, that's very, very telling when I'm speaking to them.

It really resonates with them.

So that's, you know, that's good.

Yeah, it's a massive strength, isn't it, in terms of your business and what you can, you can bring, bring to those owners.

So do you use OTAs at all to list some of the.

The properties in the port?

Yes, I do obviously aim to get as many direct bookings that I can, but I do list on Airbnb booking.com I have actually just gone through the process of trying VRBO again, although we've not been very successful in the past.

But I'm not against listing on the OTAs.

I just think the MortgageNet is just another place to go fishing.

Extra visibility.

And once we get a guest in, my aim is to convert them to comebacks as a direct guest.

So I don't rely, I try not to rely on them.

But you're silly not to be not to list on that.

And I also think it helps with trust if they find you.

And hopefully I try to educate the guests that to treat the OTAs like Google.

So go looking and then once you find a property, really like, try and backtrack and find them, find them direct.

So they do serve a purpose.

But I'm really pleased all your advice there has obviously come to pay because I'm now at 40% returning guests every year, 75% direct bookings.

And yeah, things are, you know, in the, in the right ballpark rather than relying on those OTAs.

Where were they previously?

What was your OTA percentage when you first started working with me and came into the club?

Well, when I first started, it was 100%.

I started working before I met you, but I was still probably at 90% easily.

90%?

Yeah.

So partly my growing guest book of people coming back year after year.

But I keep in touch with them, I try and keep in their minds.

I email monthly.

I'm really pleased at how I've got really good engagement with my email campaigns.

A really good open rate, might not necessarily get a booking every month, but the same Guests come back year on year and it's just a reminder I'm here, have you remembered about this?

Here's a new property and I think that helps to keep in touch with them and just to keep in their mind.

So if they are thinking of a break, if they've had a good experience, they're more likely to come back if you just remind them every now and again.

Yeah, it's just that gentle nudge, isn't it?

But I think you're right about that.

I mean, a congratulations on your direct bookings.

That's music to my ears.

I always love to see, you know, the results and it is a reflection of the work that you've put in in terms of your marketing.

But I think the OTAs are not, they're not an evil and I'm definitely not an OTA basher because I think I agree with you completely.

It's a great way of being discovered.

And they've got so much big marketing muscle in of, you know, how much they spend on, you know, they do Google Ads and they do, you know, they do meta ads and they've got, you know, people who specialize in search engine optimization and making sure that their websites are very visible and they get millions of people visiting their website.

So you're tapping into that.

And I've talked about in previous episodes, as long as you sort of focus on how you can then start to take ownership of the relationship with the guest and bring them into your world, then they are a great way of being discovered.

And I think there's definitely an art, isn't there, to writing your listings so that you can drop subtle hints without getting put into jail with Airbnb or booking.com so that you can get people, people direct and get them to search because it is difficult because obviously they don't want you to name your properties or your brand on their platforms.

But have you got any tips to share in terms of what you've done to try and encourage people to search and find you?

You obviously have to be careful, really careful.

Then they block your messages if you're too blatant anyway.

But I tend to, they get automated.

If a guest books on Airbnb booking.com, they'll get an automated message straight the way as soon as they've booked to say welcome, blah, blah, blah, thank you for your booking.

Please share your email address so I can send you the check in details because obviously everyone wants to know how to get in.

And my local guide, which will be really helpful for you to plan your stay ahead of your, you know, before you arrive.

So that's a good strike rate.

I think at least 75% of people reply to me with their email.

Some people are a bit coyote.

Once I've got that email.

That's great because even if they cancelled, you've got the email though they're in your emails list then.

But.

And then if I then email them direct and then once if I start.

If they start a conversation with me by email, I feel more.

And we have a conversation I will then gently guide them to.

And often I don't have to spill out.

They will say, well, actually, can I book with you direct?

I prefer to book with an owner direct.

Should.

What happens if I cancel and you sort of just have to hold their hand through the process.

But yeah, that's.

That's quite good and it's quite.

I used to be more.

I just let it happen now it happens quite naturally now.

I sense in the tone of the conversation, you know, the ones that you can sort of just subtly drop a hint and they will convert to a direct booking and often they're the ones that will then come back time and time again.

So.

Because they like a local person and a personal contact, don't they?

So, yeah, and I think that's when also then once they've had that email communication and they've probably then they've.

They'll have gone to your guide.

They may have then even visited your website because they now know your brand name.

And then they start to get a real sense and confidence, you know, that you've put out all those trust signals, you know, in terms of the communication that you've had with them.

And then also, you know, they'll go on your about page and they sort of check you out and then they're like, no, you know, we're happy to book direct.

And like you say, you've then got them hopefully for life in terms of, you know, lifetime value of that guest.

And that's much more valuable to the business, particularly as you expand your portfolio as well.

Having that loyalty from your guest list is.

Is really important.

I think one of the things that's really helped as well.

I did right at the beginning, before I was not.

I was very naive to all the marketing side of things.

When I got hold of myself, I love, you know, exploring the local area and I just put myself in the guest shoes and I wrote a very, very comprehensive local guide.

What I would like to know if I was staying here, you know, where to eat, where's the best place to go for breakfast.

Where's the best place to go to watch the sunrise, where to visit, where to park?

We're quite near Southwold, which is a real honeypot destination.

It's a tiny little village and parking is atrocious and I've got little local tips of where to park and where to visit and perhaps in the busier months, different walks they can do.

And I didn't realise how much of a marketing asset that is because they've already booked.

Yes.

But once you send them the guide, they're like, oh, my God, I'm so excited.

I've already planned my days, I'm going to go here, I'm going to go there.

So they're already excited.

It just makes their stay more memorable and they have a better time, I think, because they're more educated and more knowledgeable about the local area.

And, yeah, that local guide has been a real, real asset.

And I've now developed my blog section.

My website was called Just Blog, it's now called Explore the Suffolk coast and it's a.

It's basically a bigger version of that online.

So hopefully catching them before they book to make them realize how much there is to do, what they could do when they get here.

So, yeah, that's a great tip.

And how do you do your guide?

Is it.

Do you use a guide like a digital guide platform or have you created your own?

Every year that's on the list to do, but it just doesn't happen.

So every year I just update it every year because things open and close and change and things like that.

So I just go through it once a year and save it as a PDF with all the links in.

And because I put the hard work in at the beginning, that's not too onerous, it's not a biggie.

And I just have to change.

And because all the cottages are quite local, don't really have to change too much.

The only thing I have to do is the individual cottage information, like where the bins are and things like that.

So, yeah, it's not too onerous, but I do intend to move to a digital one.

It's just there's always been more important things to do.

Yeah, no, and.

And it's, you know, it sounds like it's really working for you and I think that's just reinforces your point about, you know, you're a local person, so you live in the area, you know, as well as hosting and managing the properties, you know, live like a local and being Able to share that knowledge with people just makes their stay, you know, you're going way above what any of the big, you know, agencies can offer because they don't have that insight and they're not interested in providing that level of detail.

And I think because if you make your guests experience easy and like so you're creating that excitement, they're going to remember you, they're going to remember you and they're going to remember your brand, which is fantastic marketing.

So I think that's a really great tip.

You've touched a little bit on what marketing's work best but any other.

And you touched a little bit on blogging which maybe we ought to explore a bit more.

But what's worked best for you in your marketing for direct bookings.

And once I think the big thing, when I first joined the club, Sarah was actually really nailing down what my ideal guests, who my ideal guests are and then really focusing on that and revisiting my website and redesigning really focusing the website to attract those guests which are couples with dogs.

And then just working really, really hard on my website is basically all I do is every week I'm doing something on that I'm doing.

I'm a bit obsessive OCD on the SEO side of things as you know, and blogging I've just, yeah, obviously AI is very helpful in that but I'm now up to, I've just tipped over the hundred mark on my blogs but I'm finding that more easier to do than I used to find it really hard to think of what topics but as the more you do, the more you actually, you know, you think you've done one topic but you can actually do the same topic but a different, different slant on that same topic.

So yeah, and I really enjoy the blogging actually.

I actually, it's one of my favorite parts of it and then that's, I find that really helpful.

Not only is that helping my website but it then gives me content for my social media.

It then I then use it in my email monthly emails so that one job actually ticks off a load of boxes because I know I can use it then in social media.

I know I can, I can use it in my email that goes out at the end of the month and, and it's, it's doing great work for the website itself.

So yeah, yeah, I mean that's going to bring in more traffic and then also because you've got more properties to fill.

It's like you say it's serving so Many purposes for you to make your life easier in terms of the content that you, you know, a, you've got more properties to talk about, which will give you different angles for the blogs.

And you talked about things like the group stays.

So as the portfolio expand, expands, you're almost like going slightly broader maybe than you had originally.

And it's just giving you lots of opportunities.

I mean, 100 blog posts, that's impressive.

That's great work, well done.

And I've got a list of the next ones coming up.

But like I said, I'm really into it now and I find it quite easy to think.

Obviously seasonal stuff to talk about.

This comes around every year.

So, yeah, that's doing really well.

Yeah, I can see that on my search engine results.

Which one's performing best?

So that walks, you know, people love walks and so good excuse for a day off to go for a walk, take some photos, turn it into a blog post, so.

Exactly.

And it probably from your point of view as a busy host, it makes you live like a local and share that with.

With your guests.

But like you say, an excuse to go and explore a new walk or go and try a new pub or cafe.

And because your audience, I can see completely why the walks are so popular with the taking dogs on holiday.

So it's like you can share all of that local knowledge.

I think we forget sometimes the things we know about our local area that, you know, we just assume maybe people know.

But actually great content for blogs and gives you lots of fuel for your marketing.

Yeah, absolutely.

Yes.

Yeah.

Thank you so much for sharing all of that with us today.

I have one final question for you.

If you had a famous guest or celebrity who came to stay with you, who would it be?

Well, I think, as you've heard, we've spoke about privately, my love of birds and the natural wildlife all around me.

Chris Packham, I think would be top of my list because he obviously had a spell at Mingsmere down the road from us, which is my favourite place to visit.

He was there for a number of years and yeah, I just think he's an amazing guy and I think he'd appreciate my nod to the naming my.

My own properties after the local wildlife.

Yeah.

So for all the listeners, all of Claire's properties are named after local.

It's local birds, isn't it?

So.

Yeah, well, coastal birds.

Coastal birds.

So it's very much themed around your area and I think, yeah, Chris would definitely approve.

So if he happens to stumble across this podcast, maybe he'll come and visit you, but I'm sure he's getting lots of demands on his time.

But thank you so much for joining us today and for sharing all of those wonderful insights, Claire, on how you've developed the business and what you've learned along the way.

It's been really great talking to you today.

No problem, Sarah.

Thanks for asking.

And thank you everyone for listening.

If you enjoyed this episode, you know what to do.

I'd love it if you could leave me a review because you know how much us hosts love those five star reviews.

This is the last episode of season five of the Get Fully Booked podcast, but I will be back in a few weeks with season six and I can't wait to be back with you then.

See you soon.

Thank you for listening to Get Fully Booked with Sarah Orchard.

If you want to see if you are ready to ditch the likes of Airbnb and grow your direct bookings, put your business to the test with my free Direct Booking Roadmap quiz.

Head to my website get fully booked.com quiz and let's get you more direct bookings and more profit in your pocket.