Many travelers choose to book serviced apartments over a traditional hotel when they are traveling. With the increased volume of business travel over the past few years, there has been a rise in the number of serviced apartments that are being offered. In fact, according to the occupancy rates for 2016 in the UK, the average occupancy rate for serviced apartments was 81%, while the occupancy rate for hotel rooms was 77.2%. Serviced apartments have the potential to outperform hotel rooms, as long as they are managed and marketed correctly.
Why Are Serviced Apartments Preferred?
The future of serviced apartments seems quite bright, and it’s likely that more travelers are going to prefer this option when it is available. This is because of the benefits that serviced apartments can provide over hotels.
There are some major differences between serviced apartments and hotels that help to make them more appealing to people. Typically, service apartments cater to guests who want to stay for longer durations. While guests at a hotel may check in for a few nights, guests at serviced apartments might want to check in for a few weeks. Apartments also have the advantage of being more spacious and will often include a kitchen facility. A hotel, on the other hand, has limited rooms and space and even if a kitchen was available it would likely be much smaller.
The differences are what make them unique.Marketing strategies that are generally applied to hotels would not be the best for a serviced apartment. Therefore, it is important for companies that offer serviced apartments to understand how to market them.
Create A Good Website
Many companies offering serviced apartments will have a website, but they don’t always use the site to their advantage. A good website is more than just an advertising billboard; it is a way to reach more people. A few good practices to follow would be to ensure that the website is updated regularly and make photographs a priority. People who come on your site should know exactly what they can expect when they book with you.
The website should also be mobile-friendly. Most people today choose to use their phones or tablets to view and interact with websites. Make sure that your site looks great and is easy to use even when people use their mobile devices.
Start a blog with quality content. Generally, sites that have blogs get more traffic than those that don’t. Having a blog allows for easier, more natural SEO to be woven into the site. It also helps to have quality blog posts that people will want to share on their social media.
Advertising On Social Media
All companies, whether large, small or independent, should be on social media. Social media outreach marketing ideas for apartments which work well with major platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and even Twitter. Offer photos, information as well as contact details and links to your site on your social media handles. Marketing on social media can be fruitful, and the best part, it’s free, all you need are creative marketing ideas for apartments.
You will also want to consider using social media ads. These ads get your content in front of the right prospects— people who are looking to stay in serviced apartments. With everyone spending so much time on social media, it is the perfect place to find prospective tenants through thoughtful apartment social media marketing ideas.
Building Relationships With Other Businesses
When thinking of how to increase occupancy in apartments, you might want to consider getting to know local businesses. You will be able to spread the word about your brand and ensure that more people are aware of the property. When business owners and employees get to know you, they are more likely to provide referrals to the property and tell more people about you.
There are many different types of businesses to which you could reach out. You might want to reach out to banks, corporations in the area, moving companies, furniture stores, real estate agents, gyms, storage companies, to name a few. Make a list of all the places that people would go to when they are new to an area for either an extended business stay, or as a permanent resident. It is a good option for outreach marketing ideas for apartments.
Host Community Gatherings Regularly
Organizing events at the property is another great way to improve the community not only for those who are staying long-term, but also for those who are staying short-term. Hosting events frequently makes people feel like they are connected, and it can really help to boost the quantity of referrals that you receive from those living there. It also builds loyalty and trust. The events that are organized should be fun and should create an informal atmosphere where people can connect.
Create Attractive and Informative Brochures
Brochures still have the potential to be very helpful when it comes to marketing apartments. However, many apartment brochures are not well-designed. They do nothing to stand out from the competition and usually contain poor quality photographs, or unrealistic stock photographs. Brochures have a lot of potential as a quality marketing opportunity, but it’s one that so many dismiss.
Brochures used for your serviced apartments should use high-quality photos of the actual apartments and grounds. Make sure that the photos are up to date. They should be visually appealing in their design and layout, and they should contain all the necessary information about the apartments and the community. Show that the unit keeps up with trends in apartment living.
Always make sure that there is a call to action on the brochure so that people can call or visit your site. You might also want to include a limited time offer or some other type of special discount on the brochure. This can get people to act because they feel a sense of urgency.
Expand and Upgrade Your Listings
The same types of problems that plague brochures are also present with online listings. Poor quality photos, uninspiring text and descriptions and the like, are not going to get the traction that you want. Often, people opt for the free versions of these sites which may not provide the necessary features to make your listings stand out. However, when you upgrade, you are often able to expand your listing and add some other options. In fact, it is also possible to make your apartment a featured listing, which is going to get more views. Naturally, this has the potential to help you find more renters who are interested in the serviced apartment.
How Hotel PMS Can Benefit Operators of Serviced Apartments
While serviced apartments might not be hotels, that does not mean that you can’t manage these units with the same attention to detail. Using quality property management systems like Hotelogix helps hotel service apartment management in numerous ways. Not only will it be possible to easily manage all the properties from a single dashboard, but there are features that make it possible to handle the housekeeping management, revenue management, rate management, accounting, and much more.
You can use this type of hotel apartment management software for an apartment reservation system, as well. The serviced apartment booking system is easy to use and can help ensure easier reservations for the guests. Consider the benefits that hotel and apartment manager software can provide in your efforts to keep your units full.
