Vacation Rental Marketing Writing this blog has created a lot of opportunities for me. I get contacted by owners looking for advice and consultancy, journalists needing material for a story, and a lot of interest in my membership site, Renting for Profit. Consequently I believe wholeheartedly that blogs are here to stay, they work to create credibility and confidence in the authors credentials, and can help maintain a competitive edge over others in the same field. Vacation rental owners who blog regularly tell me they experience the same results, which is why I write so many posts about the benefits of blogging. When I started out I followed Darren Rowse’s Pro Blogger site and it’s still top of my reading list each week. When he launched his first 31 Days to Build a Better Blog I followed it diligently and have been using the tips from it ever since. I learned how to promote new posts and get more readers; the types of posts that attract more interest; how to find and contribute to forums that will generate loyalty to the blog, and how to create an editorial calendar – and that is just four of the days! This is arguably the most comprehensive and easy-to-follow guide to blogging on the market at the moment. The second edition of 31 Days to Build a Better Blog has just been published and has been updated to include additional material for 2012 including tips on how to make your blog mobile friendly, and more information on how to use social media platforms to promote your posts. I’ll be taking the challenge of improving my Osprey Cottage blog and want you to join me. Are you up to the challenge? I’ll be journaling what I’m doing and sharing learning points on the Renting for Profit forum so if you do the same we can promote each other’s blogs and get the word out there. Buy Darren’s book and let’s get going on creating some great blogs. It’s currently offered with a 25% discount and includes an extra 7 days of hints and tips. The book doesn’t cover how to set up your blog – I’ll be recommending methods of doing that later this week – but if you have one that is already there, or has stalled, or if you want a head start on planning your content, this is a great book for you.
