VRS095 – Hooking Your Guests with Great Copywriting with Jessica Vozel

If you think about the last time you read a good novel, it probably wasn’t the story that got you immersed in the book to start with, it was the opening lines; the way the writer drew you into the narrative, and the descriptive text that had you identifying with the characters from the get-go.

You might not have thought about your vacation rental listing as an opportunity to tell a compelling story, but Jessica Vozel of Guest Hook, believes that is exactly what you should do.

In this episode, Jessica, who is a seasoned travel copywriter, walks us though the creation of a persuasive listing from headlines that pique interest through to captivating captions for your images. She uses some great examples such as the VRBO listings she found for an upcoming stay in Austin, Texas, that prompted the click through to the main listing page. And that is what we all want to happen.

tweetTweet: Truly the best way to capture #vacationrental bookings. @JessicaVozel talks #copywriting http://ctt.ec/Uz99M+ pic.twitter.com/fNEG49

Thank you to Tyann Marcinck @MarcinkDesigns, Phil Schofield @schofields and Jeff Cospolich @JeffCospolich for your questions on Twitter. Jessica addresses all these and more in our interview.

Jessica shares:

  • Why and how she became a travel copywriter with a shout-out to Matt Landau
  • The biggest mistakes she sees made in listings and how to address them
  • Why writing as if you were talking to a friend makes a real difference between bland text and a captivating listing
  • The top clichés and overused language
  • How to use clear and concrete language to make descriptive text stand out
  • Some examples of outstanding headlines
  • Ways to write a compelling owner bio
  • The one-hour listing revitalization process (free download!)
  • Other areas good copywriting can make a difference
  • What Guest Hook is and why it works for owners and agencies

Links and sites mentioned in this episode:

Guest Hook
Austin Soul House on VRBO

Where you can find Jessica:

http://jessicavozel.com/

Website

@JessicaVozel

Twitter

https://www.facebook.com/jvozel

Facebook

https://www.linkedin.com/pub/jessica-vozel/53/910/5b3

LinkedIN

About the author

Heather Bayer

  • Where can we find the “one-hour listing revitalization process” download?

  • Took lots of notes on this one! Great job Heather and Jessica! Where can we find the “one-hour listing revitalization process” download?

  • Hi Lauri – I am not sure why this is not downloadable – send me your email address and I will get the PDF sent to you.

  • David Jenn

    Thanks Heather and Jessica! Another super insightful podcast that is a must-listen for every vacation rental owner and rental manager. I have almost finished getting the copywriting for my dozen properties (3 more to go) up to a professional level and will certainly be using a few pointers from this episode as we write future descriptions. I have spoken with Jessica once in the past and I think I’ll reach out to her again for assistance with Email Templates and such.

  • Hi Lauri, the download is now working on the image in the show notes.

  • David & Edna

    Fabulous podcast this week! I enjoy them all for different reasons but there was so much actionable advice given this week. I hate to say it but our listings had almost all of the “don’t do’s” – LOL. In the process of fixing them! Keep up the great work and please have more great guests like Jessica on the podcast.

    I’m not seeing the download link for the One Hour Makeover either but would sure like to have a copy of it.

  • Glad you enjoy the podcasts…would love to see your before and after listings! We have Will Franco coming up soon talking about the Digital Handshake and making short videos…lots of actionable tips in there too.

  • You’ve got great descriptions on your site David – this one really grabbed me:

    “The sun is shining, the outdoor wet bar is stocked and the views are killer. Stretched out on your 600 square-foot wraparound balcony, the Florida rays tickling your skin, you know life doesn’t get much better. ”

    What do you think Jessica?

    …BTW I love the color scheme on there.

  • Thanks, Mike – got it!

  • Pingback: Vacation Rental Marketing | Podcast Of The Month()

  • Mulley

    I absolutely loved the podcast! Most informative broadcast I have ever listen to. Thank you for the wonderful tips

  • Thank you for listening and glad you enjoyed the tips!

  • I really enjoyed the podcast Heather – excellent interview and really helpful download Jessica. many thanks