Introducing Invitations: Grow your largest team of storytellers yet

Advocates are powerful. They’re helping destinations, hotels, and rental properties compete from the point of inspiration—connecting with new & future travelers in a more meaningful way to win them over from the start.

(And we’ve shown you the impact: it’s that big.)

So how do you get even more? More advocates sharing their travel stories… more introductions… more wins!

Introducing: Invitations.

In just a matter of clicks, earn incredible impact when you widen your scope to even bigger audiences. Invite past travelers, their friends and family, your own audiences, and anyone else to share their experiences with your travel brand at the center.

And thanks to your growing team of travelers-turned-storytellers, you’ll spark new conversations with the warmest, most receptive audience yet—at a scale like never before.

Take a peek:

 

If you’re ready to put Invitations to work for your travel brand, reach out. We’ll share how you can power growth (plus warmer relationships and a whole lot more) with advocacy.

Flip.to joins OPMA, together sparking new conversations in travel marketing

Advocacy platform pairs with Onsite Rental Management Association to foster education and partnerships in the diverse vacation rental market

ORLANDO, FL — February 14, 2018 — Flip.to—the advocacy marketing platform that helps reach, inspire and convert travelers worldwide—announced its membership with the Onsite Property Management Association (OPMA), a nonprofit and advocate for the rental management and condo hotel sectors representing a select 53,000 resort accommodation units. Flip.to will work in tandem with a collection of minds together aimed at bettering the travel space.

Flip.to is thrilled to be joining the OPMA’s exclusive roster of 37 suppliers personally invited to share membership with management companies across the US and globally who are focused on shaping the landscape of hospitality marketing and growing the industry as a whole. OPMA provides a network of partnerships, educational opportunities and a forum for cooperative efforts to advance the rental market, emphasizing collective growth and mutual support.

“It’s easy to see where OPMA and Flip.to are aligned, with advocacy a cornerstone to both our identities,” said OPMA Chief Marketing Strategist John Dalton about Flip.to. “Likewise, they have a drive to constantly improve marketing as we know it today. The Flip.to team has a deep understanding of not only the travel industry, but also the specific marketing challenges rental managers face daily, so we’re glad to welcome them on board,” said Dalton.

The Flip.to platform empowers guests to share the high points of their stay throughout their traveler journey. Along the way, travelers introduce family and friends to resorts and vacation properties in an authentic and trusted way, reaching new audiences at an incredible scale—ahead of competitors and other dominant players. The platform earns and tracks new bookings while growing brand awareness, web traffic and warm leads.

Flip.to has made strides in enhancing the marketing efforts of hospitality providers across the travel industry, seeing incredible success in the vacation rental market. Corporate Director of Sales and Marketing, Maurice Arbelaez, of Millenium Management Corporation—founding member of OPMA and fellow customer of Flip.to—echoed this sentiment along with the value of membership for the advocacy platform.

“Flip.to is an example of an industry partner providing incredible value, promoting authentic perspectives on the resort from a trusted source—our travelers. This is key for professional management companies like Millenium who uphold the highest level of service, guest experience, and infrastructure,” said Arbelaez.

“Likewise, these are the values that define OPMA, which is why their organization is key in helping leaders in our industry maintain these standards. We’re excited to work together with partners who not only provide top-notch solutions that help highlight these clear differences, but also share a mutual interest in bettering the industry as a whole.”

Flip.to kicked off their participation with a speaking session at OPMA’s 2017 leadership summit late last year. On attending, Richard Dunbar, Director of Partnerships at Flip.to, said, “We saw firsthand the significant value of membership with OPMA, from learning even more about the challenges within the industry to forming new connections and partnerships with those who hold a shared vision for the rental market. As we look forward to seeing the strides OPMA continues to make for rental management companies around the world, we’re excited to now be a part of it!”

 

To learn more about OPMA membership and its efforts within the rental management and condo hotel industry, visit www.theopma.org or contact John Dalton at jdalton@theopma.org.

To learn how Flip.to is helping vacation rentals reach, inspire and convert travelers each and every day, see who we’re working with.

The hotel marketer’s guide to the galaxy: Facebook’s search for authenticity

2017 was a year of ups and downs for Facebook. They faced some hard questions, rooted to perhaps a bigger quandary: What is the purpose of Facebook—and all social platforms? To quote Douglas Adams and the all-famous Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, I imagine it went something like this:

“The answer to the great question of Life… The Universe…! And Everything…!”

I mean, let’s face it: if nearly a third of the world’s population are on the bandwagon, it’s certainly a question worth pursuing—what is the greater purpose of social media? We’ve put some “Deep Thought” to that ourselves. (See what we did there?)

“Being “social” revolves around the idea of people sharing personal experiences with friends and family—travel conversations that hotels have long tried to join.”

Ultimately, it seems clear that the answer is conversations between people. (Either that, or 42.)

Well, then brands got in the mix. And while “social” media aimed for authentic connection, it became—and continues to be—neither personal nor between friends, quickly resembling another paid advertising channel.

Facebook took notice. So, citing a focus on meaningful connection and “bringing people together,” Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg (yet again) announced some overhauls to the social network for 2018. What does that include? To start, the prioritization of stories from users’ family and friends, limiting distribution of public content from businesses and outright demotion of “engagement bait.”

Historically, Zuckerberg has been vocal about the company’s “responsibility to make sure our services aren’t just fun to use, but also good for people’s well-being,” so this most recent attempt to curate a more positive user experience is nothing new.

Facebook made a similar announcement in May of 2017 limiting the reach of posts that link to “low-quality web experiences.” More broadly, they’ve been shaping the user experience by means of their Community Standards for much longer.

Striking a balance between user experience and monetization is a delicate process, but the platforms call the shots… and increasingly pull the plug on the kind of lazy marketing that simply shouts at users, paying no mind to audience or context.

These changes are not insignificant for hospitality marketers, who are now faced with a new challenge: How do I shift my strategy?

Well unto this we say, “Don’t panic.” (Okay, last Hitchhiker’s reference, we promise…)

Here are some ways to shift your thinking and creatively stand out on the 2-billion-user social giant.

Take an editorial approach to content marketing

It’s no surprise that quality branded content is and will continue to be a potent strategy for your marketing. What defines quality? Think through who you’re trying to reach, and build toward creating interest, relevance and relationships with your guests.

  • Take a storytelling approach: focus on empathy and experiences.
  • Be sure your messaging is relevant and inspiring.
  • Make the content you create useful.

Even in the wake of changes to how social platforms organize and deliver content, what hasn’t changed is what travelers connect with: content that’s relevant, shareable and engaging.

One marketing tactic highlighted by Forbes is taking a straightforwardly editorial approach to content marketing, using human interest and engaging, accessible angles to make inspiration about your brand more shareable than ever.

Become the topic of conversation

If we know that Facebook’s aim is to bring the platform back to being a social network where conversations between people are the cornerstone, then ultimately, the exchange of stories between family and friends is the only truly organic reach you’ll have.

What’s more, no matter how creative your content, the power of a traveler speaking for you is unmatched.

Just know this: becoming the topic of guest conversations cannot be forced, and you can’t manufacture or mass-produce authenticity. However, you can empower travelers with the tools to kickstart those experiences by letting them tell their stories in warm ways.

So, how do you become the topic of conversation?

Spoiler alert: it starts by providing an incredible guest experience at your hotel, complete with stories worth sharing. (Breathe a sigh of relief. You’ve got this already.)

Another powerful way to become the topic of conversation? Encourage your travelers to become storytellers for your hotel. Why? Travelers are inspired by experiences, and they trust the folks they know.

Give them a platform to share, and pair it with experiences and conversions that make sense for this new audience. You’ll reach new audiences in the most trusted way possible, inspiring new travelers along their path to visit your destination.

Micro-influencers have powerful reach and can harness trust much more effectively than an ad ever could.

Reimagine an audience-focused approach to paid advertising

With these changes in mind, it’s apparent that paid will continue to be part of a well-rounded social strategy.

Yet in a day and age when travelers are constantly inundated with content and advertisements, it’s no surprise that reaching audiences with ads can be a challenge. Social audiences have learned to tune out content they don’t care to see—both actively and subconsciously.

So how do you thoughtfully and creatively engage travelers through advertising?

Apply the same principles of relevance, thoughtfulness, and storytelling to set yourself apart. When advertising your hotel, sell travelers on an experience instead of a price. Use simple, memorable and accessible imagery that conveys a story instead of a commodity.

Instead of using messages designed to be catchy or flashy, use what you know of your audience in order to tailor your message through the use of high-quality targeting, such as Facebook’s “custom audiences” feature.

At the end of the day, all three of these avenues build upon one another to tell a powerful story about your hotel and reach future travelers.

This is more than just our take—it’s also a cautionary tale: without authenticity and storytelling to back up your marketing, you’re fighting a losing battle against both your audience and your platform. So don’t find yourself left behind!

How are you adjusting to the shifting marketing landscape? What strategies have worked for you, and what other brands do you see making big strides? Join the conversation—we’d love to hear from you!

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Better together: Fueling great partnerships

Here at Flip.to, our place in the industry is pretty unique. We get the chance to work with some incredible travel brands—and more importantly with the talented people behind them.

While that includes hotels, resorts, vacation properties, destination marketers, and the like, it includes the wide array of folks we call friends and partners.

So, what makes a great partnership? For one thing—some of the same things that make great friendships, and that’s great people.

Aside from that, we see partnerships as an opportunity to lean on our relative strengths in ways that everyone benefits. That means joining forces with forward-thinking vendors, agencies, and even individuals who embrace where we strive to take travel marketing.

Core to those values are the power of storytelling and authenticity. Combined, they unlock the ability to reach and inspire travelers, nurturing them along their journey to conversion (rather than flooding them with an overabundance of “book nows” and discount offers).

Ultimately, like us, they aspire to evolve the way hospitality marketing is done in a way that’s a win for travelers, great for business and incredible hospitality all at the same time.

So I’ll ask again—what makes a great partnership?

Look no further than Fuel Travel, a shining example of all of the above. We knew from the start that we’d be a great fit, (and not just because they’re gif-jedi-masters).

From adapting to improve guest experience and prioritizing relationships, to being vocal about marketing values like storytelling, they guide their customers down the best path for their hotel and guests. Fuel goes above and beyond to educate and provide value to the hotel marketing industry far beyond just their products & services thanks to efforts like their blog and podcast content, connection to industry contributors and more.

Fuel’s own COO, Stuart Butler, paid us a visit recently and shared some candid insight on partnering with Flip.to:

 

To learn more about Fuel Travel, hop over to www.fueltravel.com and be sure to check out Fuel’s weekly hotel marketing podcast.

If you’re as passionate as we are about changing the landscape of hospitality marketing and feel like we’d be a great match, let us know. Hospitality moving & shaking is always more fun when you get more great people in the room!

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We asked: HomeAway boosts fees for 2018—but what’s the cost?

If you’re at all tuned into news circling the vacation rental industry, it was hard to miss HomeAway’s announcement on new 2018 fees making waves last week. We first came across it in Amy Hinote’s latest piece on VRM Intel.

The tldr:

  • HomeAway will increase subscription fees 25% (from $399 to $499 per listing)
  • In addition to this increase, for direct bookings from guests who previously used HomeAway in their travel research, they’ll charge a 10% transactional fee

In other words, for direct bookings made where HomeAway can attribute similar searches on their websites, they stand to take a piece of the pie—what they’re calling performance credit for “off-platform” bookings. Amy sums the cost increase in a way that puts it in perspective: this adds up to over $700k from an average vacation rental management company managing 250 properties.

But in the long term, what’s this big news really mean for rental managers at large?

Now that the initial story has had a little time to settle, we asked around to some of our friends (and foremost authorities in the industry) to see their initial thoughts, and recommendations for a path forward.

Take a peek at their insights below:

Alex Husner, CMO, Condo-World Resort Properties

“While I understand the reasoning behind wanting to prevent leakage of bookings off HomeAway’s platform, the most recent announcement has the potential to be a paradigm shift for what is deemed acceptable in vacation rental/OTA partnerships. HomeAway is learning from Expedia’s early days and is working to apply this hindsight as quickly as possible. Had technology been as advanced years ago as it is now, Expedia would have asked to match back email addresses/dates and to be paid a commission for any bookings that originated from a search on their site. Could Expedia do that now with their hotel clients? Sure…but the hotel/OTA relationships are far too involved and strained at this point to attempt something like that. HomeAway is still at a relatively new stage in their relationships with VRMs, many of whom are highly vested in the company from both a software and advertising perspective and consider themselves at mercy to any changes the company wants to make.

Between the addition of the booking fee a couple years ago, to removing the ability for VRMs to communicate with guests during the booking process, and now implementing a match back process to automatically recoup any bookings made off platform — HomeAway is making it hard for both guests and VRMs to want to do business with them. With this newest announcement, VRMs could potentially pay double commission and LOSE money if a guest searches on HomeAway but then books on another OTA. (Example: 10% to HomeAway and 15% to Booking.com = 25%… which is well above the average commission fee for most PMs).

Removing the ability to communicate with guests has also been troublesome for us—if HomeAway were to truly facilitate the booking from start to finish, we would have no problem with not being able to communicate with the guest. But to provide a lead—and then restrict what information can be sent, and how it can be sent—creates a customer service and operational nightmare.

Total OTA revenue only makes up 3% of Condo-World’s annual sales— but there are many in our industry who rely specifically on HomeAway/VRBO for up to 70% of their sales. All of our listings are pay-per-booking, so we are going to continue on with 2018 as normal and then evaluate the true effect of these changes at the end of the year.”

 

Stuart Butler, COO, Fuel Travel

“This is a greedy move and one that could backfire. There’s no way I will recommend that my clients participate in this new model. The notion that HomeAway claims 10% commission for bookings where a consumer at some point made a search on HomeAway is nonsense. We know that consumers shop around and look at the same property on multiple sites. What if they all did the same thing? Imagine if a consumer finds your property on the local CVB site, then shops you on HomeAway, TripAdvisor, and another local portal, before finally booking on your own website. Are you to give 10% commission to all four of those touch points? What if they also saw a retargeting ad for your property and that vendor also took another 10%?

My advice for rental managers is to boycott HomeAway. Spend your time crafting an amazing book direct strategy by creating a frictionless, mobile-first booking experience, applying psychological sales tactics through the funnel, and providing unique value and incentives to guests who book direct.”

 

Matt Raab, Director of eCommerce, Sterling Resorts

“I believe the move is intended to drive PMs away from their subscription program and onto their pay per booking program. When Expedia took over it was expected that the way HomeAway collects revenue would eventually mirror Expedia. The transition started with the introduction of pay per booking, then elimination of subscription levels, and now the latest changes. Within a year or two subscriptions either will not be economical anymore in comparison with pay per booking or be outright eliminated as an option.

Diversify and develop brand loyalty. We will be staying on the same path we began down long ago—with integrated software and connections partners most third party websites are easy to add as distribution channels. We utilize as many that make sense to us in terms of cost and rental policy.

With the right technology partners, there is not a manpower burden, and it makes a significant impact on the percentage of revenue that originates from HomeAway. Once the guest is booked, however—from any channel—the goal is to collect data, impress the guest, and rebook direct. This sector is where the most exciting new technologies and services are being developed.”

 

Even early on, the news is hard hitting. A vacation rental owner and manager in the Southeast went on to add this:

“Bold move for sure because they risk owners who will leave because of the increased pricing. Also, curious how they will access Vacation Rental Managers data to know who to “charge” other than Escapia and V12 users, as they can potentially access those databases because they are HomeAway PMS’s.

As a VR Manager, we are not, and will never be, in a position to pay websites which a guest visits prior to ultimately booking direct with us. That is ridiculous.

Our path forward will be to educate all homeowners as to why they should put their units with professionally managed companies who can help them better navigate the ever changing vacation rental market.”

We have a feeling this story is far from over. Got perspectives on this (or anything else bubbling up in the VR industry)? Join the conversation.

In the meantime, get the full scoop in the original VRM Intel article, and for more like this give Amy a follow here.

 

Flip.to on the road: property managers winning with OPMA

A big focus at Flip.to in 2017 has been better understanding the ins-and-outs of the vacation rental market. It’s a segment within our industry that faces all of the same, yet also entirely different challenges than other accommodations providers.

Issues range from regulations and split ownership, to homeowners’ associations and conflicting marketing messaging due to third parties. Navigating that space adds layers of complexity that any operator could easily do without.

When we learned about the Onsite Property Management Association (OPMA) and its efforts to advocate for property managers, we were immediately intrigued. Flip.to became members in short order and participated in our first OPMA summit in our hometown of Orlando this past November.

What we took away is that OPMA has made great strides for property managers—and are working hard on loads more to be done. Topics covered included recent legal victories, paving the way for a better guest experience, all the way to the importance of adopting a mobile-first approach, well, everything.

Our resident video-documentarian and fellow Flip.to contributor to the blogosphere, Hunter Garrett, joined me at the OPMA conference and put together these highlights of our 2-days at Reunion Resort. Enjoy!

 

Advocacy at work: Reunion Resort taps into inspiration with Flip.to

At Flip.to, we’ve made our careers in hospitality. A lot of our customers are industry folks who we have a long history with and we’ve developed a lot of friendships along the way.

Reunion Resort’s Carolina Ousley is one of those friends. She’s been a great leader in marketing since we’ve known her. Our own Richard Dunbar paid her a visit recently during OPMA’s Executive Summit. (More on that to come soon.)

Carolina had some kind words to say, and we’re just ecstatic to share them. Take a peek:

 

Feel free to give Carolina a follow here. And if you’re interested in how advocacy is a game-changer for hotels & resorts, let’s chat. 20 minutes is usually all it takes to kick-off.

(And since we know busy hoteliers don’t have too much time to spare, we do our best to make those minutes as fun as possible.)

Hotel Tybee strikes Gold at 2017 Adrian Awards with Flip.to

Customer success: we can’t stop talking about it. That’s because the results earned by travel brands on our platform are the biggest measure of our success.

So, when other people start talking about it too? Well—we can’t help but celebrate.

That’s what we’re doing today with Hotel Tybee, who we’re proud to be recognized alongside for taking home a 2017 HSMAI Gold Adrian Award in Digital Marketing! Hotel Tybee’s success on the platform stood out among a crowded field of more than 1,100 entries.

So what’s advocacy at work look like with Hotel Tybee? When you see the numbers, it’s clear why the judges took note. Take a peek below:

In 7 months and 898 advocates, the property earned:

Hotel Tybee Success

Hotel Tybee’s advocates drive incredibly warm traffic and high conversion for pennies on the dollar.

Brett L. Loehr, CHA and General Manager to Hotel Tybee had this to say about the platform:

“Today’s reality is that it’s more expensive and competitive to earn guests. Add to that other investments we’ve made in our hotel following three hurricanes just this year, and the importance of growing profits without sacrificing hospitality for our guests comes even more into focus.

We’ve got a strong marketing team who together with Flip.to have done both. For one thing, we’re getting in front of interested travelers in the best way—our existing guests—and the numbers tell the story for what follows.”

Advocacy is a potent marketing channel that properties like Hotel Tybee have unlocked. With trust built in, quality of the audience is a natural lead into great performance.

Stacia Miele, Online Marketing Director echoed Brett’s sentiment.

“Hotel digital marketing isn’t a matter of doing one thing really well—it’s doing a lot of things really well that come together into a strategy that works for your property. Flip.to has been a great add to our stack, with the value of this new marketing channel going beyond lower cost-of-acquisition.”

“All in all—we’ve been huge fans since the beginning,” Brett went on to add.

For a peek at just a handful of what Hotel Tybee’s storyteller’s are sharing, tune in below:

 

If you’re ready to switch on advocacy, let’s chat. We’ll share how advocacy is changing the game for the hospitality and tourism industries worldwide.

Infographic: Classic Resorts nets a new channel of travelers by launching advocacy

There are tons of reasons to switch on advocacy, and every story about getting started with Flip.to is unique. That’s because advocacy works for all types of hotels, and all types of travelers. By design, it helps your brand get introduced to the perfect audience in a big way.

We’re taking a peek at just what that looked like for Classic Resorts: two resorts out of the islands of Hawaii. Their team had their sights on achieving more in 2017, and paired up with Flip.to to help conquer their goals. The result? Big wins for their properties and their travelers!

Together with Flip.to, Classic Resorts is inspiring travelers around the world with authentic stories shared by their travelers. And while the ROI has proven to be off the charts, it adds up to something bigger than that:

Building relationships with their travelers with even more hospitality, widening their scope to their best audience yet, and diversifying their strategy to helping their resorts get better every day.

If you’re interested in how advocacy is changing the game for vacation rentals, hotels and destinations, let’s chat. We’ll share more on the impact, and make it a fun chat while we’re at it. (Not to mention, kicking off is incredibly easy.)

Stories that inspire: my travel bucket list

I remember growing up it was nearly impossible to get our entire family to decide on a destination. That’s because we all had different ideas of the perfect getaway. In the end, my mom usually called the shots. Today though, I’m calling the shots (sorry, Mom.)

Working at Flip.to for two years now, I’ve seen countless guest stories that inspire me to travel. Below are just a few of my favorites that made my must-do bucket list.

Alyeska Resort – Girdwood, Alaska

“Ski day with a view! Beer apreś ski, who would say no?” — Marlene P.

Hit the slopes

I’ve only been skiing once, and it wasn’t pretty. However, when I took a peek at the stories from Alyeska Resort’s guests, I can’t help but want to give it another shot. Plus, Jeff, our CMO and seasoned skier, shared some of his pointers over so I’m feeling pretty confident about my new moves.

Turtle Bay Resort – Kahuku, Hawaii

“Where better to make family memories with our kids. If summer has to end, this was the way to end it.” — Christine B.

Catch a sunset

When I look at the guest stories from Turtle Bay Resort, I already begin to feel like I’m on vacation—they’re that inspiring.

Gunflint Lodge & Outfitters – Grand Marais, Minnesota

“I liked the fact that Gunflint took care of everything and provided first rate equipment.” — David B.

Canoe Gunflint

Gunflint is a place my entire family would enjoy (even my mom). I’d have to take a trip out to Judge C.R. Magney State Park and snag a few photos before taking these canoes out for a sunset ride.

Red Mountain Resort – Ivins, Utah

“I loved all the people we met, the staff and the variety of activities to choose from. My favorite day was the day we went canyoneering. It was so much fun!” — Lana F.

Explore Utah

If you asked me lately where I wanted to travel to the most, I probably said Utah. Its four national parks are a photographer’s dream and have been on my list to go since first taking up the hobby. This photo from Lana, a recent guest of Red Mountain Resort, is the exact view I want to capture.

Hotel El Ganzo – San José del Cabo, Mexico

“An amazing destination experience! Luxurious, sophisticated, quiet, calm and totally cool! Best view, sleep, breathing, dining, sunset ever! I cannot wait to go back – please hold a room for me.” — Jeanette G.

Relax in Mexico

Hotel El Ganzo is a creative and artistic getaway that looks right up my alley. The incredible views, pool, rooms, food and hospitality makes this an easy pick for me.

Kiawah Island Golf Resort – Kiawah Island, South Carolina

“We loved the family feel atmosphere, the service and personnel were fantastic. We will back again.” — Monica C.

Play a round

The perfect vacation wouldn’t be without a round at a pristine golf course. From what travelers share about their stay at Kiawah Island Golf Resort, I’m already looking up tee times.

Santa Barbara Beach & Golf Resort – Newport, Curaçao

““I went diving for the first time with my newly padi qualified 16-year-old daughter and I took this picture. It was a lovely day!” — James R.

Swim with dolphins

Topping off the list would have to be a scuba excursion at Santa Barbara Beach & Golf Resort. (I mean, what good is being scuba certified if I’m not diving with dolphins?)

While these stories have inspired my bucket list, they’re doing so much more than that each and every day for these hotels. They’re reaching warm audiences, and helping introduce entirely new audiences of travelers, (better than any stock photo could).

For more on our take on content, check out the video below:

 

Looking for more inspiration? Venture on to our last collection of stories that inspire. See any stories that stand out? Let us know!

Adventure back to June’s stories