Affiliate Marketing Comes to the Vacation Rental Business

Vacation Rental Property Manager's are always trying to find new ways to bring in more guests and increase revenue. Some offer discounts during slow times, some offer additional amenities such as complementary beach chairs, a typical offer from beachfront property in Florida, or other inducements to distinguish thier property from others.

In the highly competitive vacation rental market everyone is scrambling to find more ways to entice guests. A small company in Missouri is adding a new twist to vacation rental marketing, an affiliate program.

While affiliate programs are not uncommon in the internet world they are not a widely used marketing strategy in the travel business. In the travel business you have licensed travel agents making commissions on lodging, airline tickets and car rental. With the development of affiliate programs anyone can now make a commission by referring guests to a particular lodging facility.

The ultimate word of mouth advertising campaign. Only this time you get paid for telling someone about the great place you stayed at last summer. Estates Sales & Property Management in Osage Beach, Missouri has jumped into the affiliate travel market with their new Travel Affiliate Program. The company offers Luxury Lodging in Tan-Tar-A Estates for individuals and groups coming to the Lake of the Ozarks.

With the new program Affiliates earn a 10% commission on all reservations generated by their marketing and referral's. This is a great way for individuals, school groups, charities, or fund raisers to generate funds.

Estates Sales & Property Management is known for its innovative cutting edge ideas for vacation rental marketing. This is a first for property managers at the Lake of the Ozarks. "We have a great product at a great price here at the Lake and we wanted to expose more people to what we have to offer" stated Tiffhany Duncanson, rental manager. "We are really a hidden gem as far as vacation rentals and family lodging. We have hotel type rooms, suites, and luxury hot tub suites along with entire homes available for nightly or weekly rentals, giving small or large families a lot of choices".

The company expects to see schools and other groups utilizing the fund raising possibilities of the affiliate program. With the new laws in place not allowing schools to sell candy or similar items as fund raisers it forces PTA and other school groups to find other means to generate much needed funds. With a 10% commission this program may explode the exposure of Tan-Tar-A Estates. Other property managers will be quick to develop their own programs to capitalize on the ever increasing vacation rental market.

Who is the real winner with a program like this? The consumer. When a company is willing to give back 10% of their gross income to individuals, schools, charities, or other groups it is good for all involved. Some will use the program to simply get a 10% discount on their lodging but really it makes no difference to the company offering the program. Someone has stayed in their rental unit.