Episode Overview

Podcast: Win With Paid Ads
Host: Ashley Brock
Episode: 106 – How You Can Get Direct Bookings for Your Short-Term Rental Without Airbnb or VRBO
Air Date: February 12, 2026

Main Theme:
Ashley Brock dives into proven strategies for short-term rental property owners to generate direct bookings—eliminating the reliance on platforms like Airbnb and VRBO and avoiding their substantial fees. Drawing from her own experience and work with clients, she details the foundational steps, branding, advertising tactics, and mindset shifts required to build a sustainable, profitable direct booking system.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Why Relying on Airbnb/VRBO Keeps You Stuck (02:00–07:30)

• The Problem with Third-Party Platforms:

  • Dependence on algorithms and continuous 20%+ fees undermine profitability.
  • “All they're really doing is taking a cut off of the lead because [businesses] don't know how to advertise directly to be able to capture 100% of that revenue.” (Ashley, 02:24)
  • Direct advertising gives full control over your customer base and profit.

• Referral Ripple Effect:

  • Direct bookings mean that referrals and word-of-mouth generate revenue without ongoing marketplace fees.
  • Paid ads can be an initial investment that pays off continuously as customers share your listing.

2. Foundations Before Advertising (08:05–20:42)

• Optimize the Property First:

  • Quality trumps advertising: “If the experience isn’t dialed in, if the funnel isn’t set up, it’s not the ads that are gonna come in to save you. It’s the offer.” (Ashley, 09:55)
  • Unique amenities and details make the property referable and review-worthy.

• Essential Setup Steps:

  • Google Business Profile (GBP): Essential for both organic and paid visibility.
  • Business phone, professional website, logo, and consistent branding.
  • Mobile-first web design.

• Testimonials and Reviews:

  • “Your reviews will do more selling than your ad copy ever will.” (Ashley, 12:34)
  • Prioritize collecting and showcasing real guest feedback.

3. Ashley’s Real-Life Example: Making the Property Stand Out (20:43–30:10)

• Investing Heavily Upfront:

  • Ashley recounts unexpected costs and challenges of upgrading and positioning a rental as exceptional—spanning landscaping, custom features, and amenities like a barrel sauna and gym room.
  • Community feedback (via Instagram poll) influenced design choices, e.g., prioritizing a gym room over an extra bedroom.

• Experiential Differentiation:

  • The property becomes noteworthy for its privacy, wellness amenities, and thoughtful touches—making it memorable and referral-prone.

4. Winning Ad Strategies: Real Experiences, Not Stock Photos (30:11–48:00)

• Testimonial Driven Content:

  • Real guest stories, emotional photos, and video content perform best.
  • “What converts is a real guest experience.” (Ashley, 34:40)

• Nurturing User-Generated Content:

  • Always reshare and engage when guests tag your property.
  • Consider offering incentives or discounts for valuable user content and referrals.

• Early Feedback is an Investment:

  • Discounted or free stays for early guests yield crucial insights and marketing material, not desperation.
  • “Early feedback is an investment, not a loss.” (Ashley, 39:29)

• Prioritize Advertising as a Core Ingredient:

  • "It's like trying to make a cake without flour...You can't have a business if people don’t know you exist." (Ashley, 43:20)

5. Building a Direct Booking Brand: Tech, Tracking & Data (48:01–58:55)

• Professional Photography/Videography:

  • Stock photos are insufficient—show real, authentic emotion and stages of transformation.
  • Ashley recorded ‘before and after’ content to demonstrate the property’s evolution.

• Enhancing the Guest Experience with Video:

  • Branded video communications before guest arrival can upsell amenities (chef, massage, romance packages) and make guests feel welcomed and cared for.
  • Instructional videos (e.g., using sauna, sound system) prevent confusion and add value.

• Owning Your Data:

  • Direct booking platforms like Hospitable (preferred over Lodgify) provide valuable first-party data (emails) for remarketing, lookalike campaigns, and list building.
  • “A booking is nice, but an email address is gold.” (Ashley, 53:00)

• Ad Platform Stack:

  • Start with Google Ads, YouTube Ads, Facebook & Instagram; add TikTok or localized Spotify if desired.

6. Messaging that Converts (58:56–62:00)

• Focus on Desired Outcomes:
  • “Payoff over process”—sell feelings of escape, privacy, connection, and transformation, not just physical features.
  • Make sure your messaging reflects the lifestyle and emotional rewards, not just amenities.

7. The Bigger Picture: Take Control & Build a Real Brand (62:01–end)

• Airbnb and VRBO Are Tools, Not Businesses:
  • True business means owning your demand, data, and customer relationships—not being last on a list of competing options.
  • Direct booking leads to sustainable, repeat business and less competition for attention.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Direct Advertising:

  • “If you have an outdated cookie cutter, nothing’s unique about it... Let’s not advertise it. Let’s actually get the thing that we want to advertise at the level of quality that you want for your brand, and then let’s advertise.” (Ashley, 10:25)

• On Investing in Experience:

  • “You have to have that belief. I would have a mental breakdown if I was like, great, we’ve paid a mortgage for six months, there is nothing coming in. I have to believe every bit of detail... is going to pay off. And it will.” (Ashley, 24:18)

• On User Content:

  • “If someone is willing to share your property, take advantage of it and say how can we expand this?” (Ashley, 36:10)

• On Essential Marketing:

  • “You literally need the flour. Like...it’s not a cake without it. You can’t have a business if people don’t know that you exist.” (Ashley, 43:20)

• On the Value of Email:

  • “A booking is nice, but an email address is gold.” (Ashley, 53:00)

• On Messaging:

  • “People are ultimately buying...escape, privacy, connection, rest, experience, transformation, seclusion, reconnection. That is the experience that you want to create.” (Ashley, 59:55)

Important Timestamps

• 01:00–04:00 – Why relying solely on Airbnb/VRBO is costly and limiting
• 08:15 – Importance of preparing your property and brand before advertising
• 12:30 – The power of testimonials and reviews
• 21:00 – Ashley’s direct experience with property investment and differentiation
• 34:20 – Best practices for leveraging guest experiences in advertising
• 39:29 – Early feedback as a critical investment
• 43:00–45:00 – Advertising as non-negotiable, crucial business ingredient
• 48:00–52:00 – Use of professional photography and video; pre-stay guest videos
• 53:00 – Collecting and using guest emails for long-term marketing advantage
• 55:00 – Overview of advertising stack and direct booking system
• 59:30–61:00 – Crafting emotional, outcome-driven messaging
• 62:05 – Final rallying call to own your data, brand, demand, and booking future

Summary Table: Action Steps for Direct Bookings

| Step | Purpose | Tools/Ideas | |------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------| | Polish Property & Experience | Make it referable, memorable, and review-worthy | Unique details, guest feedback loops | | Build Brand Foundation | Establish credibility and trust | GBP, Website, Logo, Consistent Branding | | Gather & Leverage Testimonials | Boost conversion via authentic social proof | Guest videos, social media shares | | Invest in Advertising & Content | Drive traffic and excitement for direct bookings | Paid ads, pro videography/photos | | Use Direct Booking Platforms | Own your data and automate marketing/remarketing | Hospitable for email & ad integration | | Batch Content Creation | Maximize efficiency for ongoing ad and content needs | Dedicated “batch days” for photos/video | | Craft Outcome-Focused Messaging | Connect emotionally; sell the lifestyle, not the listing | Escape, connection, transformation |

This episode offers a complete blueprint for short-term rental owners ready to break free from the constraints and costs of third-party booking platforms—empowering them with the mindset, marketing tools, and direct booking tech stack to build a self-sustaining rental business.