Podcasts
VRS042 – Creating a Vacation Insider Guide with Andy McNulty
My guest on this episode is passionate about the vacation rental business, and although he doesn’t own a property himself, he has been a powerful advocate for delivering great information to guests, for many years.
Back in 2007, Andy McNulty, together with a business partner, founded Getaway Earth. The site aimed to create a space where owners could share a lot more about their properties than how many bedrooms and bathrooms it had. The focus was on local knowledge – which restaurant had the best pizza; how to find that secret beach, or walking trail you would not find in a tourist brochure. It was a great idea than unfortunately did not reach its full potential, and was quietly shelved a few years later.
Thankfully for all of us, Andy is back with a new product, web site and vision for getting our information out in full, glossy, online format, and he tells us all about Vacation Insiders in this episode.
From the birth of the idea through to the technical details of how the Guides are produced and published Andy explains the ins and outs of producing an online magazine, and the value of it as a marketing tool.
He tells us:
• The philosophy behind Getaway Earth and Vacation Insider Guides
• How important local knowledge is to guests
• The pricing structure
• What to put in a guide
• Why it’s helpful to tell guests what to avoid
• The production process
• How to get your own insider guide
Links to sites we discussed:
Vacation Insiders
Amy Firmani’s Las Vegas Insider Guide
We always love to hear from our listeners and one lucky commenter will win a free Vacation Insider Guide and will be giving away 2 additional guides with $150 off – a great discount on the $350 base price. All you have to do is tell us why you think a Vacation Insider Guide would be great for your location. Winners will be chosen on Wednesday 1st of October.
Where you can find Andy:
Who's featured in this episode?
