located in norway, Maine
Dove Way had everything going for it. The stunning year-round vacation home boasts mountain views and over 150 feet of spectacular Lake Pennesseewassee frontage. Owners Robert and Samantha Masabny made their dream of owning a vacation rental a reality, but they had a problem.
Dove Way
Business Case Study | Vacation Rental Property
THE
PROBLEM
In short? Brand awareness. The Masabnys decided to forego listing Dove Way on traditional rental marketplaces like VRBO and Airbnb. They built a standalone website for the property. Now, how to get Google’s attention?
The stakes were high: failing to market Dove Way successfully meant zero traffic and zero bookings. A vacation property is a major investment and the Masabnys didn’t have a lot of room for trial and error. They needed a sustainable long-term marketing strategy and immediate results.
As a marketing professional herself, Sam knew content was going to be a major factor in generating organic traffic.
“I knew that to be different, informative, and dynamic, blogging was a no-brainer to rank in tandem with Airbnb and VRBO without posting on those sites.”
But creating a successful blog had its own challenges:
- Consistency: To be effective, a blog needs to have new content posted regularly.
- Voice: A blog needs to complement the brand’s tone and voice.
- Quality: A blog needs to be well written and provide real value to the audience.
At the most basic level, what a blog requires is time, and as new business owners, time was the one thing Sam and Robert didn't have. They needed to create a blog, build a brand, and develop a standalone website—in addition to all their other responsibilities.
THE
SOLUTION
“The time to value was immediate for me. Verblio not only gets the content done, but it cuts down on the getting-to-know-you time to bring writers in on your brand. You can control the content and the quality of that content.”
Sam Masabny, Owner & Operator, Dove Way
Sam needed an outsourced content solution that didn't compromise on voice or quality. She found Verblio, and tasked our writers with crafting localized articles about Norway, ME, as well as highlighting Dove Way’s unique charm. With Verblio, Sam was able to get new posts when she needed them, without giving up control over the brand’s voice.
Working with Verblio:
Took one aspect of building a brand off their plate
Delivered content that aligned perfectly with their voice
Required minimal oversight which freed up their time
Allowed them to do more in other areas of their business
THE
IMPACT
“The value is not just in the bookings, but in building a brand through content. Verblio was the lighter fluid I needed to begin the process of defining my company voice. It not only got me traction online, but in the community.”
Sam Masabny, Owner & Operator, Dove Way
Blogging with Verblio content created an immediate positive impact for Dove Way:
- First month: 15.5x more traffic to the site than in the previous month
- Second month: 3.5x more traffic than the previous best month in Dove Way’s history, and an upward trending conversion-to-customer rate
And the articles did double duty—feeding long term SEO strategy goals as well as providing desirable social media content in the near term. A blog post featuring a local business, for example, would be shared by that business and its fans, immediately amplifying Dove Way’s marketing reach and boosting to the community as a whole. One article, in particular, brought in 2,600 views on Facebook and over 268 visits to the website in a single 24-hour period.
By focusing on niche, local topics, Dove Way was able to:
Solidify its brand for tourists
Strengthen its ties to the community
Working with Verblio meant Sam and Robert had more time to spend on the aspects of the business they enjoyed most, while boosting their traffic, their brand, and, ultimately, their bottom line.
READY TO BOOK YOUR OWN GREAT CONTENT?
About Dove Way
Business Case Study, Vacation Rental Property
Dove Way is the perfect place to relax and unwind in Western Maine. With accommodations for up to 10 guests, Dove Way is ideal for family vacations, weekend getaways, or your next family reunion. Guests enjoy local fishing, ice fishing, snowmobiling, skiing, snowshoeing, fat biking, and hiking.