Marketing With Purpose Kit: Turning Marketing Into a Revenue Engine

Reducing OTA dependence is where Conrad O’Connell starts turning marketing into a revenue engine, because vacation rental managers who lean on Airbnb and Vrbo are one algorithm change away from trouble. In this Marketing With Purpose Kit segment of The Bliss Business Podcast, Conrad O’Connell, Founder of BuildUp Bookings, joins host Tullio Siragusa to share what 300-plus vacation rental brands have taught him about marketing a business actually controls.

In this episode we explore:

• Why marketing you control beats demand you rent from the big booking platforms

• Counting brand-name searches as an honest measure of brand building

• Acting with empathy when a crisis shuts your clients’ doors

• Why local knowledge beats a national playbook in a new market

• Saying no to shiny channels to go deep on what works

• Knowing when to throw out the scope for a client

A restaurant has no easy button for demand. A vacation rental company does, and that convenience is the risk. For Conrad, a revenue engine is about control: results from marketing the owner drives, not a platform’s goodwill.

Small operators under two or three million in gross booking revenue have to chase next month’s guests. Once stable, brand building still needs a number, and his is simple: how many people search Google for your company name each month. Twenty to forty after several years means little brand work; ten thousand means guests are seeking you out.

In April 2020, with clients locked down, he let people out of contracts early rather than force payments, and kept his reputation and relationships intact. He is equally candid about “facade companies” that look local but run every decision from a distant headquarters.

His advice for small teams is focus: Google and Meta ads still matter as much as ever, and a new AI channel can wait.

Zero Company works the same way in paid search and social: go deep on channels that prove their return.

Key Takeaways

• (1:49) On why control matters for vacation rental managers who rely on the big platforms: “They’re one algorithm change or one update away from their business being in very poor shape.”

• (3:25) On a simple brand-building metric: “How many people go into your Google each month and search for your brand name in Google.”

• (7:21) On putting clients first during the 2020 lockdowns: “I let people out of clauses early, even though I didn’t have to, I could have forced more payments than I did.”

• (11:56) On entering a new market: “It’s the humbleness to say, here’s what I know and here’s what I don’t know about operating in this market.”

• (14:56) On reading early campaign data: “Ad fatigue sets in, which is something that happens to every advertiser no matter their budget, it’s just a matter of when.”

• (23:56) On doing right by clients: “It’s knowing when to throw away the scope a little bit.”

FAQ

Why should vacation rental managers reduce their reliance on Airbnb and Vrbo?
Conrad O’Connell, Founder of BuildUp Bookings, says managers who hand their demand to large booking platforms are one algorithm change away from a very bad month. Building marketing they control, from paid ads to their own brand, gives them a say in their own results.

How can a vacation rental company measure brand building?
Conrad O’Connell recommends counting how many people search Google for the company name each month, visible in Google Search Console. A few dozen searches after several years signals little brand work, while thousands usually reflects strong brand activity and good guest reviews.

How long does it take for vacation rental ads to start producing bookings?
Longer than most clients expect, says Conrad O’Connell. A lucky booking on day two can mislead, so he asks for enough spend and sample size before judging a campaign, and he plans for ad fatigue, which reaches every advertiser sooner or later.

🎙️ Hosted by Tullio Siragusa
🎧 Produced by Martha Huerta

For Conrad O’Connell, the marketing worth building is the marketing you control. Learn more about Conrad and BuildUp Bookings at buildupbookings.com, see his guest profile, watch the conversation on the video page, or explore more Marketing With Purpose Kit conversations.