The Blue Mountains – getting away from the rat race for a weekend

My happy place is a rainforest setting, with a tranquil river flowing and sunlight breaking through the trees. I make it a point to get away each year to somewhere that resembles my happy place – my favourite being the Blue Mountains.

The Blue Mountains are located approximately 1.5hrs from Sydney and is a gorgeous mountainous region. The town of Leura is situated 5min from the mountains and makes a great base with a quaint little shopping village and range of accommodation.

Blue Mountains – Walkway at Scenic World

Once you arrive at the mountains – You can bush walk, or catch the cable car, unique Railway or Skyway – all part of the newly developed Scenic World. An unlimited pass for use across all these attractions starts from $35. You can scare yourself on the RailWay – the steepest railway in the world, or climb the Giant Stairwell to the Three Sisters, or simply take an easy stroll through the paved walkways and trails.

Cableway at Scenic World
CableWay at Scenic World

The best time of year to go – although you can go all year round – is during the winter months, there is a winter festival and lots of yummy food to keep you energised for the days walk or hike. Check it out for yourself and let me know what you think!

Blue Mountains
Blue Mountains

How Facebook can help get your holiday rental business noticed online

For a small business to thrive online, customers need to be aware that you exist. You may have a company website with the right keywords, fresh content and all the SEO optimization present, but that will only get you so far.

As consumers, we want brands to come to us, we no longer need to visit a company website for company news, brands are on Facebook, and for the 11.7million Facebook users in Australia, the majority use Facebook to get news from their favourite brands.

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Nowadays customers are not only doing all their holiday research and bookings online, but they also use referrals by friends in their social network as a way to determine which accommodation they choose. Include testimonials by past guests on your website and in your Facebook posts. Post updated photos of your holiday rental and surrounding areas, particularly in the summer months when you can show them off!

Holiday rentals are using Facebook Pages to stay in the minds of past and future guests. Post content about that local events such as markets or festivals and give special ‘Facebook only’ discounts during off peak periods.

By setting up a Facebook page for your small business you are also directing more traffic back to your website where customers can complete the transaction or find out more info.

How are you using Facebook to promote your holiday rental?