Marketing Your Glamping Business: Strategies to Attract and Retain Guests

You've built a dream. Now, you need to tell the world about it.

In the glamping business, the biggest mistake isn't a bad structure, but an invisible one. The investment you've made in land, permits, and structures is only the beginning. Marketing is the machine that generates the profit, and it requires a modern, digital-first strategy.

I'm Praveen Krishnaiah, co-founder of The Out Factory, and I can tell you from my background in tech and e-commerce that glamping is selling an experience, and the right marketing strategy is the one that sells the story, not just the room.

A Universal Guide: While this guide is written around a yurt glamping site, the strategies, frameworks, and actionable tips provided here are universal and can be implemented with any glamping structure.

This guide is designed to give you a modern, 3-phase marketing playbook to build buzz, drive direct bookings, and turn guests into repeat customers.

Phase 1: The Pre-Launch Hype (Building Anticipation)

The best hosts don't wait for their sites to be finished to start marketing. They start selling the vision long before the first guest arrives.

The Visual Asset Kit (The Foundation of Your Brand)

Your marketing success hinges on high-quality visuals. This is non-negotiable.

• Professional Photography is Your Greatest Asset: Budget at least $1,500 - $4,000 CAD for a professional shoot. A stunning photo of your yurt at sunrise or a cozy interior shot is the single most powerful marketing tool you will ever purchase.
• Create Your Content Pillar: Hire a videographer to shoot a 60-second video that tells your story: Why did you build this? What is the surrounding nature like? This emotional content is perfect for your website's homepage and social media.
• The Power of the Build Story (UGC Generation): Document the construction process. Share photos of the foundation being laid, the lattice wall going up, and the interior finishes. This builds an authentic narrative and gets your future guests invested in your journey.

The 'Coming Soon' Strategy (Building the Audience)

Your primary goal in the pre-launch phase is to build an email list of high-intent bookers.

• The Opt-In Offer: Set up a simple landing page with a beautiful rendering of your finished yurt and a single, irresistible call to action: "Sign up now for our VIP list and receive a 15% 'Launch Discount' off your first booking." This captures email addresses—your most valuable asset.

Phase 2: The Launch (Driving Direct Bookings)

This is the critical phase of getting your first 100 bookings and establishing your online reputation.

The Digital Hub: Your Direct Booking Website

Your website is your most important business asset—your digital storefront.

• Control is Key: It must have a direct booking engine so you can own the customer relationship and avoid high OTA commission fees.
• Must-Have Feature: Include a live availability calendar right on your home page. Don't make guests dig for it.

The Distribution Strategy: Where to List

• The Review Acquisition Phase (Months 1-3): Use major platforms like Airbnb, Booking.com, and niche Canadian-focused platforms like Glamping Hub and Booking.com aggressively. Use a competitive rate to secure your first 10-20 reviews. Reviews are your currency.
• Pricing Strategy: Ensure your direct booking website rate is always 5-10% cheaper than your OTA rate. This rewards direct booking and encourages guests to come straight to you next time.

Social Media: Selling the Story (The Visual Play)

• The Aesthetic is Everything: Glamping is highly visual. Your Instagram feed must be a continuous stream of aspirational lifestyle photos. Post the yurt at sunrise, the coffee on the deck, and a cozy fire pit at night.
• The Power of User-Generated Content (UGC): Encourage guests to tag you. A guest's photo of themselves enjoying your space is 10x more valuable and authentic than anything your marketing team creates. Create a simple, memorable hashtag for your location.

Phase 3: The Growth Engine (Retention & Profit)

This section focuses on making the business sustainable, profitable, and less dependent on high commission fees.

The Post-Stay Experience

• The Review Funnel: Set up an automated email sequence to be sent immediately after checkout. Its sole purpose is to politely ask the guest to leave a review.
• The Email List Strategy (The Profit Center): This is the ultimate tool for bypassing OTA fees. Send exclusive promotions to your email list. The ultimate offer is a "Repeat Guest Discount" that is only redeemable on your direct booking website. This is the key to boosting your long-term profit and ROI.

Diversifying Revenue & Local Partnerships

Enhance the guest stay while boosting your business's bottom line.

• Local Food & Activity Packages: Partner with a local microbrewery, distillery, or a nearby Provincial or National Park guide to offer curated welcome baskets. This elevates the guest experience and gives you a free local marketing partner.
• On-Site Experiences: Offer high-value, low-cost activities like a guided nature walk, a morning yoga session on the deck, or a simple "S'mores and Stargazing" package. These small additions earn five-star reviews.

Conclusion & Final CTA

Marketing is about telling a story and scaling an experience. It’s about building a digital asset as strong as your physical one. And marketing is always easier when you have a unique, beautiful product like a yurt.

The next step is a conversation. While you focus on building your marketing machine, let us ensure your primary business asset is the best it can be. As yurt manufacturers obsessed with ROI, we design our yurts to be the "wow factor" that makes your marketing job easy.

Contact Our Glamping Business Experts

Your business plan is the first step. The next is a conversation. Let's turn your plan into a profitable reality.

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Explore Further:

You've now completed a critical step in building your glamping business. But this is only one chapter of the story. Your dream of a profitable glamping empire requires a complete, strategic framework.

That's why we built the Glamping Business MBA Series—a complete, five-part playbook to guide you from initial idea to scalable operation.

The next resource you need depends on where you are right now:

1. ‍If you're at the very start: The Blueprint: Learn how to formalize your vision and build your strategic roadmap. Read: How to Write a Glamping Business Plan: Step-by-Step Template & Example‍
2. If you're focused on the numbers: The Investment: Understand the true costs, forecast your revenue, and find funding. Read: The Ultimate Guide to Glamping Finances – Budget, Fund & Profit‍
3. If you're scouting for land: The Location: Master the professional framework for choosing the best and most profitable location. Read: Site Planning & Location Analysis for Glamping Success‍
4. If you're already operating: The Scalable System: Build an operations playbook to deliver 5-star service and strategically scale your business. Read: 5-Star Glamping Operations Playbook: Systems & Strategies to Scale