Maximising Lodge Exposure on Facebook

Maximising Lodge Exposure on Facebook: New Group, Fresh Strategy & Summer Campaign Launch

Over the past few years, our Devon Holidays community has grown stronger and more dynamic than ever. With new owners joining our portfolio, a growing number of repeat guests, and more online interaction happening every week, we’ve recognised the need to evolve how we use Facebook to support and amplify your lodge listings.

In this blog, I want to give you — our valued lodge owners — an overview of the Facebook activity happening right now, how it benefits your property, and most importantly, how you can make the most of it.

We’ll cover:

    • A recap on the original Buy & Sell Finlake Holiday Lodges group

    • Why we created the new Finlake Privately Let & Authorised Lodges group

    • How guests are using social media to search for availability

    • Our new summer campaign launching today on the Devon Holidays Facebook page

    • How this helps fill your last-minute summer gaps

    • What you can do to support these efforts and boost your own bookings

 

🌟 The Origin: Buy & Sell Finlake Holiday Lodges – A Community Hub for Lodge Owners

A few years ago, after several requests from owners, I launched a dedicated Facebook group called Buy & Sell Finlake Holiday Lodges. At the time, the primary goal was simple: create a space where current and prospective owners could connect, share opportunities, and facilitate the sale of lodges within the Finlake community. Offering support and advise to the prospective owners, may have resulted a new customer, if permitted.

The group quickly became a valued resource — not just for buying and selling, but also for open dialogue, advice sharing, and networking between Finlake lodge owners and perspective buyers. Over time, many used the platform to advertise your properties when they came on the market, ask questions about park management, or promote availability during quieter months.

Even well-known names such as Any Sims have used the group to promote their properties, which speaks volumes about its reach and influence.

While the group was — and still is — incredibly useful, we’ve also observed a shift in user behaviour, particularly over the last 12 month, with protective guests asking the group for availability of their properties.

👀 The Shift: More Guests, More Letting Requests — But the Wrong Audience

As activity in the group increased, we started noticing a growing trend: guests — not just owners — were joining the group, and many began posting comments like:

“Does anyone have a lodge available for the first week of August?”

“Looking for a pet-friendly lodge for a weekend break. Any cancellations?”

“After something with a hot tub from 10th–14th July, please DM me.”

While this shows clear demand (great news for all of us!), it’s not quite in line with the original intent of the group — which is primarily for owners and the buy/sell market, not for handling last-minute booking requests.

This mismatch can dilute the group’s focus, make it harder for owners trying to sell or discuss relevant topics, and frustrate guests who may not get timely responses or clarity.

💡 The Solution: A New Group Tailored for Guest Bookings

To solve this, and to create a more efficient system for everyone, I’m pleased to announce the launch of a brand-new Facebook group:

🏡 Finlake Privately Let & Authorised Lodges

This group is now live and active, and it’s designed specifically for:

  • Guests actively searching for private lodge lets

  • Owners with available dates they’d like to promote directly

  • Clear, streamlined visibility into legitimate, authorised private rentals

  • A platform where genuine bookings and interactions can occur without interfering with community or sales-based discussions

Think of it as a Facebook marketplace for Finlake lets, but curated to ensure quality, legitimacy, and proper use.

If you haven’t joined already, I highly recommend doing so — even if you’re fully booked for summer. It’s a great place to monitor demand, understand guest behaviour, and build visibility for future availability.

🔗 Join Finlake Privately Let & Authorised Lodges on Facebook

🎯 Why This New Group Matters

Let’s be honest — during peak season, especially summer, every day counts. Guests are often searching up to the last minute. Facebook is one of the first places they turn to because it offers:

  • Direct communication with owners

  • Immediate booking enquiries

  • Transparent conversations about dates, amenities, and prices

Creating a dedicated space for these conversations allows us to:

✅ Keep the Buy & Sell group focused and uncluttered

✅ Give guests a targeted place to find private rentals

✅ Promote your availability to an audience that’s actively looking

The quality of interaction goes up. The frustration for both owners and guests goes down. And best of all, it keeps Finlake’s community reputation strong.

📣 The Big Push: Our New Summer Facebook Campaign

To go one step further, I’ve also launched a summer-specific campaign on the main Devon Holidays Facebook page — starting today (Sunday).

📆 From Now Until End of August: Scheduled Availability Posts, Every Few Hours

Here’s what’s happening:

  • Every few hours, we’re releasing posts that feature individual lodge availability from now until the end of August

  • These posts are clean, informative, and eye-catching — designed to drive engagement

  • Guests browsing the page can quickly spot open dates, lodge names, and links to book directly

This is an effort to fill the gaps we have left, particularly for summer weeks where we still have good availability across the board.

Whether you have a full week, a midweek gap, or even a weekend open, your lodge may be featured in one or more of these updates — and if you want to make sure it’s included, just message me your dates or drop a comment in the new group.

 

🤝 Let’s Make This a Strong Summer Together

Summer is always a competitive time — but it’s also the most rewarding. With the right visibility, communication, and support, we can help ensure that every available night gets booked, even during slower weeks or unexpected cancellations.

By using our Facebook presence more strategically — through two dedicated groups and a central campaign on our main page — we’re reaching more guests, giving them clarity, and giving you more opportunity to maximise your bookings.

🚀 The Summary:

If you have questions, ideas, or want your dates prioritised in an upcoming post, I’m just a message away.

Let’s fill those gaps, support each other, and continue building a thriving, welcoming community for both owners and guests.

Ready to join the new group or have availability to share? Let’s get your lodge in front of the right guests today.

🔗 Join Finlake Privately Let & Authorised Lodges Now

📣 Follow Devon Holidays on Facebook