Working With Influencers to Market Your Short-Term Rental with Kelly Cain

Kelly Kane, a multi-passionate entrepreneur who runs Kelly Kane Creative and The Raleigh Local, a content creation platform that highlights the best of Raleigh’s small businesses, restaurants, events, and experiences. With her expertise in marketing and content creation, Kelly has built a thriving community that connects locals with businesses in meaningful ways.

From Passion Project to Thriving Community

Kelly started The Raleigh Local in 2020 with a mission to support small businesses struggling during the pandemic. With many restaurants and local shops facing uncertainty, she used her platform to encourage people to continue supporting their favorite spots. What began as a passion project quickly turned into a robust online community where people come to discover local businesses, hidden gems, and unique experiences in the area.

Today, The Raleigh Local is not just an informative platform but also a tool for strategic content creation and marketing. Kelly works with small businesses to develop social media strategies, create engaging content, and foster partnerships that drive traffic and brand awareness. One of her recent projects, an interactive map highlighting the best coffee shops in Raleigh, serves as a resource for locals and newcomers looking for the perfect place to work, meet, or simply enjoy a great cup of coffee.

Influencer Collaborations with Local Businesses

Kelly has partnered with various businesses, including restaurants, coffee shops, gyms, service providers, and outdoor spaces, to help them gain visibility. Many businesses reach out to her when they are launching, struggling with foot traffic, or running promotions.

She uses different approaches to promote these businesses, including:

• Video Content: Kelly visits local businesses to create engaging reels showcasing their offerings.
• Feature Highlights: Businesses with special menu items, promotions, or events can have their products showcased through Kelly’s content.
• Giveaways: Though sometimes debated in social media circles, giveaways have proven effective for boosting engagement and attracting new customers.
• Ongoing Partnerships: Instead of one-time collaborations, Kelly recommends businesses build long-term relationships with influencers. With multiple touchpoints—such as Instagram reels, email mentions, and story features—businesses stay top-of-mind for potential customers.

Expanding Beyond Food and Beverage

While Kelly works extensively with restaurants and coffee shops, her influence extends beyond the food and beverage industry. She has collaborated with fitness centers, outdoor recreation spaces, and local service providers. Her passion for highlighting unique experiences allows her audience to explore different facets of Raleigh and beyond.

For travelers or new residents, Kelly’s content serves as a trusted guide. People moving to or visiting an area often look for local influencers to recommend the best places to eat, explore, and experience. For example, Allie recently visited a houseboat community in Wilmington and relied on Wilmington-based influencers for coffee shop recommendations—demonstrating the power of localized influencer marketing.

Influencer Marketing for Short-Term Rentals

Kelly also offers valuable insights for short-term rental owners looking to work with influencers. To attract the right audience, she advises property owners to:

1. Research Local Influencers: Identify influencers who align with their brand and target audience. This might include travel bloggers, local lifestyle influencers, or content creators with an engaged community.
2. Evaluate Engagement and Demographics: Look beyond follower count to assess engagement rates and audience demographics.
3. Ensure Content Alignment: The influencer’s style and messaging should align with the short-term rental’s brand and appeal to its ideal guests.
4. Consider Cross-Market Influencers: While working with local influencers is valuable, property owners may also benefit from influencers based in nearby regions where potential travelers reside.

By strategically partnering with influencers, short-term rental owners can reach the right audience and generate interest in their properties.

Evaluating Influencer Engagement: The Key Metrics to Watch

When selecting an influencer to collaborate with for promoting your short-term rental, engagement is more important than follower count. You won’t have access to their backend analytics, but there are several public metrics you can evaluate to determine their effectiveness.

One simple yet effective method is analyzing reel views. On Instagram, you can check this by visiting an influencer’s Reels tab and comparing their view counts to their follower numbers. While it’s unrealistic to expect 100% of followers to watch every video, a significant mismatch—such as an influencer with 20,000 followers consistently getting only 1,000 views per reel—may indicate a lack of engagement.

Another important metric is shares. Unlike likes, which are becoming a less reliable measure of engagement, shares indicate that people found the content valuable enough to pass along. A single share exposes the content to a wider audience, as the person who shares it may have thousands of followers themselves. This creates a ripple effect, exponentially increasing visibility.

The Power of Instagram Stories

Stories are another critical factor in evaluating an influencer’s reach and engagement. Many users passively engage with content through stories rather than actively liking or commenting on posts. Instagram’s recent updates allow users to see which content their friends have liked, further encouraging engagement.

Stories also serve as an excellent tool for keeping partnerships active over time. Since short-term rental owners may not frequently host the same influencer, repurposing content and spreading it across different seasons ensures ongoing visibility.

Structuring an Attractive Influencer Partnership

Once you’ve identified an engaged influencer, the next step is crafting an offer that appeals to both parties. A well-structured agreement should include:

• Reels & Stories: Reels have a long shelf life and can continue gaining traction over time. Stories provide real-time engagement and can be saved as highlights for extended visibility.
• Discount Codes: Providing influencers with unique discount codes helps track conversions and measure the campaign’s effectiveness. It also creates an incentive for their audience to book your rental.
• Local Experience Collaborations: Encourage influencers to feature nearby restaurants, attractions, and businesses in their content. Tagging these businesses increases the likelihood of reposts, further amplifying your rental’s reach.

By integrating these elements, your short-term rental gains exposure through multiple channels, ensuring maximum return on investment.

Budgeting for Influencer Partnerships

Understanding influencer compensation is crucial when setting your marketing budget. While some influencers may accept a free stay as payment, others—especially those traveling long distances—will require monetary compensation.

• Micro-Influencers (Under 50K Followers): Typically charge between $250 to $1,000 per post or reel.
• Larger Influencers (50K+ Followers): Rates can range from $1,500 to $5,000 or more, depending on engagement rates and deliverables.

For the best return on investment, micro-influencers are often the ideal choice. They tend to have higher engagement rates and a more dedicated audience compared to larger influencers.

Beyond Reels: Other Effective Content Strategies

While reels and stories are essential, long-form content should not be overlooked. Blog posts and email marketing provide permanent and searchable content that drives traffic over time.

• Blog Posts: These act as long-term digital assets that improve search engine rankings. A well-optimized blog post featuring keywords like “Raleigh short-term rentals” can drive consistent traffic to your listing.
• Email Marketing: Featuring influencer-created content in your email campaigns provides an additional touchpoint with potential guests.

By incorporating these strategies alongside social media content, you create a well-rounded marketing approach that maximizes both immediate visibility and long-term growth.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Many rental owners make mistakes when approaching influencers, with the biggest being expecting free content. Unlike traditional advertising, influencer marketing lacks standardized pricing, but that doesn’t mean creators should work for free. Rental owners should budget for influencer partnerships just as they would for any other marketing expense.

Another mistake is only considering audience size rather than engagement and audience relevance. A smaller influencer with a highly engaged audience of frequent travelers may drive more bookings than a larger influencer with passive followers.

By carefully selecting the right influencers, structuring agreements creatively, and integrating multiple marketing channels—including social media, blogs, and SEO—rental owners can maximize their return on investment and build lasting brand visibility.

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