Sanibel and Social Media: A New Way to Look and Book

I don't know about everyone else, but there are few things as inviting for me as an inviting porch. No, not a living room or dining room or even family room. That porch is the transition between outdoors and indoors and as such speaks volumes to me about the whole concept of relaxation and good conversation.

So, having duly become one of the trillions of people to participate in Social Media, I was delighted to find a Facebook application that hits on both the invitational nature of porches and Social Media. It's called "Second Porch" , appropriately, and essentially does what Facebook and porches are intended to do. Invite good conversation.

Now, to this date, I have gotten most of my rental inquires on my condo and house through my direct marketing efforts as well as those of my respective rental offices. But I sense a change in the winds.

With Social Media growing at the leaps and bounds it is experiencing, I see more and more commercial applications evolving within the more casual and more friendly parameters of sites like Facebook.

Of course, there is a bit of hopeful thinking in this as Social Media is free as opposed to the high rates of listing vacation rentals on many of the popular vacation rental sites.

But there is probably more realism than optimism in that projection.

Personal referral creates a sense of confidence that no third party testimonial can replicate.

And through Second Porch's application, a Facebook user can choose the vacation rental as a "favorite", suggest it to other Facebook members, rate it and track it. All these functions are free to the vacation rental owner and the Facebook community in general.

As one who likes seamless friendship- to- business transactions, Facebook and specifically Second Porch have a lot to commend them as future vacation rental "go to's".