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Marketing Hub & Blog: Getting Started

This article will guide you on how to enable Blog for your CraftedStays website.

Gil Chan avatar
Written by Gil Chan
Updated over a week ago

Overview

The Marketing Hub is a CraftedStays add-on that includes blog functionality. Blogs help with SEO, drive organic traffic, and provide valuable content to potential guests.


What is Marketing Hub?

Marketing Hub is a $30/month add-on that includes:

  • Blog creation and management

  • SEO-focused content tools

  • Content scheduling

  • Categories and tags


Adding Marketing Hub to Your Account

  1. Go to your CraftedStays dashboard

  2. Navigate to Subscription or Billing

  3. Look for Marketing Hub add-on

  4. Click "Add" or "Upgrade"

  5. Complete payment through Stripe

  6. Blog features will be enabled immediately
    ​
    Or simply access it from Blog in the sidebar
    ​


Accessing the Blog Dashboard

Once Marketing Hub is active:

  1. Log into your CraftedStays dashboard

  2. Click on Blog in the sidebar

  3. You'll see your blog management interface


Creating a Blog Post

1. Start a New Post

  1. Go to Blog in your dashboard

  2. Click "Create New Post" or "New Blog"
    ​


2. Enter Post Details

Field

Description

Title

Your post headline

Slug

URL-friendly version (auto-generated or custom)

Author

Who wrote the post

Summary

Short description for previews

Content

Main body of your post

Featured Image

Main image for the post

Tags

Keywords for filtering

Categories

Groupings for organization

Publish Date

When to publish (can be future-dated)

3. Write Your Content

  • Use the rich text editor to format your post

  • Add headers, bold, italic, links

  • Insert images within the content

4. Set Featured Image

  • Upload an eye-catching image

  • This appears in blog listings and social shares

  • Recommended size: 1200x630 pixels

5. Publish

  • Click "Publish" to make it live

  • Or set a future publish date for scheduling

Blog Page on Your Site

Your blog page is accessible at:

  • yoursite.com/blogs - List of all blog posts

  • yoursite.com/blog/post-slug - Individual blog post

Adding Blog to Your Menu

  1. Go to Site > Manage Template > Menu

  2. Add a new menu item

  3. Type: Page

  4. Page: Blogs

  5. Save changes
    ​


Blog Best Practices

Content Ideas for Vacation Rentals

Local Area Guides

  • "Top 10 Things to Do in [Your City]"

  • "Best Restaurants Near [Property Name]"

  • "Hidden Gems in [Neighborhood]"

Seasonal Content

  • "Summer Activities for Families"

  • "Winter Getaway Guide"

  • "Holiday Events in [Location]"

Property Features

  • "Why Our [Property] is Perfect for Groups"

  • "Pet-Friendly Stays at [Property]"

Guest Resources

  • "What to Pack for a Beach Vacation"

  • "First-Timer's Guide to [Destination]"

SEO Tips

  1. Use keywords naturally in titles and content

  2. Write descriptive summaries for search previews

  3. Add tags relevant to your content

  4. Link to your properties within posts

  5. Post regularly - consistency helps SEO


Troubleshooting

Blog page not showing

  1. Make sure Marketing Hub is active

  2. Check that the blog page is added to your template

  3. Verify the blog is in your menu

Posts not appearing

  1. Check the publish date - future-dated posts won't show yet

  2. Make sure the post is published (not draft)

  3. Clear your browser cache

Images not loading

  1. Wait for image upload to complete

  2. Check image file size (keep under 5MB)

  3. Use JPG or PNG format

Can't access Blog in dashboard

Marketing Hub may not be active:

  1. Go to Subscription settings

  2. Add Marketing Hub ($30/month)

  3. Blog will appear after activation


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