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Deep Dive into Content Strategy for Wander

I’m going to go into a deep dive into how companies should come up with their content strategy. This one is about the company Wander, which if you haven’t heard about it, it’s kind of like an upscale Airbnb, but not a marketplace. They’re a verticalized vacation home platform. I’m going to go through it.

Evaluating Wander’s Content Strategy

What is Wander? We will evaluate the different types of content and the content strategy they’re going through right now, channel by channel. We’re going to talk about where they could improve with new ideas. So we’re going to try to come up with a bunch of new content ideas. If I were on the marketing team, these are things I would bring to the team, and we would try these different ideas to grow it faster.

What is Wander?

Let’s first talk about what Wander is. I mentioned in the intro that it’s a verticalized Airbnb play. So what Wander effectively has is 50 to 60 properties, and they’re adding more all the time across the U.S. These properties are in the locations that you would want to travel to most. The way I describe it is it’s kind of like the best house in the best neighborhood in that location.

A Premium Vacation Experience

Take this first one, Wander Big Sur Coast. You go to Big Sur, and if you want to stay in a sick house, it’s beautifully designed with premium materials and offers a premium experience. Wander owns the houses. They’re starting to expand by working with different people who own luxury vacation houses, and Wander is taking over the booking.

But for the most part, everything you see on their site is owned by them. They also own a premium experience layer. When you book, you book through the Wander app. It’s cleaned by the Wander team. They manage the entire experience, and it’s designed to be premium. For Wander, the goal from a business strategy and content perspective is they want people to book stays at their properties.

Market Positioning

Now, the first thing you may be asking if you’re watching this is what sector of the market is Wander playing in. Are they going for super, super premium? If you look at it, the price is not that much more expensive than an Airbnb. For example, I just clicked on this Big Sur property, which you can see right here.

Pricing and Value Proposition

It has four bedrooms and sleeps 10 people. For a three-night stay, the price is $1,945 a night, which for 10 people is $194 a night. $194 a night is not that expensive. I guess if you were to get a hotel room in Big Sur that slept two people, is it outrageous to assume you’d pay $380 a night? That’s not too outrageous.

So, to me, you get the amenities, cleaning, and experience of a hotel, but you’re getting the full luxury of a house, like an Airbnb. You get the best of both worlds. I would expect to pay a premium for that, but actually, most of Wander’s houses are not much more expensive than what you’d pay for a premium hotel.

Competitive Edge

Maybe they’re slightly more expensive than Airbnb, but you’re not dealing with cleaning, taking out the trash, or the variability of not knowing what you’ll get with an Airbnb. The reason I give all that context is that when you’re thinking about content strategy, the first thing to understand is who the ideal person booking is. This helps you reverse-engineer what type of content to create to get in front of that person and prompt them to take action.

Content Challenges

Here’s the interesting part from a content perspective. I’ve interacted with the Wander team a little bit, but this is their number one challenge. When you’re booking a trip, especially a luxury trip, the exposure point through content often doesn’t match the purchase point.

Take the Big Sur example. For three nights, 10 people, $7,000 trip—even though it’s $700 per person for the weekend, which is pretty expensive—you’re unlikely to make a purchase decision just by seeing an Instagram reel. You might see the coolest Instagram reel of the Big Sur property. You might even see an endorsement from a credible influencer or share it with a friend through Instagram DMs. However, a lot of planning and coordination likely needs to happen before booking.

Mapping the Right Flow

The challenge, from a content perspective, is determining the right exposure point, the optimal path, and the best content medium to engage people when they’re closest to making a purchase—or to move them from high-reach formats to ones closer to driving bookings. To me, that’s the most critical element to figure out.

Once you understand the ideal user booking flow, you work backward. While I’m not part of the Wander team and don’t have access to their data, my insights are based purely on an outsider’s perspective. I want them to succeed, so I’ll share my assessment and the best ideas I can.

Assessing Wander’s Current Strategy

In my opinion, the best thing Wander does today is their organic email strategy. Let’s review what they have. They use Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, and run ads across YouTube channels and podcasts. But the standout is their email marketing.

I signed up for a free account on Wander and was automatically added to their email list. Every time they launch a new property, they send out one of these emails, which is highly effective in keeping potential customers engaged.

The Power of Email Marketing

Every time Wander offers discounts on a property, they send me one of their beautifully designed emails. In my opinion, when I’m checking my email—especially on my computer—it’s the closest time I would be able to take action: opening another tab, looking for Google Flights, and starting to plan a trip.

Driving people to that email list through free email signups is, to me, the best thing they can do. If they have millions of people on that email list, constantly pushing new properties, flash deals, and existing properties, they should see significant optimization for bookings.

Building the Email List

The question then becomes: how do you drive signups on that email list? To me, there are three primary ways:

1. Free Account Signups:
   Encourage users to create a free account by either downloading the Wander app or signing up on the desktop site. Run promos or giveaways requiring account creation for entry.
2. Lead Magnets:
   Offer downloadable resources, such as an expert-curated packing list for Yosemite, gated by email.
3. Exclusive Waitlists with Scarcity:
   Create videos showcasing specific properties, emphasizing limited availability, and requiring users to sign up for an email waitlist to get updates. This strategy mimics streetwear companies that build hype around product drops. Wander could use this for flash deals or popular weekend availabilities.

Channel Audit and Opportunities

Now, let’s dive into a quick audit of Wander’s channels, identifying what’s working, what can improve, and where they could double down.

Email Channel

Wander’s email list boasts 310,000 members, likely free account holders. It’s their most significant channel, and they should continue prioritizing and growing it.

Instagram

Wander’s Instagram handle, @Wander, has 127,000 followers. Analyzing their Reels shows solid engagement, with some outperforming others significantly. For example:

• A post with 170,000 views.
• Another with 400,000 views.
• A standout with 1.8 million views.

These high-performing posts are often collab posts with lifestyle or travel influencers. For instance, the 1.8M-view Reel was a collaboration with Laney Churko, who has 2.3M followers. These collaborations—whether through sending influencers to properties for free or paid promotions—are driving outsized returns.

Key Instagram Strategy

Wander should:

• Double Down on Collaborations: Identify aspirational influencers, particularly those aligned with their target audience. Partner for more collab posts and scale this strategy significantly.
• Leverage the Inside-Out Approach: While the outside-in approach (user-generated content) is strong, Wander has an opportunity to grow their inside-out strategy—content they create themselves to reach their audience.

Scaling Content Strategy

There are two types of content directions:

1. Inside-Out Strategy:
   Content Wander creates and shares with the world. This area has growth potential.
2. Outside-In Strategy:
   Content created by influencers or users, which is reposted by Wander or drives traffic to them. This is already well-dialed but could be scaled further.

By maximizing their influencer collaborations and refining their in-house content creation, Wander can scale their content and marketing efforts effectively.

Inside-Out Content Opportunities

There’s a significant opportunity for Wander to create more inside-out content. While Instagram is healthy, most of its traffic, followers, and views come from outside-in efforts, such as influencer collaborations. To balance this, they should focus more on producing their high-quality content.

Email Strategy Enhancements

Wander’s email marketing is strong, especially with how they promote new properties. The format of their emails stands out compared to typical marketing emails. However, they could:

1. Expand Flash Deals: Highlight flash deals or exclusive discounts more often.
2. Leverage Use Cases: Showcase success stories from users who’ve stayed at Wander properties, emphasizing the variety of experiences available.
3. Revamp Existing Properties: Keep re-engaging audiences with content about their current listings to maintain interest.

Every time Wander sends emails, they have the potential to inspire trip planning, and they should fully capitalize on that.

TikTok: A Missed Opportunity

Wander’s TikTok presence is minimal, with only 2,700 followers. Unlike Instagram, TikTok lacks built-in collaboration visibility, making the outside-in approach less effective. For TikTok, they should focus on inside-out strategies, such as:

1. Authentic Lifestyle Content: Showcase properties with engaging, story-driven content.
2. Trend Participation: Join trending sounds or formats that align with luxury travel themes.
3. Exclusive Behind-the-Scenes: Share behind-the-scenes moments from photo or video shoots to intrigue potential guests.

YouTube: Scaling Potential

Wander’s YouTube channel is smaller than it deserves, but the content already aligns with promising formats. Here’s how they can improve:

1. House Tours:
   • Focus on high-quality, professionally shot tours that highlight the unique aesthetics and features of each property.
   • Look to popular architecture and real estate YouTubers for inspiration.
2. Entrepreneur Features:
   • Continue showcasing entrepreneurs staying at Wander properties, emphasizing why Wander was ideal for their retreat or vacation.
   • Refine the packaging to make these videos more visually appealing and engaging.
3. Lifestyle Vlogs:
   • Build on successful examples like the Malibu video, which felt like a lifestyle vlog. This relaxed, personal approach can make the properties more relatable and desirable.

Newsletter Ads

Wander’s partnership with Paki McCormick’s Not Boring Newsletter is a smart move. By sponsoring posts, such as ads saying, “This episode is brought to you by Wander,” they tap into targeted audiences. This is an effective content integration that could be scaled further across other niche newsletters in the travel, lifestyle, or entrepreneurial spaces.

Content Takeaways

Wander’s biggest strength is the beauty and quality of its properties. They should lean into this across all channels:

• Instagram: Continue leveraging influencer collaborations while building a stronger inside-out content pipeline.
• TikTok: Develop engaging, trend-driven content tailored for a younger audience.
• YouTube: Scale house tours and entrepreneur retreats while exploring new content formats like lifestyle vlogs.
• Email: Expand flash deals and success stories to maximize engagement.

By refining these strategies, Wander can further establish itself as a leader in the luxury vacation rental space.

Strategic Content Series & Curated Travel Content for Wander

Wander has an opportunity to expand their content strategy by curating travel inspiration that goes beyond their properties. Here’s a breakdown of the proposed strategy and its benefits:

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1. Focus on Travel First, Property Second

Most people book trips because of the destination, not just the accommodations. Wander’s properties are a bonus, but the primary motivation is often the activities, experiences, or environment of a specific location (e.g., hiking in Joshua Tree).

Why it works:

• Creates a broader appeal for the travel audience.
• Establishes Wander as a trusted curator for premium travel experiences.
• Enhances relevance in regions where Wander properties exist.

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2. Build or Acquire a Luxury Travel Curation Account

Develop an Instagram or TikTok account dedicated to luxury travel recommendations. This account should focus on:

• Travel Tips: Highlight destinations, events, and unique experiences.
• Luxury Experiences: Showcase restaurants, hikes, cultural landmarks, and activities.
• Aesthetic Content: Prioritize a premium look and feel that aligns with Wander’s brand.

Execution Options:

1. Create from Scratch: Develop a new account and populate it with high-quality, aesthetic content.
2. Acquire an Existing Account: Identify and purchase an account that already has an engaged audience in the luxury travel niche.

Key Considerations:

• Avoid overtly promoting Wander properties in every post. Instead, subtly include Wander branding (e.g., “Powered by Wander” in the bio).
• Feature Wander properties only when relevant to the curated destination.

Top-of-Funnel Benefits:

• Reaches a wider audience interested in luxury travel, not just accommodations.
• Positions Wander as a thought leader in premium travel experiences.

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3. Leverage Short-Form Video Content

Instagram Reels, TikTok, and YouTube Shorts are the best formats to drive engagement and discovery in today’s algorithmic environment. Focus on:

• Short Destination Features: “Top 3 Hikes in Yosemite” or “Luxury Restaurants in Malibu.”
• Visual Storytelling: Use cinematic visuals to elevate Wander’s aesthetic appeal.
• Consistent Posting: Build a predictable cadence to grow and maintain audience interest.

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4. Tie It Back to Wander

When featuring destinations where Wander properties are available, subtly integrate them:

• Example Post: “Planning a trip to Big Sur? Here are the top 5 things to do. And if you want a place that’s as stunning as the scenery, check out Wander’s Big Sur home for the ultimate retreat.”

By doing this, Wander connects travel inspiration with actionable options while avoiding hard-sell tactics.

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5. Capitalize on Instagram’s Shift to Reels

Instagram’s algorithm now heavily favors Reels over static images. This is the perfect time to lean into video-based luxury travel curation.

• The transition from photo-driven accounts to video-centric storytelling.
• Engage users with dynamic, immersive content that showcases destinations and luxury experiences.

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6. Entrepreneurial and Corporate Retreats

Continue targeting high-income entrepreneurs and companies for retreats. Strategies include:

• Event-Specific Content: Highlight how Wander properties are ideal for off-site meetings, team-building activities, or solo work retreats.
• Collaborations with Business Influencers: Partner with well-known entrepreneurs who exemplify luxury productivity to showcase Wander as the perfect retreat venue.

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7. Email as the Backbone

Wander’s email strategy remains the most powerful channel for converting awareness into bookings. The curated travel account can directly feed into this by:

• Encouraging email signups for “exclusive travel tips” or “priority alerts on luxury stays.”
• Creating downloadable guides (e.g., “Luxury Travel Packing List” or “Top U.S. National Parks for Luxe Getaways”) gated by email signups.

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8. Expand Podcast Ads with Better Retargeting

While podcasts like My First Million are excellent for brand exposure to entrepreneurs, the gap between hearing an ad and booking a trip is significant. Enhance the ROI by:

• Retargeting podcast listeners with follow-up ads on platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.
• Driving these audiences toward free account creation or email list signups instead of direct bookings.

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By focusing on destination-driven content and positioning Wander as a luxury travel curator, they can broaden their appeal while keeping their properties top of mind for premium travelers. This strategy builds a stronger presence across multiple channels while optimizing for long-term customer acquisition and brand growth.

Content Strategy Breakdown for Wander

Here’s a structured recap and analysis of the ideas presented, with actionable insights for maximizing Wander’s content strategy.

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1. Build a Luxury Travel Sub-Brand

Concept:
Create a sub-brand focused entirely on luxury travel inspiration through high-quality Instagram Reels, TikTok videos, and YouTube Shorts.

Execution Steps:

1. Acquire Dormant Photo-Centric Accounts: Identify travel-focused Instagram accounts with large but inactive followings. Transition these into video-first platforms.
2. Hire Dedicated Creators: Pay creators $6–8K/month to produce high-quality short-form content, including dining experiences, accommodations, and unique destinations.
3. Content Themes:
   • “Top 5 Luxury Hikes in [Destination]”
   • “Best Upscale Dining Spots in [City]”
   • “Hidden Gems for an Aesthetic Staycation”

Benefits:

• Establishes Wander as synonymous with luxury travel.
• Creates an evergreen content library to drive organic discovery.
• Positions Wander is a thought leader in premium travel.

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2. Launch ‘The Wander List’

Concept:
A Michelin-like curated list of the best things to do in various cities, focusing on luxury experiences.

Format Options:

1. Long-Form Blog: Create SEO-rich posts highlighting top experiences in cities where Wander has properties.
2. YouTube Series: Produce high-quality travel guides featuring destinations and activities, ending with subtle Wander plugs.

Growth Tactics:

• Gated Content: Announce upcoming lists (e.g., “Top 10 LA Experiences for Luxury Travelers”) and require email signups to access them.
• Engagement: Encourage user-generated content or local businesses to compete for spots on the list, driving organic reach.

Example Post Flow:

1. Blog or video highlights top experiences in a region.
2. Mention Wander properties as ideal accommodations subtly within the content.
3. End with a call-to-action for email signups or Wander account creation.

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3. Inside-Out Content with In-House Creators

Concept:
Hire a team of in-house creators to produce short-form vertical content centered on Wander properties and their unique features.

Execution Steps:

1. Creator Accounts: Develop individual accounts like “Wander with [Name]” for personality-driven content tied to Wander.
2. Content Types:
   • House Tours: Showcase the properties with cinematic visuals.
   • Narrative Content: Follow creators as they explore destinations, tying back to Wander stays.
   • Event Hosting: Have creators host themed events (e.g., retreats, celebrations) at Wander properties.

Benefits:

• Builds emotional connections with audiences through recurring personalities.
• Elevates property visibility in an authentic, engaging way.

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4. Creator House/Reality Show for Entrepreneurs

Concept:
Transform Wander properties into venues for collaborative entrepreneur events, akin to a reality-TV-style series focused on building businesses or solving challenges.

Execution Steps:

1. Event Design:
   • Gather 6–10 entrepreneurs in a luxury Wander property.
   • Focus on a goal (e.g., building a business in 36 hours, conducting a hackathon).
2. Production:
   • Film the entire experience, capturing both the work and lifestyle aspects of the Wander property.
   • Incorporate stunning visuals of the property and surrounding area.
3. Distribution:
   • Release episodes on YouTube or as a mini-series.
   • Share highlights on Instagram and TikTok.

Why It Works:

• Combines entertainment with aspirational travel.
• Positions Wander is a brand associated with innovation and collaboration.
• Creates buzz around the properties and the brand.

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5. Integrated Podcaster Partnerships

Concept:
Leverage partnerships with podcasters like My First Million by integrating content creation directly into Wander properties.

Execution Steps:

1. Send podcasters to Wander properties for retreats or episode recordings.
2. Have the episodes include Wander placements, highlighting the experience naturally.
3. Capture behind-the-scenes content for Wander’s social media.

Value:

• Aligns with entrepreneurial audiences.
• Creates authentic, shareable content that connects with Wander’s target demographic.

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6. Email as the Conversion Backbone

Email Strategy:

1. Lead Magnets: Use gated content like city guides or Wander lists to collect email addresses.
2. Drip Campaigns: Nurture leads with emails that include travel tips, exclusive property updates, and special offers.
3. Scarcity Marketing: Highlight limited availability for certain properties to drive urgency.

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The Spark for the Bonfire

The Big Idea:
All these strategies act as “tinder,” setting the stage for a viral spark. For example, the “reality show” for entrepreneurs could be the big spark that drives massive attention to Wander. With all the supporting content already in place, Wander would have a robust foundation to capitalize on this momentum.

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By implementing these strategies, Wander can dominate the luxury travel space, creating a strong connection between aspirational travel experiences and their premium properties. This multi-pronged approach not only enhances brand visibility but also builds an ecosystem of engaging, evergreen content that continuously drives bookings.