We recently connected with Marissa Schulze and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Marissa thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Talk to us about building your team? What was it like? What were some of the key challenges and what was your process like?

Haymaker Marketing is a digital marketing agency specializing in vacation rentals and hotels. We help short-term rental hosts, property management companies, and boutique hotels look luxurious and irresistible online through storytelling-driven digital marketing — from social media management and graphic design to vacation rental branding and brand identity.

Though Haymaker Marketing started as a one-woman side hustle, it has grown into a team of talented content creators, graphic designers, photographers, and social media managers — all dedicated to elevating short-term rental and hospitality brands online.

When it comes to building the team, a few things matter most — creativity, because great marketing lives and dies by it; adaptability, because the digital marketing landscape changes fast; and professionalism and efficiency, because our clients’ brands depend on it.

If I could go back, I’d be even more intentional about finding contractors who are self-starters — people who don’t need to be guided through every task step by step. I need forward thinkers. I value prediction and creativity over rigid perfection. After all, entrepreneurs aren’t perfectionists — they’re problem solvers.

Marissa , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I niched into marketing for Airbnb hosts and the hospitality industry because I saw a gap — and it was impossible to ignore.

What creatives were producing for vacation rentals and short-term rentals simply didn’t translate to social media management and digital marketing. Sure, 15 perfectly staged landscape photos from a photographer look stunning — but 15 photos will last you one month on social media. Airbnb hosts and property managers need a database of photos and videos they can use everywhere — direct booking websites, email funnels, Airbnb listings, and social media marketing. Content that works hard across every platform, not just once.

I realized, as a social media manager, I had an advantage that traditional photographers and marketers didn’t have.

As Haymaker Marketing grew, I listened closely to what hosts were actually asking for — and kept adding the right professionals to meet those needs. One service I’m especially proud to offer is professional vacation rental branding and logo design from a highly skilled graphic designer. Together, we create a cohesive short-term rental brand identity for property managers and Airbnb hosts that is built to grow with their portfolio.

The Brand Suite includes fonts, logos, color palettes, keyword research, Canva templates, and merch — and it is one of my favorite offers we have ever launched. No Fiverr logos. Just real, strategic vacation rental branding created by humans who understand this industry.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

My business started as a social media management for anyone who would hire me. Everyone told me to niche down — I resisted, until I found the perfect fit: travel. Airbnbs, hotels, and the hospitality world needed help. They needed better social media management, richer content than a typical photographer delivers, and someone to build a marketing presence beyond OTAs like Airbnb and VRBO. I’m a digital nomad for about half the year, so this niche aligned with me– I use Airbnbs and hotels often.

The real pivot happened on discovery calls with Airbnb hosts and boutique hotel owners. They needed more than Instagram and Pinterest — they needed a full digital marketing strategy. These people got into hospitality to create experiences, not to become marketers. But they needed direct booking websites, cohesive and beautiful branding, and influencer partnerships to grow.

That’s when the shift happened. I stopped being a social media manager and became a full-service marketing agency for vacation homes and boutique hotels. Today, I work to build powerful online brands for my clients — and I’m always finding new ways to help them grow. Recently, I’ve been chatted with bookstagram influencers to see if they’d want to partner with Airbnb hosts for their book retreats! How fun is that?

How did you build your audience on social media?

After about six years, I get about 60% of my leads from Instagram. Crazy right? So, here are a few things that will help you build your brand online:

1. Know that you’re in it for the long game. Despite what the gurus tell you, social media marketing is not a quick fix. You have to build trust with your audience, especially if your offer is expensive (like mine is). You should think that you won’t see any results for at least 6 months (you will, but that will temper your expectations).

2. Just start, but then do your research. Most of my best posts came after I started understanding Airbnb hosts, instead of just selling to them online. Join Facebook groups. Read Reddit posts. Not to sell– but to understand. Look for industry trends. Then, talk about that on social media. Hot topics for Airbnb hosts? Influencers, fees changing on OTAs, occupancy rates, amenities, direct booking websites– and recently, boutique hotels vs Airbnbs.

3. Build a content database. This is something that Haymaker Marketing does for Airbnb hosts and boutique hotel owners called a “Content Creation Visit.” It’s where we travel to the vacation home, stay a few days, and build out a big database of both video and photos, so they actually have something to post online. If you can’t be consistent on social media, half your problem is that you don’t have enough photo and video assets. So, book that branding shoot, hire that content creator, do a film-only day– no matter what your business is.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.haymakersocial.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/haymakermarketing/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/

Image Credits

Headshot: Rhema Faith Photography
Property Managers: Dwellia, Drift & Dwell
Vacation Rentals: Dar Sukún, Dunnsinnan