Are you tired of paying astronomical fees to influencers who have zero connection to your brand? What if I told you there’s a way to tap into an army of content creators who genuinely care about your business and can triple your direct booking rates?

Mount’s founder Madi Rifkin cracked this code when she faced the same problem every short-term rental owner knows: influencers charging $50,000 per post for content that feels completely inauthentic. Instead of accepting this broken system, she built something revolutionary.

In this deep dive, you’ll discover exactly how Mount built their content army from scratch, attracted over 10,000 applicants, and helped vacation rental businesses increase direct bookings by 180% in just six weeks. Plus, you’ll get the specific strategies and lessons learned from running dozens of creator collaborations.

The Problem with Traditional Influencer Marketing

Here’s what most property managers discover when they dip their toes into influencer marketing: it’s expensive, inauthentic, and nearly impossible to track ROI.

Traditional influencer partnerships follow a predictable pattern. A big brand contacts a mega-influencer with millions of followers. That influencer charges anywhere from $30,000 to $60,000 per post. The content goes live, and viewers immediately recognize it as a paid partnership with someone who has no real connection to the brand.

For short-term rental businesses, this model is particularly problematic. Even if you could afford a $50,000 post, you’d need to book out your entire property for years just to break even. The math simply doesn’t work.

But there’s a deeper issue than just cost. When audiences see their favorite creator promoting a vacation rental they’ve never stayed at, the authenticity disappears. And authenticity is everything in the travel industry.

What is a Content Army?

Mount’s content army represents a completely different approach to creator partnerships. Instead of working with established influencers, they identify aspiring creators who want to build their personal brands while genuinely connecting with businesses they believe in.

Here’s how it works: Mount accepts applications from people who want to become travel content creators. They’re extremely selective, accepting only 38 creators from over 10,000 applicants. These chosen creators go through what Mount calls “steward training.”

During this training, creators learn storytelling techniques, gain confidence to post consistently, and develop the skills needed to create compelling travel content. Most importantly, they learn about Mount’s brand values: sustainability, ethics, and responsibility in travel.

Once creators graduate from the program, they become Mount Stewards. These stewards then work with Mount’s partner businesses, creating authentic content because they genuinely believe in what they’re promoting.

The results speak for themselves. One early cohort member grew from 300 to 80,000 Instagram followers in just one year. But more importantly for business owners, this approach drives real bookings.

Real-World Example: The Direct Booking Success Story

Let me share a concrete example of how powerful this approach can be. One vacation rental business partnered with creators who specialized in hyper-local travel recommendations. They ran two partnership campaigns over six weeks.

Their baseline direct booking rate had been hovering around 17% the previous quarter. Within six weeks of launching these creator partnerships, their direct booking rate jumped to 47%. That’s a 180% increase in direct bookings.

The key difference? These weren’t random influencers promoting a property they’d never seen. These were creators who specialized in local travel content, speaking to audiences who actively sought out hidden gems and unique experiences.

The Mount Model: How They Built Their Content Army

Mount’s success didn’t happen overnight. It started with a simple TikTok video that went viral, attracting over a million views and thousands of applications from wannabe creators.

But the real magic happened in the selection and training process. Mount realized that most businesses have no idea how to choose the right creators. Property managers were making decisions based on gut feelings rather than strategic alignment.

So Mount took over the matching process entirely. They get to know each creator personally, understanding their content style, audience demographics, and personal interests. When a business wants to work with creators, Mount handles the matching based on their deep knowledge of both parties.

The training component sets Mount apart from traditional influencer networks. Instead of just connecting businesses with creators, they actively develop creator skills. They teach storytelling techniques, content creation best practices, and help creators understand the hospitality industry from a business perspective.

This education benefits everyone involved. Creators produce better content because they understand what businesses actually need. Business owners get more professional results because creators come prepared with the right equipment and knowledge.

Lessons Learned from Dozens of Creator Collaborations

After running numerous creator partnerships, Mount has identified several key success factors.

First, local creators often outperform those who fly in from distant locations. If your property is a drive-to destination, prioritizing creators within driving distance typically yields better results. Local creators understand the area better and can create more authentic content about nearby attractions and experiences.

Second, niche expertise matters more than follower count. Mount partnered with a rafting company in the Grand Canyon, matching them with a creator who specialized in outdoor water activities. Even though Grand Canyon trips cost over $7,000 per person, this creator successfully converted her audience because they trusted her expertise in that specific niche.

Third, equipment redundancy is crucial. During that same Grand Canyon partnership, the creator’s phone broke on the first day due to water damage from rapids. Fortunately, she had brought backup cameras specifically designed for water activities. Without that preparation, the entire collaboration would have been worthless.

Fourth, having people in the content makes a massive difference. Mount learned to send multiple creators to properties simultaneously, ensuring that the resulting content shows people actually enjoying the space. Empty property shots don’t convert nearly as well as content featuring real guests having authentic experiences.

The Content Strategy That Actually Works

Mount discovered that the most effective approach combines influencer-style content with branded content for business use. When creators visit a property, they produce two types of content.

First, they create content for their own social media channels, sharing their authentic experience with their followers. This functions as traditional influencer marketing, reaching the creator’s existing audience.

Second, they produce a package of content that the business can use on their own social media accounts. This branded content often proves more valuable than the influencer posts because businesses control the messaging and timing.

Many businesses receive beautiful content packages but struggle to use them effectively. Mount addresses this by providing strategy support, helping businesses understand how to leverage their new content assets for maximum impact.

The key insight is that organic social media strategy takes six to twelve months to show significant results. It requires patience and consistency. But when businesses post creator-generated content on their own accounts, they maintain complete control over their brand narrative while benefiting from professional-quality content.

Matching Creators to Properties: The Science Behind Success

The matching process has evolved significantly from Mount’s early days. Initially, they let property managers choose their preferred creators. The results were inconsistent because business owners typically don’t know what to look for in creator partnerships.

Mount now handles matching entirely, using their deep knowledge of both creators and businesses. They consider several factors: the creator’s content niche, their audience demographics, the property’s target market, and the specific goals of the collaboration.

For example, if you run a family-friendly mountain cabin, Mount might match you with a creator who specializes in family travel content and outdoor activities. If you operate luxury beachfront condos targeting couples, they’ll connect you with creators focused on romantic getaways and luxury travel experiences.

The matching goes beyond content style to include practical considerations. Drive-to destinations work better with regional creators who can showcase the journey as part of the experience. Fly-to destinations might benefit from creators with broader geographic appeal.

Tracking ROI: The Honest Truth About Attribution

Let’s address the elephant in the room: tracking the ROI of creator partnerships is genuinely difficult. Mount has tried UTM tracking parameters, custom discount codes, and post-booking surveys. The reality is that most attribution still shows up as direct traffic or organic search.

This happens because creator partnerships primarily drive brand awareness. Someone sees a video about your property, remembers the name, and later searches for you directly on Google. From an analytics perspective, that booking appears to come from organic search rather than the original video.

The solution is taking a holistic approach to measurement. Pay close attention to campaign run dates and establish baseline metrics for website traffic, search volume, and booking rates. When you see significant spikes that coincide with creator content going live, you can reasonably attribute that lift to your partnerships.

One business owner tracked this carefully and noticed their search traffic for their property name increased by 300% during creator campaigns. While they couldn’t prove every booking came from videos, the correlation was undeniable.

The Future of Creator Partnerships in Hospitality

Mount’s content army model is attracting attention from brands beyond vacation rentals. Other travel companies are recognizing this as a sustainable alternative to traditional influencer marketing.

The key insight is that authenticity trumps reach every time. A creator with 5,000 engaged followers who genuinely loves your property will drive more bookings than a mega-influencer with millions of disengaged followers.

Looking ahead, expect to see more businesses building their own creator communities rather than relying on one-off influencer partnerships. The relationship-building aspect creates long-term value that goes far beyond individual campaigns.

Mount is expanding their model to work with tourism boards and destination marketing organizations. Instead of just promoting individual properties, they’re creating comprehensive content around entire regions, showcasing accommodations alongside local activities and attractions.

Building Your Own Content Strategy

You don’t need Mount’s resources to start implementing these strategies. Begin by identifying creators who already make content similar to what you want for your property. Look for people with smaller, engaged audiences rather than massive follower counts.

Focus on creators who genuinely align with your brand values and target audience. A family travel blogger is perfect for your kid-friendly cabin. A luxury lifestyle creator makes sense for your high-end coastal rental. A hiking enthusiast would be ideal for your mountain retreat.

When reaching out to potential creator partners, lead with value rather than demands. Offer a genuine experience in exchange for authentic content. Be clear about your expectations but flexible about creative execution.

Most importantly, think beyond single posts. The most successful creator partnerships involve ongoing relationships where creators become genuine advocates for your business.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Many property managers make critical mistakes when starting creator partnerships. The biggest error is prioritizing follower count over audience alignment. A creator with 100,000 followers in the wrong niche will perform worse than someone with 5,000 highly engaged followers in your target market.

Another common mistake is being too controlling about content creation. Creators know their audiences better than you do. Provide guidelines and brand requirements, but give creators creative freedom to produce content that resonates with their specific followers.

Don’t expect immediate ROI from organic content strategies. Unlike paid advertising, organic social media requires time to build momentum. Set realistic expectations and focus on building long-term brand awareness rather than immediate conversions.

Finally, avoid one-and-done partnerships. The most successful creator relationships involve multiple collaborations over time. Repeat partnerships allow creators to develop deeper connections with your brand and produce increasingly authentic content.

The Economics of Content Army Marketing

Let’s talk numbers. Traditional influencer partnerships might cost $30,000 to $60,000 per post. Mount’s content army approach costs a fraction of that while often delivering superior results.

Consider the math: if you spend $50,000 on one influencer post, you need massive booking volume just to break even. But if you spend that same budget on ten creator partnerships throughout the year, you’re building sustained brand awareness and creating a content library you can use for months.

The content library aspect adds significant value. One creator collaboration might produce 20-30 pieces of content you can use across your marketing channels. That’s content for your website, social media, email newsletters, and advertising campaigns.

When you factor in the long-term relationship building, the economics become even more favorable. Creators who have positive experiences with your property often return for future stays and continue promoting your business organically.

Real-World Example: The $7,000 Grand Canyon Success

Mount partnered with a Grand Canyon rafting company that charges over $7,000 per person for multi-day river trips. This isn’t an impulse purchase, and the target audience is very specific: serious outdoor enthusiasts with significant disposable income.

They matched this company with Megan, a creator who specialized in whitewater activities like rafting, kayaking, and canoeing. Her audience consisted of people already interested in these expensive outdoor experiences.

The partnership succeeded because of perfect audience alignment. Megan’s followers weren’t casual travelers looking for budget options. They were dedicated outdoor enthusiasts who had been considering exactly this type of adventure.

Megan’s authentic content and personal recommendation provided the social proof her audience needed to make such a significant investment. Several of her followers booked trips directly as a result of her content.

This example illustrates why niche expertise matters more than broad appeal. A lifestyle influencer with ten times Megan’s followers would likely have generated zero bookings for a $7,000 rafting trip.

Summary & Key Takeaways

Here are the essential strategies for building your own content army:

• Focus on authenticity over reach – Choose creators who genuinely align with your brand values and target audience rather than chasing follower counts • Prioritize niche expertise – A creator who specializes in your type of travel experience will outperform generalist influencers every time
  • Build ongoing relationships – Treat creator partnerships as long-term brand advocacy relationships rather than one-time transactions • Take a holistic measurement approach – Track overall website traffic, search volume, and booking spikes rather than trying to attribute every conversion to specific posts • Create comprehensive content packages – Generate both influencer-style content and branded assets you can use across your own marketing channels

Next Steps

Ready to build your own content army? Start by identifying creators in your niche who already produce content similar to what you envision for your property.

Look at their audience engagement, content quality, and brand alignment before reaching out. When you do connect, focus on building genuine relationships rather than extracting quick promotional posts.

What type of creators would be the perfect fit for your property? What unique experiences could you offer that would genuinely excite content creators in your niche?

Internal Links: • [Revenue Management]: https://freewyld.com/report • [Creator Collaboration Guidelines]: https://freewyld.com/creator-partnerships

External Links: • [Mount’s Content Army Program]: https://rentmount.com/content-army • [VRMA Conference Information]: https://vrma.org/ • [Content Marketing ROI Statistics]: https://www.hubspot.com/content-marketing-stats

Your Next Steps

The content army model represents the future of authentic marketing in the hospitality industry. While traditional influencer marketing becomes increasingly expensive and less effective, businesses that build genuine creator communities will dominate their markets.

Start small, focus on relationships over transactions, and remember that authenticity always beats reach. Your perfect content creators are out there, looking for brands they can genuinely support.

What’s stopping you from building your own content army today?