Casestudy - Secret Bolthole

In August 2024 I took over the social media accounts for Secret Bolthole, a collection of two lovely cottages, Elsie’s Cottage and Anchor Cottage. The owner, Charlotte, had expressed her dislike for social media, she would spend hours making one reel only for it to receive maybe ten or so likes. So she handed the reins to me.

Immediately, I saw the gaps in strategy. There was no clear posting plan or consistent schedule, no defined brand message, and a heavy reliance on professional photos alone.

I applied a strategy that helped prospective guests feel the cottages before they had even stepped foot in them, posting content that conveyed the authentic experience of staying there and publishing consistently, every single week.

Secret Bolthole grew from 1,800 Instagram followers to 70k in a year, and by November 2025 we had reached 100k followers. Followers are great, but how did this actually translate?

Charlotte has now tripled her mailing list to over 10,000 engaged subscribers, and her website traffic is consistently high. The cottages are fully booked up until next year, both weekends and midweeks, and next year is already sitting at around 70% booked. Secret Bolthole’s social media presence has encouraged forward bookings, meaning there’s no longer any waiting around hoping dates will fill a month before.

As a result, she has completely come off Airbnb and other listing sites, putting her back in control of her bookings and improving cash flow.

I continue to post compelling content for Secret Bolthole across platforms, with more prospective guests discovering the brand every single day. The cottages are now some of the most recognisable holiday cottages online, making them consistently in demand.

Secret Bolthole is now in the position to expand its collection, to give more to its engaged audience and to keep up with demand, all because of its social media presence.