Writing a welcome message sequence for guests
Marketplaces handle a lot of this automatically. Booking directly means you need to send it yourself — and it's worth doing well.
A booking confirmation that only confirms dates and price misses the chance to immediately reduce a new guest's uncertainty: confirm what happens next, roughly when they'll hear from you again, and how to reach you with questions in the meantime.
A short message a few days before arrival — directions, parking, check-in time and how check-in actually works (key box code, meeting in person, a lockbox) — answers the exact questions a guest starts worrying about as the trip gets close, before they have to ask.
On or just after arrival, a brief check that everything's as expected costs you one message and catches small problems (a lightbulb out, confusion about the wifi) while they're still easy to fix, instead of finding out about them in a review after checkout.
A short message after checkout, thanking them and inviting a review if you use one, closes the loop — and is also the natural, low-pressure moment to mention that you keep a list for returning guests, if you keep one.
None of this needs to be automated software to start. A simple set of saved templates you personalise and send at the right moments gets most of the benefit with no new tools.