Using Social Media to Market Your Airbnb

Let’s think! A vacation renter would have discovered your property at Airbnb though may not be convinced whether your property is right for them. Maybe you might think social media marketing is a waste of time? Truth be told, social media marketing is never a waste of time. Ever since the Global Pandemic, people’s digital behavior has changed drastically and they spend more time than ever before. As a property manager/host, social media marketing is an excellent tool by:

1. Creating awareness
2. Build up reputation
3. Networking with other businesses/hosts
4. Building traffic to your listings

Are you already convinced yet? By using your social media to market your Airbnb; the right way, you can drive guests to more bookings and sway that your property is the one to book.

Effective ways of using Social Media for your Airbnb

Today, people internationally embrace the Airbnb culture by looking at affordable and safe places to stay whether it is for work or pleasure. And by looking at social media channels, it is definite that the effective way of using social media helps improve businesses, showcase reviews through testimonials or videos, engage hosts to guests that reach a wider audience. Here are some suggestions for promoting your Airbnb listings:

1. Establish your Brand

Social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, TikTok to name a few are ideal platforms for property managers/hosts to create credibility in your property. At the same time, the right social content allows you to engage and resonate with guests. It also creates opportunities to build traffic to your listings that lead to bookings.

2. Work with Social Media Influencer/ Blogger

Ideally, this is one of the strategies that many property managers/hosts use to create more attention and awareness in marketing your property on Airbnb. Bloggers and Social media influencers do have a lot of followers. The game plan would be best is to offer them to stay at your property for free and allow them to experience the uniqueness of your property while posting and reviewing them on their social media platforms. By doing so, convinces guests to want to stay at your property.

3. Join Rental Forums

When joining rental forums, you interact and share your experiences or issues with other hosts related to hosting on Airbnb. This might be a little tricky but keep in mind that this strategy helps you grow your business by learning from fellow hosts and managing it more effectively. Being active in forums benefits you as fellow hosts may recommend your property to other guests.

4. Special offers

To appeal to your guests, it is always ideal to create offers such as discounts or upgrade at their next stay or maybe even invite or recommend family, friends, and colleagues to stay at your property. Here, you will notice, an increase in returning guests and bringing in new businesses to the industry.

5. Unique URL to market your Airbnb listing

In promoting your Airbnb listing, it would be ideal is to create a unique URL that generates traffic by:

• Creating personalized website addresses that allow guests to find your listing easily
• Search for inspiration from other hosts in customizing your URL
• Highlighting what makes your listing unique

6. Use Engaging Cover Photos

A picture is worth a thousand words. By sharing interesting photos such as the interior and exterior of your Airbnb listings on Social Media platforms, each picture tells a story to its guests. This encaptures more guests for specific experiences and allows guests to engage with property managers/hosts.

7. Consider Facebook Ads & Targeted Likes

When considering investing in FB ads and targeted likes, it is one strategy to build up an excellent way to market your Airbnb listing to appropriate audiences around your area; that you can engage with and generate bookings.

8. List your Airbnb listings in Tourism Websites

Tourism websites are usually reliable resources for international guests. Hence, it is considered important for property managers/hosts to list your Airbnb properties on tourism sites that will enhance your bookings later on.

Benefits of using Social Media to Market your Airbnb?

To sway in new guests, social media marketing plays a huge role in businesses. If you wonder what are the major social media platforms that impact decision-making? Then you are at the right place. Here are some social platforms commonly used by businesses:

• Facebook
• TikTok
• Instagram
• Twitter
• YouTube

These platforms help promote vacation rentals by interacting with the users on what you have shared on your newsfeed. It could be from posts to photos to videos. By simply liking it or commenting, you reached a wider audience than you anticipated. Hence, each post, like, or comment enhances an increase of new potential customers. Below are some benefits of how social media markets your Airbnb:

1. Have more Repeat Guests

Return guests are considered ‘loyalty customers’ and not only do they make bookings but recommend or even attract other guests that could be at a higher rate than the market average. By using social media platforms, you keep your return guests updated with features or experiences of your property and maybe offer them discounts or special offers.

2. Credibility

Consider your listing's credibility and what can you do to improve it? Well, here are some tips that will make your listing on the social map:

• Create a brand name
• Start with capturing images
• Establish creative partnerships with bloggers and influencers
• Build followers
• Be open

By connecting your Airbnb listings to social media platforms, guests who may come across your listings will be able to get further information and use that to support your business as being credible. Additionally, guests will be able to read or watch reviews/testimonials from returning guests.

3. Networking with other local businesses

Networking and cross-promoting with other businesses, allows you to create opportunities in reaching a wider audience. For example, you can initiate a deal online by partnering with well-established restaurants, theme parks, etc and every guest who stays at your property gets a 15% percent discount at those businesses. More or less it applies the same way around. Here, you will notice when cross-promoting your businesses on social media, you draw in more guests to both parties; a win-win benefit.

4. Expand your client base

Think about how social media platforms influence users to experience one-of-a-kind vacation rental compared to staying at a luxurious hotel. Hence, on different social platforms, you can advertise your listings for free and reach a variety of audiences such as domestic to international travelers, fitness fanatics, travel influencers, food enthusiasts, photographers to name a few. Here people will come across your page by either liking or tagging and even sharing stories that allow you to connect with a range of guests you wouldn’t have thought of.

5. Share your local knowledge

Although, eye-catching images and videos of your listings draw guest attention, what’s interesting about social media is that as a host/property manager enable to convey stories and insights of your surroundings to guests such as:

• Highlighting the surrounding of the area; not just the property
• Is there any historical background of the town/area?
• What attractions are there to do?

This knowledge could entice guests to book your property because of nearby pubs/restaurants or maybe hidden gems like secluded beaches/waterfalls, country walks to name a few.

6. Connect and receive feedback from guests

Having a happy guest maximizes your business on social media. Once a guest has stayed at your property, encourage them to leave feedback and share their experiences and images on your social media page, and tag your brand name.

It is also ideal that you leave guests with messages right after they leave to show how much you value their opinions and maybe interact with guests like what items would you like on your welcome basket for your next stay? Other than that, when guests leave comments on your social page, acknowledge them with some quick advice, comments that will lead to guests’ appreciation. Always build relationships with past and present guests which will help in the long run to avoid negative reviews.

What can you Learn from Social Media Marketing?

Today, a traveler researches everything online before booking. At most, they look at reviews, your social media pages and captured images from guests that assure your property is the right place for them. Keep in mind that all social posts, comments, likes do not guarantee bookings. Though building a strong social media presence takes time, with the right social marketing strategy, you can increase confidence in your brand and gain credibility through interactions with potential and existing guests.