Posted about 6 years ago

Social Media for your Airbnb and Short Term Vacation Rental

I get asked all the time: should I start a social media presence for their Airbnb listing?

YES! Absolutely yes. It's free, super easy to set up, and the possibilities for return on investment are endless.

Are you looking for content to post on your social media for your Airbnb listing? Stay tuned for the end of the article where we compiled plenty of ideas to keep your social media content fresh!

Reasons Why You Should Do Social Media

First, the obvious one: more people will be aware of your vacation rental. The more people that see your rental, the more potential guests you will have. Even if you only get one booking off of social media a year, it is worth the small time investment.

You never know who is going to be looking for you. Our vacation rental was featured in the local news for a story about a big sports event. From that video and article, I got lots of phone calls, emails, and even people I know asking about renting our properties. Guess where they found our information? Facebook!

Building your brand through social media makes your company more legitimate. If you want to expand your business at any point, you will probably need to ask for funding from a bank or private money. Having a brand gives your more credibility, and social media can help you build that brand.

You get to join a community of local businesses. Most local businesses are on social media, and when you get an account you increase your networking capacity. Commenting on local businesses opens up new doors to places you couldn't even imagine!

Guests who see your social media account also get a peek at your personality. People will feel more connected to you and are more likely to give five star ratings.

Start the Accounts

If you only plan on having one vacation rental, use your catchy listing name for the accounts. If you plan on expanding or have multiple listings already, you will want to come up with an umbrella name so that all of your listings are under one account. Keep it simple - we chose Vacation Rentals Omaha for all of our listings. Something generic is fine, because you will showcase your catchy titles when you post content.

Facebook and Instagram are the two social media platforms where we see the most traffic. Link your Facebook and Instagram, and when you post to Instagram it will automatically update your Facebook page (saving you time).

Other social media outlets such as Twitter or Snapchat are not worth the effort in my opinion. However, they are free so if you have the time, go for it!

Get Followers

Most likely you already have a personal Facebook and/or Instagram page. When you set up your business Facebook page, invite your friends and family to like and follow the page. They will be your biggest supporters! My father in law literally shares everything we post.

Hashtags are important because people use them when searching for a particular concept on Instagram. You want your property to reach as wide of an audience as possible, so hashtag the hell out of your posts: #Airbnb #host #airbnbomaha #visitomaha #vacationrentalsomaha #dundee #travel #hustle etc etc etc.

Get active on your pages. Join the local groups, follow tourist boards, local businesses and property management companies. Make comments and like tons of local posts. Again, the goal is to have as many people as possible see your accounts.

Airbnb is weird about sharing social media information over their webpage and via guest messages. Instead of putting your social media handle online via Airbnb, physically put it in your rental. Business cards with your social media information are great because guests can take that information with them. You can also put it in your guidebook, guestbook, or make a cute little sign. Encourage your guests to tag you on social media!

Keep Your Accounts Fresh

The first posts should be the basic shots of your listings. Think of it as a mini-Airbnb site. Instagram is great because you can use a bunch of different filters and a multiple picture layout, and will post directly onto Facebook for you.

You need to post at least once a week to social media so that you stay relevant and at the top of everyone's feeds. After the initial pictures, however, it can be difficult to generate ideas on what to post. You should include personal recommendations and your own experiences, so next time you are out to dinner take a picture and post it. Show your guests the best spots around town!