How to promote direct booking website to Airbnb guests without violating terms?

Question

I've read some great threads on the benefits of direct booking, strategies to get traffic via social media, etc.

The one thing that isn't 100% clear is how to market your direct booking website to current Airbnb guests (e.g. via a printed sign or QR code in the unit advertising direct booking as an option) without running the risk of Airbnb pulling your listing. Per the Off Platform Policy article below you cannot "[ask] or [encourage] guests to book outside of Airbnb for repeat or future bookings"
https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/2799/

I am still highly interested in pursuing the direct booking option, so are there any methods that are either (a) Airbnb compliant or (b) clever enough to prevent suspension?

Thanks!

John Underwood · Answer

You can refer returning guests to use your direct boking site, not current guests that used Airbnb to make a reservation with you.

Bruce Woodruff · Answer

I have signs in the houses, and I text when the guests leave, that if they enjoyed themselves and would like to return that they can contact me directly to save money. Seems to work....

KiKi Chase · Answer

Hi Isaac! This is what my fiancé and I are wanting to start with our STRs. We have see that people will have frames with QR codes, prompting them to scan and it sends them to the direct booking website. I have also seen in their check out message, that if they want to stay again, they can reach out to you via phone. We have friends that always text their guests from their Google Voice number for a more personal touch, and they are able to market it through there as well.

Andrew Steffens · Answer

Check out Stayfi, that is who we use. They make a network attached to your WiFi similar to a hotel where people log in via providing their email and then it collects that data for you to market to them after the stay.

Leslie Anne Morris · Answer

We list out the property name and the name of our management company in the beginning of the listing. A lot of people google and then book direct.

Brett Deas · Answer

One thing that I do for the guests staying at the property is have a website attached to the wifi where they have to enter their email and then reach out after to put them on the list for the entire list of my company's properties. Through those emails they only show the direct booking and not the online listing.

Brooklyn McCarty · Answer

Read the book direct play book by Mark Simpson!

Matt Mertz · Answer

I'd recommend not going around your OTA to get the direct booking. Give the guest your direct booking site during their stay for the (potential) return visit. To me, the marginal reward is not worth the risk of losing your account.

We've used StayFi since the beginning (late 2021). We've never had a guest complain and we have 53 5 star reviews (1 4 star unrelated to StayFi). There's a "Do not email" checkbox on the form. Sometimes we get bogus emails but that's to be expected.

Nancy Bachety · Answer

I don’t save my guests 15%, it goes in my pocket plus a security deposit. Airbnb provides so little to me right now.

Scott K. · Answer

Those advising you to use airbnbs platform to offer your email are being foolish. You risk being permanently banned for violating Airbnb, to what, save your guests 15 percent?

Take the booking and get their email once booked. You are allowed to email guests, text, etc once they have booked you. As mentioned above there are quite a few automated softwares that collect the email addresses, I use hospitable personally. It then connects to mailchimp and I have a full email list of every guest that's stayed with me.

I would never ask my guests to enter their email to use wifi. That seems like a surefire way to piss them off in a review "I paid for this house, and now I get to be spammed?" or to make them uncomfortable "my kids aren't going to enter their emails just to watch YouTube"

How to promote direct booking website to Airbnb guests without violating terms?

How to promote direct booking website to Airbnb guests without violating terms?

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