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Hello fellow bnbrs. New to this and honestly looking to see what tools I can use that really work to attract more guests / bookings.
A friend of mine is a videographer and has begun to create a series of small videos to put online and promote his listing. I am new to airbnb but I want to start as strong as possible.
I’m curious if anyone has had success doing this (creating videos to promote their listing). If it helps boost the listing a bookings a bit I will probably try it myself but want to make an informed investment.
Lastly, if anyone out here could give me a heads up on things they’ve struggled with in trying to get more bookings I would REALLY appreciate it so that I can learn from your mistakes as well.
I hope someone out there has some feedback. Thank you in advance :]
-Stevie
As a newbie, I lowered my rates to attract bookers and get reviews. Once I had 10 five star reviews, I increased my rate. Try lowering your rates to get booked.
Just to demonstrate that this forum has plenty of hosts with completely differing opinions (sorry @Ritz3 ) I just want to mention that I’ve never appreciated that way of working. I strongly believe in charging a good price from day one.
By this I mean a price that’s good for the guest but is also very good for the host.
So many hosts undercharge for their services which is bonkers. And they are the hosts who burn out, or give up or, in some cases, find that hosting is far from making them money, it’s costing them money.
Don’t be frightened by Airbnb recommending that you price low. And don’t be frightened of having the highest price in your neighbourhood. Offer friendly service and good value - value doesn’t mean cheap or budget.
No I’ve not used videos but I have two apartments and they are almost always back-to-back with guests. I’m a strong believer in not relying on Airbnb but promoting your listings yourself. Free, of course. I mean using Twitter, Instgram, Flipboard and so on.
This was def #1 for me but I see jaquo’s point. I’ll keep it in mind as last resort but I appreciate the input 1000% a little nervous, just want to do the most I can before I launch.
Another vote for not cheapening yourself to get started. There are other avenues for marketing yourself – a Farcebook page; Twitter and other social media, etc.
Either you’re “in it to win it” as they say, or you might as well not play the game. Excellent accommodations at a good price; cheerful but not pushy service, and attention to detail will get you top notch reviews – and top notch reviews get you bookings.
A new host should NOT be concerned about making as much money and bookings as possible as quickly as possible. You are in the hospitality business, not a get rich quick scheme, which unfortunately is what many new younger hosts seem to think that Airbnb is.
Copy that. Definitely not trying to get rich quick but I see how my post may sound like I’m trying to bank ASAP lol. Just want to find different ways to market and see if it’s really worth it or not. In 100% agreement with you though, definitely here to learn how to make my guests feel at home
You can’t use video content on your Airbnb listing, so unless you are going to invest in developing your own social media channels and website, I am not sure how you and your friend are planning on using video content to promote your Airbnb listings? @Stevie_Rodriguez
I would focus on reading up on how Airbnb works by using Airbnb Help Centre, the tutorials on Airbnb Community and reading through forums like this one to help you become familiar with best practice and pitfalls.
I would suggest investing in quality photography to showcase your listing and CCTV if you are hosting remotely would be a better investment for you than creating video content.
I don’t use video for my small ensuite room. However video definitely made a difference for me when I booked a home via VRBO in Costa Rica. I was considering several properties and the video absolutely sold me on the the home I booked.
I really wish Airbnb would allow videos, but I presume they are prepared neither to screen them for ToS violations nor to qprovide the bandwidth/storage to serve them. And of course links to sites outside of Airbnb present another problem.
Well thanks. It’s amazing how much the selection has exploded in just 3 years. This place was awesome and even with all the photos and video it was even better in person. I wept with joy when we got the welcome tour. I just can’t believe I was able to stay in such a place. We live in amazing times in so many ways.
Full disclosure, I’m a photographer, not an actual ABnB host. That being said, unless you have a killer property with a view and whatnot, videos are overrated. If you are really concerned about a video, just get a $90 gimbal on amazon put your smartphone on it and do it yourself.
Overproduced videos, unless it’s a million dollar vacation home, just make you look expensive. ABnB and other sites like it are for people looking for an advantage.
If your video looks like something homemade it is perceived as a bargain. That $100 a night condo with a video straight out of hollywood makes you think it is a scam. Think about a McDonald’s hamburger versus a mom and pop restaurant, that Big Mac burger looks great, but it really isn’t. Better is not always good a good thing.
And when getting photos or videos for your property, remember that you are selling the experience, not the house. The most common mistake I see is people posting MLS photos for vacation properties, they even include drone photos. Unless your property looks directly at Disney, a beach or a lake, drone videos and photos are useless.
Remember to showcase how great it is to stay at your house, not how big the kitchen is or if the roof is new. Showcase how cool your rooms are, that you have a pool, a golf course, and are near an attraction. That is what what counts.
That’s my two cents, I’m pretty sure I made a million mistakes in my comment, but I’m just trying to help by giving my perspective.
Makes sense to me. Same goes for photos. I’ve read posts from guests who said they hated it when hosts took photos with those wide angle lenses, which totally distort the space and make it seem larger than it is. What’s the point of luring in guests, when they are just going to pissed off that the room that looked huge on the photos is actually only 10’x 12’?
Even a lot of “attraction” photos are rather pointless. If you have a nice weekend farmer’s market in the neighborhood, by all means, have a photo of that, but if a guest is coming to Paris, they don’t need a photo of the Eiffel Tower. They are more than likely to already know it’s there.
) I just want to mention that I’ve never appreciated that way of working. I strongly believe in charging a good price from day one.