Thanks Reader - I used to run weddings in our home and I hear you loud and clear. You have to be prepared - and zen about - the fact that damage (sometimes stupid, thoughtless and easily preventable damage) will happen. If it eats you up you’re in the wrong business! My cleaning company specifically asked me for checkout at 10am - they can sometimes accommodate an early check in but late checkouts really throw a spanner in their works. We’ll see how it goes…
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Love this apt.
Great Job
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@mamajuls, It has finally been determined that our apple tree produces King apples, the most common apple in the area and the most popular.
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Yes, you can definitely learn Instagram quickly. Post beautiful photos, and if you want to go the extra mile, then hire local photographers (especially ones with an emphasis on lifestyle or landscape photography – they’ll make your home look like someone is just visiting a spectacular oasis).
Some of the Airbnbs we frequently post offer a free stay to influencers/photographers to get better content. They find that yields a large return on investment via more bookings from Instagram viewers.
Food for thought, but we’ve seen it work well!
So are you a host @best_airbnb ? Or are you a service, where hosts pay you to promote their listings on Instagram?
I get those “influencers” contact me all the time looking for free stays!
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I know! We get them contacting us too looking for free stays. It can be annoying, for sure.
Keep in mind that not all influencers are created equal. Some influencers don’t have a following that is passionate about/like to stay in Airbnbs, so those photographers won’t make sense.
As for influencers we know that have created successful results for clients, then you should look at @dirtandglass, @kylefinndempsey, and @bennet_young. These influencers are based around the Northeast and Pacific Northwest.
Lastly, we’re not receiving kickbacks or referrals from these guys. We just really, really like their work.
So pretty much a standard online advertising platform @best_airbnb . Basic service is free and anything more you pay to advertise.
Interesting how do you know these influences have followers that are ‘passionate about Airbnb’.
As a marketing channel, you’ll know it’s not just about whether a follower is interested in Airbnb as a concept but a) whether they are interested in a particular destination b)whether they want to stay in the type of accommodation an Airbnb offers.
So there is no point having an influencer that has a followers that are interested in city breaks in the US if the listing is a villa in the Med.
Look, we can’t report data or stats, as that is private to the influencer.
But we can say we have had multiple conversations with hosts who have hired these guys for a free stay/provided compensation, then heard from the hosts about the ROI from these services. So clearly having these Infuencers post about their experiences, their followers then book a stay – meaning it’s probably fair to say these influencers have followers interested in Airbnbs.
And obviously you want to hire an influencer with a large network in your area. That’s why we mentioned the influencers’ territories in my response.
I’m not here to debate the merits of influencer marketing. And while I appreciate the constructive language, debasing our vision down to “a standard online advertising platform” is not appreciated, and not what we had hoped for when joining a forum to offer advice and engage.
Thanks for coming back.
I am sure as someone who has an online advertising platform you know that is a standard methodology for advertising platforms/forums to offer a free basic service and a paid for options for members or users who want additional services or benefits. This is exactly what Trip Adviser and other travel brands do https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Owners
How on earth would stating that debase your ‘vision’?
How you monetise your site has nothing to do with your brand.
Glad to hear that hosts that have offered your photograhers and influencers free stays, can directly correlate additional bookings through content promoted through said photographers/influencers Instagram, etc. Definitely something you can use in your marketing.
I was going to ask why you joined a forum which is for hosts, but I see you have joined to offer advice. That’s good, we get quite a few commercial services join just to promote their products or services, so we can be a bit cynical 
(for disclosure I head up marketing and communications for national and international organisations so have some expertise in this area)
Thanks for your response.
And yes, offering a free basic service, then promoting paid services, is certainly one of the ways to monetize an advertising platform. It just felt like we were being attacked for coming here to offer advice, which didn’t feel right – especially as we look to lean on this forum when building our own Airbnb to rent this year.
Ultimately we do appreciate you holding us accountable to further explain this model and how it works. Glad to see you have found similar success with your own trials.
We can certainly learn from the experiences of your own marketing/communications past, as we’re a young team just getting started. Our only hope is for a more positive conversation moving forward.
I think people will welcome independent advice around promoting their listing, as long as they don’t see it as you plugging your platform.
If you want people to advertise on your site, you certainly need to have a more robust story to tell to demonstrate advertising success. Look at the big publishing brands they all have a clear breakdown of demographics in their media pack, viewing figures, which issues these demographics are interested in and case studies demonstrating success etc.
I didn’t say I found success in this type of advertising model. Many start ups without the budget and know how to promote their brands will fail. I simply commented that is a commonly used way to monetise sites alongside more traditional advertising.
In terms of you starting your own Airbnb - Airbnb Community and its Help Centre are much better platforms for start up advice.
This forums tend to be established hosts talking about issues they face with the platform or with guests.
Thanks for the compliment about my own marketing/comms prowess, but I don’t think you could afford my day rates 
Wishing you all the best for a successful venture.
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Thank you, Helsi!
Agreed we certainly need to revisit our site and tell a more robust story. We’ll work to include more comprehensive stats, demographics, and case studies. Will also turn to the Airbnb Community for additional advice as we continue to build our first listing.
Maybe if this startup turns into a success we’ll be able to afford your day rates. If/when that revenue comes along, you’ll be the first person we call!
Thanks for the kind wishes. Looking forward to reading more of your posts on here.
What amuses me is that they tell me how many followers they have (supposedly) but do not give me their name or anyway to search for them. They expect me to just accept it at their word, which smacks of a lack of professionalism in the first place.
Oh wow. Yeah that definitely sounds like a scam. I would be suspicious of anyone who doesn’t link directly to their Instagram profile to validate their following.
Is finally LIVE!! Enjoy our fantasy place. Any comments very welcome!
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Love the Tiny Tiki Trailer zone! At first I thought maybe it was in the Palm Springs area. Is it cooler May through November at your place than it is in Palm Springs? I was in Palm Springs in August and it was 110 degrees. The only time I spent outside was either after dark or when I was in a pool. What elevation are you at?
I’d love to stay there sometime. It is obvious all the care you have put into the Tiny Tiki Trailer Zone. It’s really cute and romantic.
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Thanks for your kind words Keugenia:) Hope you will come visit sometime soon!
It gets pretty hot here but not as hot as Palm Springs. A high temp event in Aug - Sept is usually a few to several days at a time @ 104. But then we always get an evening breeze, and can open the windows by about 5 or 6. We are at 1500 ft altitude. The valley below is about 400 ft alt.