I was thinking about how useful could it be if there was a PR/marketing service out there for Airbnb listing owners who would like the extra push for their listings.
Do you know of any?
This forum is dedicated to connecting hosts with other hosts. Sign up to get the latest updates and news just for AirBnb hosts! Note that we are not affiliated with Airbnb - we are just passionate hosts!
I was thinking about how useful could it be if there was a PR/marketing service out there for Airbnb listing owners who would like the extra push for their listings.
Do you know of any?
Thereâs quite a few who say they can help owners market their listing.
How much understanding they have of marketing issues is another matter.
A google in your area should come up with a shortlist.
Have you tried something like âmarketing your Airbnb listingâ plus your area.
I donât know where you are based and wouldnât want to recommend one of these companies as I have no idea where they are knowledgeable/provide value for money.
Yup. Nothing relevant Just not sure how to find these guysâŚ
I think you can do the marketing yourself.
I worked at advertising agencies for a decade before I moved to Hawaii. All of them had a PR arm, and you wonât be finding services for under $100 an hour.
So here are a few ideas you can do on your own and save the PR fees.
Make a Facebook page for your listing and share it.
Make your own website and blog and link to it with lots of stories and links. Search engines like sites with links
Buy some small google ads for your website.
I donât know what I did but I am at the top of EVERY google search. I even come up on page one when you search just my area name because that is the first two words of my listing title also⌠When my friend with listings in NC saw my search results he was amazed that I placed there with no advertising or anything. I really cannot explain it, except to say Iâve been doing this a LONG time (when Air first started, I was one of their first few thousand hosts) so it could be just as simple as established seniority.
Maybe someone who knows more can tell us whether listing your place name in your title helps. (I.e., Central Park Flat with view)
But I wouldnât pay a PR agency for something you can easily do yourself.
Oh wow Kona! I worked at ad agencies too for about ten years! And I agree with your advice completely.
You donât need a PR agency unless you have some super high-end property. But if youâre like the rest of us and just have a regular place or even a really nice regular place - you can pretty easily do this yourself.
Kona was right about making a blog site. I would suggest making a WordPress site - but host it on a regular server - not the WordPress servers and use your own domain name.
Write articles as often as you can. Even once a week would be good. Google LOVES WordPress and they pickup things from WordPress blogs so easily and quickly. Write articles and use keywords like your location name, âAirbnbâ, things like that. Then just write stories about traveling to your location, things to do, stories about guests youâve hosted and experiences youâve had hosting. Depending on where you are - Google should pick it up and you should make it to the first page of search results when anyone searches on places to stay in your location. Also, put a link to your Airbnb listing(s) from the site.
The main thing is to put a site up - and begin writing content for it.
If you have a super high end property though - you could be right and you might make good use of a PR agency. Although, you can pretty much do what they do yourself too.
When I worked at ad agencies, like Kona, they all had a PR arm. I worked on the PR side for a few years too. Basically our value back then was that we knew people in the media and we could contact them easily on behalf of our clients. But what Iâve found today is that these people in the media are so accessible online⌠mainly through twitter - that if you have a unique or very high-end property that you think might interest certain writers - just contact them through twitter or their email address. Put together a brief story for them and just send it to them.
Jon is right! I was also pulled into the PR side (under protest as I am an ad copywriter). You do need to have a real story for them to run with the editors they have relationships with.
Now⌠we have just given you the secrets youâd pay a fortune for, and see how easy? Just takes legwork.
Hi @konacoconutz & @JonYork
I agree that PR agencies can seem expensive for individuals (as you know I work in PR and communications) and would work best for high end properties.
@konacoconutz I agree with your analysis that your listing probably ranks highly because you are a long established host (as well as having a great listing and reviews).
However when I was talking about companies that could help I thought the OP was referring to the Airbnb support companies and individuals (some hosts) who say they can help hosts with their listing through photography, descriptions etc.
For the majority of hosts, a paid for service isnât necessary, you can find the information you need on forums like this, blogs and websites with free advice.
@Oded if you want to employ a PR company then do a google search for local PR companies that specialise in tourism and ask them to provide you with a quote - however I think itâs unlikely they will add much value unless you have an unusual high end property.