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Hi AirHosts, my name is Ashley. I am new to this forum but not really… I have been a quietly looking at all the topics in the background for awhile now…. I just started a website to upload your video tours. I could not understand why a site like AirBnb does not offer one important feature: Video tours!
AirBnB won’t host your video tour, so I will. Feel free to post your video tour on my site, or by using your Youtube link. Feedback is much appreciated as well. I look forward to reading more and engaging in interesting host conversations and topics on this forum.
We can’t put links in the listing, and we can’t send links to a guest until after a reservation is confirmed, but if we do make our own video tour and upload it to YouTube, we can send the guest a link to a private YouTube video after they book. Help us understand the benefit of using your site.
There might be some benefit if you want to advertise your video tour to guests before they actually confirm and book. Guests (myself included) want to see video of the property and place they will be staying. Also, it might be beneficial to the type of guests you are attracting… If they are viewing your video, it shows they are willing to take that time to get to know and value the property they want to stay at.
As far as the listings goes, your right Airbnb does not currently allow it. A way to fix that is simply stating in your description. “My video tour is located on Tourthisbnb dot com”, or just “Tourthisbnb”. The website is so new that no one will even know the website name yet, but they will in due time. Youtube is excellent, but it is not niche enough… unfortunately it is not a place where guests go to view video tours for airbnb. Since Airbnb won’t do it, I did!
You can upload your own video or your youtube video to my site anytime.
Sorry, but I’m not seeing the benefit. Airbnb won’t even let me put the word “google” in a message to guests before they book. So, as soon as the website name is known, it will get blocked by Airbnb. And if I have to start making things cryptic (e.g. “tourthisbnb dot com” followed by something else to designate my video") it’s just going to complicate communication. I might as well say “Go to you tube and search for XYZ” Explain the difference, please.
I totally understand what you are saying. You don’t technically “need” to post “cryptic” messages if you don’t want. That part is up to you. There are several blogs and sites dedicated to advertise your listing besides Airbnb. This is just one option. It just happens to be only dedicated to video tours (which airbnb clearly lacks right now). If Airbnb gets video tours option then great! They are not doing it, so this is just a way to get your video out there. AND Its free. I am not charging anything lol . No credit card or personal information is necessary!
Again, youtube is great but it is not for guests to go searching up airbnb listings. If you don’t need to advertise, then no worries. Not everyone wants or needs to promote.
I love your questions Brian! Awesome feedback for me. I would love to give any members of this forum first dibs to show their video tours.
There’s room for talks of advertisers or featuring video tours in certain cities later down the line. Im not there at all yet. Right now just seeing and giving airbnb hosts a chance to upload and feature their video tour. “Beta” testing if you will…although this is not an application or fancy software. A simple site dedicated to solve one lacking feature from airbnb.
The only person who would benefit from hosts posting their videos’s on your site is you @Ashley10.
Having host video’s enables you to drive traffic to your new site; as it provides you with free content and if hosts advertise for you, it then helps drive traffic to the site, so you can get it to a stage where you can attract advertisers.
In marketing and communications terms, a guest browsing listings is very unlikely to come off Airbnb to try and find a video of an Airbnb to review before making a booking, particularly when they would then have to try and find it on the site.
By the way you do know Airbnb are looking at hosting video content on its own site don’t you?
Well sure! I certainly would benefit…if I wanted to do my own advertising…the site name speaks for itself and yes I would go ahead and put my own listing up and just advertise my own airbnb independently and stay booked. I have 0% interest in that. The main goal is to benefit others and find a solution to a minor problem…just like every business out there
The goal is to not bring people OFF Airbnb. The site is not a booking site, and there is 0% plans to pursue that. The goal is to bring your preferred guest back TO your listing. The site is to HELP Airbnb, not compete with them lol. They refuse to implement video posting, so I am willing to do it! In reality, there are other sites for vacation rentals besides Airbnb (VRBO, etc) so of course people actually do go off Airbnb to see about other options.
Where did you find evidence that they are looking at hosting video content? I know about virtual tours (which they still haven’t done), but video content is new to me. Even if they are, they sure are slow to start and it looks like it will not anytime soon. I certainly wouldn’t keep waiting. Airbnb's Interested In Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality Helping Travel | Digital Trends
Of course!! lol, let me ask you, how do you think any company survives? Does this forum not contain “advertisers” or ads to keep the site going? And your explanation for how Youtube is ran? I did not do the site for “traffic” or get advertisers. This is so niche that I honestly don’t expect tons of traffic besides a few dedicated subscribers that love watching video content. It really is no different than a blog magazine dedicated to recommending unique stays in other cities.
I saw a need for something that Airbnb refuses to offer so I am. Simple as that. If anyone wants to host their video tour on a site dedicated to BNB video tours, you are free to post as you want.
It is either infected with the Dolohen malware script or the site owner has deliberately configured it in such a way that clicking on the site logo opens up ad pages.
I really do not like folk that encourage members to line their pockets, or site owners that are so sloppy they promote a malware ridden site.
. I just started a website to upload your video tours. I could not understand why a site like AirBnb does not offer one important feature: Video tours!
. No credit card or personal information is necessary!