Not sure how to market your short-term rental beyond booking sites like AirBnb and VRBO? One of the best ways to attract attention to your property and drive web traffic is Instagram. Many STR hosts use Insta to market their property (just check out hashtags like #airbnb or #shorttermrental to see!) But if you’re making these 4 AirBnb marketing mistakes, you’re not maximizing the impact Instagram can have on your property’s success.
Should my AirBnb have an Instagram?
Abso-freaking-lutley! In 2023, all businesses need a social media presence – and a highly visual platform like Instagram is made for marketing your short-term/vacation rental property. Unlike other platforms like Pinterest and TikTok (which are great for their own reason!), Instagram is the best option for creating a community around your property. Think about it – where did you last look for vacation inspiration? Probably Insta!
How do I promote my rental property on Instagram?
There are so many ways to showcase your property on Instagram! From posting photos of your STR and amenities, to highlighting local events and the community, to sharing example vacation itineraries to show guests how they could spend their time at your property – the options are endless.
In addition to feed content, don’t forget to use stories to show off more behind-the-scenes and the day-to-day at your property. Hashtags are not dead, by the way – utilize location-focused ones to show your rental to people searching for places to stay in your area.
How do I grow my AirBnb on Instagram?
Ignore all the growth “hacks” and “quick fixes.” The truth to growing on Instagram is the same for practically any business: post quality content regularly that provides value to your audience, focus on building a community around your brand, and don’t skip over the social part of social media.
But before you get too worried about growth – make sure you’re not making some of these very common mistakes!
The 4 AirBnb Marketing Mistakes You Can Stop Making Today
Mistake #1: Not using highly searchable terms in your name field.
Only using your property’s name in that bolded name field? You’re missing out on the chance to show up in people’s searches who don’t know what your vacation rental is named! This is the most common Airbnb marketing mistakes I see (besides the last one on this list), and the easiest to fix. Include your property’s location, desirable features and who your ideal guest is. For example, Florida AirBnb | Beachfront Condo | Family Vacation will mean your page shows up whenever someone searches those terms. It’s a lot more descriptive (and effective!)
Need help figuring out what terms to use in your name field? Drop me a DM on Instagram @abcsocialmediamanagement – happy to brainstorm with ya!
Mistake #2: Posting low-quality, low-effort content like screenshots of reviews.
I know how critical 5-star reviews are to your property’s success. But posting screenshots of those reviews (or your Superhost status) is quite frankly, boring. Your potential guests are going to scroll right by. Instead, take those reviews and put them into a stylish, on-brand graphic. And don’t forget to announce your Superhost status in your bio!
Mistake #3: Not asking guests for photos and videos of their stay.
User-generated content is incredibly powerful – there are even creators who specifically work with short-term rental hosts to capture photos & videos of your property! When guests check-out, include in their goodbye message that you’d love to share any photos & videos they took of their stage on your Instagram page. This is a great way to get more quality content for your page without having to shoot it all yourself. As an added bonus, it also serves as social proof.
Mistake #4: Putting links in your Instagram captions.
Unfortunately, no one is going to take the time to exit Instagram, open their browser, type out the link from your caption, and go to that page. Links are not clickable (no matter how much I wish they were!), and it doesn’t add anything to your caption. Instead, use a call to action like “Head to the link in our bio to book) to drive people to where they can click directly to your booking page.
Are you making other AirBnb marketing mistakes?
These aren’t the only errors you could be making on your Instagram. In this list, I break down 5 mistakes I see many business owners making on Instagram – irrespective of their niche. Fixing these mistakes is easy once you know what they are!
And if you want to make sure your Instagram is set up for success, book a profile audit & optimization where you’ll get a refreshed bio, highlight cover templates, 3 pinned posts written for you, and a comprehensive review of your profile.
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