5 Reasons Your Airbnb Needs A Dedicated Instagram Account

We can’t tell you how many times we’ve found a great listing on Air bnb only to find out they don’t have any social media presence. It always leaves us a bit disappointed as it is such a missed opportunity. If you’re a property owner who knows you need Instagram but have no idea where to start, we’ve got you covered. We just launched our E-Book “How to Leverage Instagram for your Vacation Rental” and it is absolutely packed with everything you need to know to launch a strategic visually cohesive Instagram account. There are endless reasons why your property needs its own dedicated account and today we’re diving into 5 of them.

1: You’re not just a property, you are a brand.

You’ve created your own boutique hotel, and now you have to act like it! As soon as you change your mindset from being a landlord to being a boutique hotelier, everything starts to shift. People aren’t renting “your home”, they’re staying at your vacation rental. 

Think of any brand you love and why. All the best brands in the world have things about them that make them instantly recognizable—be it their colour palette, font style, visual elements, tone of voice, etc.  As a BRAND- having a presence on social media is a way to build that know, like, and trust with your ideal visitor. It’s a way to showcase your properties amenities, promote your local community, provide inspiration for your visitors, and showcase your property. 

Specifically, Instagram is a highly visual platform. This is your opportunity to showcase your property through storytelling and imagery that will attract your dream guests. The purpose of having a solid BRAND on Instagram is so that you can start to open your mindset to scaling your business past just being “one location.” Can you offer events or host weddings? Can you sell products or curate a lifestyle shop? Does your bnb partner with yoga studios and offer classes? Think outside the box, this is your business. How can you provide VALUE to your community?

*HOT TIP*

Air bnb does not like to allow you to have websites in your listing copy, but you can add you @ handle! Make it easy for people to find you and follow you on Instagram. People love to look at additional photos, tagged photos, and see what you’re all about.

2: Attract your dream visitors.

Here’s the thing. When your property only has a listing on Air bnb (and doesn’t have an Instagram page), the only time potential visitors will see your property is when they are ready to book. Depending on timing, your bnb could already be booked (in which case they wouldn’t even see it as a consideration if they’re booking a certain date range). 

Having Instagram is like having an extension to your listing page- that reaches a MUCH wider audience. Not everyone is on Air bnb every day looking for places to stay, but you can bet they are on Instagram. People plan trips up to months in advance, so get on their radar!

While they may not be ready to book today- having Instagram puts you in their consideration set for when they ARE ready to book.

3: Engage-It’s a two-way street ya’ll!

One common mistake we see hosts doing all the time is launching an Instagram account and then just waiting for the likes and comments and followers to roll in. Instagram is a two way street and you have an opportunity to find, follow, and engage with your dream visitors. Sometimes people are afraid to roll up their sleeves and do the work. You need to become an active member of your Instagram community and find your people!

How you ask?

Think about where your dream visitor hangs out. Where are they spending their time on Instagram? Where are they spending their time in real life? 

Here’s some examples:

Maybe you know your dream visitor is a foodie. 

Maybe your property is in Prince Edward County and you know people love to eat at the Drake Devonsire.

Head to the Drake Devonshire geotag and engage with all the content within that tag. 

Simple.

Maybe your property is in PEC but you have a lot of visitors from Toronto. Where do your customers hang out? Where do they get their hair done? What do they do for fun.

Find the accounts that make sense for YOUR dream customer and engage! Find your customer and show up.

And of course, always engage with the community you’ve built! Respond to every DM. Answer every question. Engage with every comment.

You got this!

4. Tell your story

Instagram provides an opportunity to showcase you and your properties personality and tell your story. Everyone has a story. You becoming a boutique property owner is a story. How you decided to decorate, the town you live in, the local experiences- are all stories you can share on the ‘gram. People resonate with things that they can relate to. Give your audience a peek behind the curtain at everything that goes on behind the scenes to run your property.

5: Increase bookings! 

And of course, as much as we love Instagram for sharing beautiful imagery and telling stories, it’s also your opportunity to have your property fully booked. By showing up, becoming top of mind, and inspiring your community—you can bet that your property will be fully booked. 

Wondering how to master the ‘gram? Well you’re in luck. We wrote an E-Book where we share the tried and true strategies that we use with our one-on-one clients. *AVAILABLE FOR PREORDER NOW!*

By the end of the book, you will be equipped with the knowledge and tools to show up with confidence on Instagram and use the platform to grow your business. Expect to learn all about branding, how to create a content calendar, tips for shooting your own content, how to leverage Instagram’s features, scheduling, posting and more! Click here to grab your copy!

DIY style not for you? No sweat. We also offer Instagram management! Check out our services to learn more.