How to Get More Bookings on Airbnb (& Attract More Guests)
Distinguishing your property from the competition can prove challenging, yet it’s the decisive factor between achieving year-round occupancy or facing vacancies. Explore the following strategies to get more Airbnb bookings, enhance your occupancy rate, attract a larger audience to your listing, and effectively convert them into satisfied guests.
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How to Get More Bookings on Airbnb
Achieving more bookings on Airbnb revolves around two key aspects: optimizing your Airbnb listing and effectively promoting it. Ensure your listing is fully optimized with an attention-grabbing title, compelling description, high-quality photos, competitive pricing, and a comprehensive array of amenities. It’s crucial to keep your listing current and promptly respond to inquiries. Additionally, consider promoting your listing through social media, local businesses, and events, while also encouraging positive reviews from previous guests.
How to Increase Your Occupancy on Airbnb
A desirable Airbnb occupancy rate typically exceeds 65%. While a high occupancy rate is vital for the profitability and sustainability of your vacation rental property, it can also suggest that your property may not be maximizing its income potential.
An exceptionally high occupancy rate may indicate you’re not charging enough for your property, potentially missing out on additional income. How can we tell? If you have an extremely large booking lead time, i.e., your guests are booking very far in the future, this may mean that you can increase your prices.
How to Increase Airbnb Reservations
When your rental property is situated in a tourist-popular area, distinguishing your Airbnb listing from the competition can often be challenging. Keeping your listing and Airbnb profile up-to-date, building partnerships with local businesses and events, improving your Airbnb amenities, and optimizing your performance in Airbnb’s search rankings can all help attract guests to your listing.
Refreshing Your Airbnb Listing
One of the most effective ways to attract guests to your short-term rental is to keep your listing up-to-date. Regularly refresh your Airbnb description by highlighting any additional amenities, consistently update your availability calendar, add new photos, and adjust your pricing to stay competitive.
Discover Four Easy Ways to Get Your Listing Noticed.
Working with Local Businesses and Events
To attract more guests to your Airbnb vacation property, you can establish partnerships with local businesses and engage with community events. Here are some ways to do it:
- Offer Guides to Local Hotspots: Provide informative guides to nearby bars and restaurants.
- Free Passes to Family-Friendly Attractions: Enhance your guests’ experience by offering complimentary passes to local family attractions.
- Keep Them Informed: Share an up-to-date timetable of cinema showtimes and art exhibitions in the area.
- Proximity to Festivals and Events: Highlight your property’s convenient location in relation to local festivals and events.
Read more about how to attract more guests to your Airbnb.
By immersing yourself in the local scene and becoming a trusted local expert, you can boost your Airbnb’s occupancy rate and provide exceptional service to your guests. Consider incorporating details about your in-depth knowledge of the area in your Airbnb profile and encourage guests to reach out for additional information.
Improving Airbnb Amenities
Another effective strategy to entice more guests to your vacation property is by offering unique amenities that set your Airbnb apart from the competition. Consider catering to different guest needs:
For Families: Provide essentials such as a high chair, crib, baby bath, and laundry facilities to make their stay convenient.
For Individuals and Couples: Offer amenities like high-speed Wi-Fi, a dedicated workspace, a hot tub, or additional dining and cooking equipment for added comfort and enjoyment.
Optimizing Your Listing SEO
Another effective way to attract more guests to your Airbnb listing is to enhance your visibility in local search rankings. Several factors influence your ranking, including responsiveness, pricing, Superhost status, availability, and booking cancellation history.
To gauge your listing’s performance, periodically conduct test searches to determine where it ranks. If your listing doesn’t appear on the first page of results, it may be worthwhile to consider making optimizations.
For comprehensive guidance on Airbnb SEO, you can refer to ‘The Airbnb SEO Bible‘ for valuable insights.
Promoting Your Airbnb
Social media promotion can help to increase your brand’s exposure and lead to more Airbnb reservations. Platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest provide excellent channels for showcasing your property with images and videos while highlighting your knowledge of the local area.
By creating a dedicated business account with just a few clicks, you can share captivating photos and compelling calls to action that drive traffic to your Airbnb listing, resulting in more bookings. This approach helps build a stronger brand identity for your property, and the business account allows you to target larger audiences, generating anticipation and excitement around your vacation rental.
Struggling to Get Airbnb Bookings?
If you’re struggling to get bookings for your listing, several factors may be at play. Your Airbnb title and description might not be sufficiently engaging or informative, your property photos may not do it justice, or your pricing could deter potential guests. Other potential culprits could include negative reviews or delayed responses to inquiries.
Here are some troubleshooting steps to address the issue of not getting bookings on Airbnb:
Airbnb Listing Titles
Your Airbnb title is your property’s first impression. Ensure it is attention-grabbing, emotive, and provides an idea of who your property suits. Highlight unique aspects and use descriptive adjectives to paint a visual image for potential guests.
- ‘Eclectic 3BR Cottage w/Outdoor Bath in Woodland’
- ‘Modern 2BR Apt in ❤️ of the City/Gym/Best Views’
- ‘Romantic Villa w/Hot tub+Pool/5 Min Walk to Beach’
The Airbnb listing example above effectively includes attractive features that guests would love, such as a pool, Jacuzzi, and BBQ.
Read more examples of catchy Airbnb titles.
Airbnb Listing Descriptions
Another reason why you may not be getting bookings could be because your listing description doesn’t provide all of the essential details. Provide comprehensive details in your Airbnb description, including amenities, proximity to local attractions, and what sets your property apart. Paint a vivid picture for potential guests.
Here is an example of an effective Airbnb description:
Get ready to slow down the pace and live the beach life in style from this recently renovated 3-bedroom house just 200 feet from the water.
It’s a distinctive and welcoming freestanding home that’s raised off the ground, so you get views of the sea and sunrises and sunsets from the Lanai that you’re sure to remember long after you return home.
So if you’re looking for a home-away-from-home that you can make yours, this house has to be top of your list. Even when you’re inside there are views to savor thanks to this house having more windows than many properties of this style. And inside has been upgraded throughout, so all those home comforts you expect are here for you.
Need help writing an engaging Airbnb listing description? Check out my Airbnb listing description copywriting service.
Airbnb Photos
Your photos could also be the reason you aren’t getting as many bookings as you’d like. Make sure the photos that you use are high-quality and are an accurate depiction of the space. Use good lighting and a camera to get the best shots, as first impressions are hugely important to the success of your listing.
The listing located in the Isle of Wight, England, showcases some impressive photos of their vacation rental property:
Read more about how to write great Airbnb photo captions.
Responsiveness
When you get inquiries on Airbnb, it’s important to respond to them quickly, ideally within 24 hours. Guests may send a message to multiple Airbnb hosts at one time, and you want to be the first to get back to them. Being responsive demonstrates your attentiveness and can positively impact your Superhost status. If you’re unable to respond, you have the option to reply with a short message letting them know that you will respond as soon as you are able to.
Guest Reviews
Negative reviews can discourage bookings. Ensure you deliver exceptional service to inspire guests to return and recommend your property.
You can encourage guests to leave a review by reviewing them yourself and letting them know that you appreciate their business. Here is an example of a message you can send:
Dear [Guest’s Name],
I wanted to take a moment to express my gratitude for choosing to stay with us. We truly appreciate your business and the trust you placed in us.
We hope you had a wonderful time during your stay. Your feedback and experience are incredibly valuable to us. If you have a spare moment, please kindly leave a review at your convenience. Your feedback help us improve our service and provide an even better experience for our future guests.
We can’t wait to host you again in the future. Please feel free to reach out if you ever plan to return; we’d be delighted to welcome you back!
Warm regards,
[Your Name]
Read more about how to respond to negative guest reviews.
Pricing
Pricing can be a deterrent. Stay competitive with properties of a similar size and with similar amenities, and avoid high cleaning fees or large deposits.
As a general rule, it’s best to keep your prices lower while you are starting out and don’t have as many reviews. Over time, you can gradually increase your prices as you gain more experience as a host and gather positive reviews. Adjust pricing seasonally to capitalize on peak times, as you can often charge more during the summer months and on the weekends.
Conclusion
The factors you should consider when increasing the number of bookings that you receive for your vacation property can be split into two categories: your listing itself, and how you promote it.
In conclusion, to increase Airbnb reservations, focus on optimizing your listing and effective promotion:
Optimize Your Airbnb Listing:
- Create an appealing title and description
- Use high-quality photos
- Adjust pricing competitively
- Improve Airbnb amenities
- Regularly update your listing
- Utilize social media to showcase your property
- Collaborate with local businesses and offer discounts
- Become a local events expert
- Encourage positive guest reviews
By addressing these factors, you can improve your Airbnb listing’s performance and attract more guests.
Do you want to increase your Airbnb bookings but aren’t sure where to start? Get in touch today to enquire about my Airbnb copywriting and Airbnb guidebook writing services.