How to Make Your Airbnb Stand Out (Tips & Hacks for Hosts)
With so many vacation rental properties for guests to choose from, it’s natural to feel like your property might be getting lost among the competition. So, what can you do to boost your listing’s chances of getting a high occupancy rate?
Read on to find out how to make your Airbnb stand out, and attract more bookings.
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How To Make Your Airbnb Stand Out
There are many ways you can make your vacation rental stand out from your competitors. Use high-quality, professionally taken photographs that display a light, minimalist property with some unique features and design aspects. Write a captivating listing title and description, and put some effort into your Airbnb host profile. Achieve superhost status, get some great guest reviews, and ensure that your listing performs well in the Airbnb search algorithm by responding quickly and limiting cancellations.
Find out how to increase your views and bookings on Airbnb.
How Do I Get People to Rent My Airbnb?
If you’re looking for ways to attract more guests and bookings for your Airbnb, ask yourself the following questions:
- Do you have plenty of high-quality photos available to potential guests that showcase your property in its best light?
- Do you have a captivating Airbnb listing description and title to attract visitors?
- Have you spent time perfecting your Airbnb host profile?
- Do you have Airbnb superhost status?
- Is your listing honest and authentic?
- Have you established a niche for your short-term rental property?
If the answer to any of these questions is ‘no’, then there are pieces of your Airbnb listing that can be optimized in order to maximize listing viewings and boost your occupancy rate.
High-Quality Photos
One of the first things you should do when setting up your vacation rental listing is to post high-quality photos of your property and the surrounding area. This will make your Airbnb listing stand out from the rest. Ideally, you should hire a professional to take these photos as it will make all the difference.
The listing above has some fantastic photos of the property, depicting its moody setting and some of the activities available nearby.
Get some close-up shots of any unique features of your property, as well as wider-angle shots of whole rooms. Get some fantastic photos taken of the exterior of your property, as well as some stunning photos of the scenery and any important local attractions.
Here are 7 tips to write irresistible Airbnb photo captions.
Captivating Description
If your Airbnb listing isn’t performing as well as you want it to, then it may be because your description isn’t appealing to your target guests. Make sure your Airbnb listing description is grammatically correct and scans well so that guests can quickly read through and pick out the important points.
Make sure your description contains the unique selling points of your short-term rental property, the story behind it, some text to showcase your knowledge of the local area, and any answers to frequently asked questions. Include a call to action at the end to make sure your guests know what they need to do to secure your property.
For example:
“Sleep under the stars with our one-of-a-kind glamping pod in the heart of the New Forest. With a breakfast service, a private bathroom and a hearty campfire, experience a night of luxury out in nature. Please note:
- The glamping pod has stairs to access and so is not suitable for guests with reduced mobility
- Children and pets are very much welcome, but please let the host know in advance
- There is plenty of free, on-road parking available nearby.
Drop Andy a message to secure your trip while dates are still available!”
Learn how to write an Airbnb description that stands out.
Great Airbnb Host Profile
Create a fantastic Airbnb host profile to build credibility and trust with guests. Include a great Airbnb profile picture, your name, and some interesting facts about you. Let your guests know the story behind your Airbnb properties, and make them aware of your hosting style.
Read more about what to write in the Airbnb ‘describe yourself’ field.
In the Airbnb host profile above, the host gives a little bit of detail about themselves, their family, and why they host on Airbnb. Providing a professional and engaging host profile is one of the best way to make your Airbnb stand out.
Superhost Status
Become an Airbnb Superhost by responding to guests quickly, maintaining a low cancellation rate, and gathering some great guest reviews. You can do these things by ensuring you always have access to your Airbnb account and by providing great communication and service to your guests. Make sure your property is clean and presentable when new guests check in, and be on hand to answer questions.
The ‘superhost’ badge is shown to guests scrolling past, letting them know that this host is reliable and attentive.
Read my bestselling Airbnb Superhost Checklist and take your vacation rental to the next level.
Honesty and Authenticity
Providing a truly fantastic stay for your guests will result in more five-star reviews and, as a result, a higher ranking in Airbnb’s search algorithm. This is a guaranteed way to make your vacation rental stand out from the rest! Be honest in your listing, giving as much detail about who the property is not suitable for, as well as who it is suitable for.
How to Make Your Vacation Rental Stand Out
One of the best ways to make your Airbnb stand out is to put thought and effort into the way it looks. This means hiring a professional photographer to get some great snaps of your property, ensuring the lighting is great, and reducing any clutter in the photos.
You may want to consider hiring a professional staging company or designer to help you select great-looking furniture and furnishings to give your property the upper hand. When it comes to furnishing your property, less is more. Stay away from items that can clutter up space such as cables and books, and instead opt for a more minimalist design.
Feel free to include aspects of your personality in the design, and mirror some aspects of the surrounding area to create a cohesive feel.
In the example above, the host has used minimal but tasteful furniture that will appeal to many different types of guests. The green kitchen still gives the property a huge amount of character while appearing thoughtful and clean. Overall, they have done a great job of making their vacation rental stand out from the crowd.
How Do I Become Popular on Airbnb?
In order to become popular on Airbnb, you ultimately need to provide a great experience for your guests. Be friendly and helpful before, during, and after their stay, and act with professionalism and integrity at all times. Make sure your property is clean and tidy before guests move in, and set the expectations of your guests to avoid negative reviews.
Read about how to respond to negative guest reviews.
How Do I Attract More Customers on Airbnb?
You can successfully attract more guests on Airbnb and increase your occupancy rate by promoting your listing yourself, employing a competitive pricing strategy, and writing an eye-catching title and description. In addition to this, you could boost your bookings by establishing relationships with local businesses and optimizing your listing for the Airbnb search algorithm.
Hosts can also attract more customers by offering a 5-star Airbnb experience, giving them a unique selling point. You could offer a free cooking class, a walking tour of the city, or a photography session as part of the experience.
Discover how to make money with Airbnb experiences.
Promoting Your Listing
As well as letting all your friends and family know about your vacation rental property, why not post about it on social media? Even better, create social media accounts dedicated to the property and post recommendations for the local area and bonus photos of your property. Building a following, however small, will boost the reach of your property and encourage more people to book with you.
Read more about promoting your listing on Airbnb.
Competitive Pricing
At least when you first post your listing, you’ll need to have a competitive pricing strategy. This is necessary, especially before you have any reviews, to attract guests and get that all-important feedback. Research Airbnb properties in your local area and charge slightly less. You can offer instant-book, or incentivize longer bookings with discounts.
Once the five-star reviews start flowing, feel free to increase your prices to make the most of your short-term rental property.
Eye-Catching Title and Description
Stunning photographs are the first thing your guests will see, but your title and description are second on the list. Make sure your title includes only the most relevant information about your property and includes abbreviations to make the most of the character count. Make the most out of the 50 characters of available space and show prospects why they should book with you.
Need help writing a great listing title or listing description? Take a look at my Airbnb copywriting services here for more information about how I can help boost your Airbnb occupancy rate with fantastic copy.
In the example above, the host has described the property in an exciting way, which makes the reader want to click on the listing to find out more. To improve it, they could substitute the word ‘with’ with the abbreviation ‘w/’ to make better use of the character limit.
Relationships with Local Businesses
Another fantastic way of increasing the number of bookings for your Airbnb property is to work with local businesses, for example, restaurants, bars, cafes, and attractions. You may be able to strike up a deal whereby you promote the local business to your guests, in exchange for giving them a discount. In addition to this, the local business could promote your Airbnb to their customers in exchange for a booking discount.
An Airbnb guidebook or house manual is a fantastic way to summarise all of your recommendations for local businesses and attractions. If you need a hand in writing a perfect guidebook all about your local area, get in touch.
Airbnb Algorithm Optimisation
Make sure your vacation rental stands out by optimizing it to perform well in Airbnb’s search algorithm. You can improve your Airbnb Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) by reducing your prices, achieving superhost status, avoiding cancellations, and getting great guest reviews.
In conclusion, you can create a unique Airbnb listing by using high-quality photos, becoming a superhost, being a responsive and attentive host, and getting great guest reviews. In addition to this, you can improve the design of your property, reduce cancellations, and write amazing Airbnb copy to attract the attention of potential guests. By following these tips, you are maximizing your chances of making your Airbnb stand out on the platform.
Read more here about boosting Airbnb sales and using Airbnb SEO to rank higher.