New Offering! Let us build your Airbnb Listing & House Manual
Hello friends,
Let’s chat a little today about Airbnb listings and whether it may make sense to have pros like us help you build or optimize yours!
I want to share two friend success stories before we get into the whys and hows:
Friend #1 had been thinking about listing her spare bedrooms for 8 or 9 months but could not get around to doing it. I told her I’d come over to chat with her about it and I got her so excited that we took photos and listed the 2 rooms on the spot! That’s what I call taking action! She had bookings the following day and now those rooms pay the mortgage on her 4bdrm home.
Friend #2 came from friend Friend #1 who has been raving about her success to everyone she knows (good marketing =) ). #2 had been wanting to create a listing on Airbnb for quite some time but decided she didn’t have the bandwidth to be managing it. We spoke on the phone yesterday to get the listing built out, made it live this morning and got all her available dates booked within a couple of hours. Magical!
Sometimes you just need to get started — having a 3rd party help you can be that boost that makes it happen today instead of someday.
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We consider Airbnb SEO & know all the tricks!
A little known fact about Airbnb SEO (showing up higher in the search): When you first publish a listing, Airbnb gives you a courtesy boost for the first 24-48 hours to help it get some bookings. After that, you are on your own. Usually homes snag a few bookings during this highlighted period, and they get an additional boost from the clicks, possible adds to Wishlists (favorites) and if they are lucky, those bookings lead to reviews -- Airbnb rewards positive reviews by helping you be seen by more potential guests.
But what if you don’t get any bookings during that window? Well you fall down to the bottom of the list and I can tell you, it takes a lot of creative social media shout outs and help from friends to get it out from the depths of all the glossy competitive listings nearby. Let us help you keep the clicks coming.
What should you do?
Are you excited to start your Airbnb experience but want to make sure you are optimizing it to the best of your ability?
There are 3 considerations when building a listing:
1. Getting clicks & adds to a Wishlist for SEO
2. Optimizing information placement, settings and photos to translate into bookings (potential guests may only look at your listing for 15-30secs before deciding to look elsewhere). It needs to capture their attention.
3. Having all their questions answered so they don’t need to ask you basic things like: is there parking? Check in time? How do I get the key?
If you know for sure that you want to manage the home yourself and learn the ins and outs of the business, hire us for the listing build out and consider also the House Manual. We will happily share the tips and tricks + best practices to have a healthy listing.
Why do I need a House Manual?
Any new host will quickly learn that you get a lot of questions from guests. Questions that can pop in at any hour of the day, like when you are driving, wrestling the kids into the car, in a work meeting, or sleeping. Although setting up Saved Replies can help, I think a House Manual is another handy tool for your tool box.
In our manual template we cover all the main areas of concern, such as: Address, Public Transport from the Airport, Keyless entry instructions, Wifi, how to use the TV, home quicks, Restaurant Recommendations, Things to do and more! A nifty feature in Airbnb is the ability to have the House Manual attached to the listing so that once a booking is confirmed, the guest has access to all that information and bugs you less. Yay!
We also recommend printing a copy of the Manual to have in the home for easy reference and quick answers to guests queries. I generally place it in a binder with plastic sleeves to protect the sheets from sticky fingers and coffee stains, with a clear sleeve on the outside so we can display a beautiful photo from the region with House Manual is large lettering so they know it’s for them. If you have any free city maps or menu pamphlets, those can be an added bonus to keep tucked in the inside pockets of the binder.
Okay I’m interested, what does the build out entail?
We usually recommend getting on a phone call for 30-60mins to get most of our nitty gritty questions answered and to learn all the amazing bragging points of your area and your unique space. We then translate that into dreamy, yet informative copy -- “Let your cares melt away in our deep soaking tub,”
From there we will likely have some follow up questions and some homework for you (for example: adding your payout and tax info, filling in your description on your profile, installing a keyless entry deadbolt).
If we are also working together on the House Manual, we will share the Google Document with you and will ask for your help with adding a photo of yourself (we find that people treat a home better when they see the owner or family behind it, rather than treating it carelessly like a hotel) and will work together to tackle any unanswered questions. Finally, you are ready to open your doors for business!
*Depending on scheduling and your availability to answer follow up questions, we can usually have a finished listing and House Manual the same day.
Fantastic! What is the cost for this service?
$150 for Listing Only
$250 for House Manual & Listing
*Either investment is tax deductible
Thanks for considering working with us. We greatly enjoy connecting with the owner behind the space and the creative process of telling a home’s story. We hope to hear from you soon.
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TAKE ACTION: