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Tips for an AirBnB host

How do you make your AirBnB listing stand out from the crowd?

You have invested good money to set up your room to be listed on Airbnb. Like any business where you have invested money you also need to invest energy and effort. All successful hospitality businesses who stand out from the crowd have marketing strategies beyond simply listing their property on platforms. Why would you think that your business should be different? However, this entails understanding how marketing for an online business works. And its not as difficult as you think.  If you are not yet an AirBnB host and interested in making money from that investment property or spare room in your house, click HERE.

Now I know your first response is: “But that’s exactly why I went with Airbnb, so that they could take care of all the marketing.” Unfortunately, business is not that easy. You know how difficult it is to get ranked at the top of a listing on Airbnb. The competition is tough, and it is very difficult to climb up that listing. This is why you need to view your investment as a proper business and have a proper Airbnb marketing strategy. The best part is that you can build this strategy around something that you have a passion for. No matter what your passion: cycling, cooking, running, photography, travel, décor, music etc – you can build a successful strategy around this passion.

Normal tips for an AirBnB host

There are several blogs out there advising Airbnb hosts how to promote their listing outside the Airbnb platform. They all confirm that if you want to reach a wider audience you need to look beyond the Airbnb platform. They advise you to go social and register with platforms like Facebook and Instagram, to start using the right hashtags and location tags. This is good advice until you read the next blog. Each blog will have a list of ten, eight or five tips for an Airbnb host. And this is where it becomes confusing and you are not sure who to follow. As a qualified mentor I can tell you that you cannot put together a successful business strategy through reading a thousand-word blog or two. I’m not going to give you list of things that you must do like:

  • make sure you get a review from your clients or
  • work with a blogger etc…

I’m not going to tell you that you must give your clients a great travel experience to get a higher ranking from Airbnb’s algorithm. You know all of this.

I’m here to help you put in place a proper online strategy, built around your passion. This will make a significant difference to helping you grow a successful business, thereby ensuring a good return on your investment into Airbnb. If you are serious about making money while nurturing your passion, then read on.

Marketing for an online business

Since you are part of Airbnb, which is an online business, it makes sense that you leverage the power of online marketing to make your business stand out and attract more customers. The core to any successful online business is a good website. Your other social media channels like Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest are built around a good website. Now before you say, “This is too much for me” or “I can’t do this” I will really encourage you to read through to the end before making up your mind. If you want to stand out from your competition you need to take control of your online presence. If you don’t someone is going to disrupt you the same way Airbnb disrupted the hospitality space.

Setting up your own website to host your room or apartment is not as difficult as you think, I promise. I’m not talking about paying someone to set up a stock standard guesthouse type website either. There is very little differentiation in these and they tend to all look the same. I’m talking about a website that combines your accommodation offering with your passion. The content for your website is produced by you and any booking request is referred to the AirBnB website.

This however is where it becomes interesting. Travelers who share the same passion as you, be that running, cooking, cycling, photography, gardening, vintage records etc, will be gravitating towards your establishment because there is a common interest. Now you can talk about giving your customer a great travel experience as their stay is associated with their passion. You will definitely have something to talk about with your customer. For those hosts who are not present the passion can be displayed in the form of books, photographs, music, décor, magazines etc. Imagine your customer has a passion for LP records and they see this pic on your website. Where do you think they will want to stay?

Increasing your revenue streams

The great thing about setting up your own niche website is that it opens up another channel for generating revenue. Welcome to the world of affiliate marketing. If your passion is health and fitness you will be writing blogs and reviews on health and fitness. People with a similar interest will be reading these blogs and reviews. You can be reviewing anything from the latest gym wear, to running shoes, to heart rate monitors. When someone likes your review and they click on a link they get sent to retailer like Amazon and if they purchase the product or any other product you get a commission. This is the world of affiliate marketing and it is a huge industry. The US affiliate marketing spending increases annually by 10.1% and it’s expected to reach $6.8 billion by 2020. You can be part of this phenomenal industry while marketing your Airbnb room.

Can you picture your website? I hope I have you excited.

So imagine your passion is guitars and you have a room on AirBnB in NYC.  This could be your website below.  A culmination of your passion with your AirBnB offering with an additional revenue stream from sales related to anything to do with guitars.  It is uniquely YOU.  You will not look like any other standard guesthouse site.  An opportunity to express yourself, differentiate your AirBnB and to increase your revenue stream.

Sample website for AirBnB listing in NYC:

Setting up this website took me literally an hour.  And believe me when I say you can do the same.  So how are you going to achieve this?

Introducing Wealthy Affiliate

Wealthy Affiliate is an online business platform that provides you with everything you need to understand, create, grow and manage your online business and visibility. It has in excess of 850,000 members that have formed a strong community of people who really care about helping each other.

There are many reasons for me recommending Wealthy Affiliate, but I will just highlight a few here.

The first reason is that you can join for free. Yes, you read correct. A Wealthy Affiliate starter membership allows you to check out the platform and see if it is for you. You do not need any credit card details or any other gimmick that is going to lock you in. There is absolutely no risk when signing up as a free member.

The second reason is that it has a phenomenal training program that takes you step by step through the process of setting up a website and understanding affiliate marketing. You will literally have your website up and running in a few days. If you are really serious about starting an online business I would recommend that you take off a couple of days or a long weekend and immerse yourself in the free membership for four to five days. You will be absolutely amazed at how much you will learn and how quickly you can get an actual website up and running.

The Wealthy Affiliate platform will take you through all the stages of understanding online marketing including social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook. The platform also includes JAAXY, a Search Engine Optimization(SEO) tool that is critical for any successful online business. By undergoing the Wealthy Affiliate training, you will have a thorough understanding of SEO, what it is, how it works and how you can leverage it most effectively drive traffic to your website.

Closing thoughts

Read our latest reviewIn my view Wealthy Affiliate is the best all-encompassing platform for learning about online businesses. You will be skilled up to differentiate your offering from your competition and you will be better prepared for disruption that could impact your investment. For further information you can read our latest 2019 Wealthy Affiliate review and get further details on how to sign up for free. By following the link you will also get access to very a special bonus that I am offering my readers.

Looking forward to hear your thoughts or your own experience with Affiliate Marketing.

36 thoughts on “Tips for an AirBnB host”

  1. Writing captivating, interesting and problem solving blog posts in relation to a business is one of the best ways I have seen that aids a business visibility on the internet. However I have never thought of linking it to an AirBnB listing in this way.  When I saw your link I was expecting the “normal” advise of how to promote a listing, this is really different.  I’m going to share it with my friends who have AirBnB listings and see if I can help them set up a website in this way.  This could be a win win situation for me and my friends. Thank you for the great advise.

    1. Hi Barry yes you are correct writing useful blogs is a good way to get visibility for any business.  The problem is that most people dont see their AirBnB as a business. Its seen as a passive investment. It shouldn’t be that way. If you have invested good money into a property you need to use all tools at your disposal to maximize the return of your investment. This is a good way to contribute towards a successful listing. All the best with your friends and let me know if you need any help.

  2. Hi there. You are absolutely correct about taking ownership of marketing your own listing.  People know this but just don’t know how to do it.   Your recommendation makes so much sense and I’m excited to try it out.  I will read your Wealthy Affiliate review and then give it a try.  I’m hoping this strategy will help me differentiate my offering from other AirBnB properties and will let you know how it goes.  So glad I came across this review, it is so different to all the other standard advise I have read online.  thank you so much, excited. 

    1. Thanks for visiting my blog and so glad you have found the information useful.  If you follow the training on Wealthy Affiliate you cannot go wrong and you will have a website up and running in no time. I can guarantee you of this.  This could be the first step in making sure you differentiate your listing and attract more customers. All the best and shout if you need any help.

  3. Innovations and ideas are the reasons most people get to be wealthy and others remain poor. This that I just learned here, I have never thought of. Though my home is listed on AIRBNB, I never even thought of adding a lot more energy into getting more patronages. Wow! Getting a website and showing more than just the ordinary to them. SInce I will be writing about my passion it would be so much easier to get more people to access my room and also show interest in it. Thanks

    1. Hi Rodarrick thanks for visiting my review and so glad that you have found the idea useful for your AirBnB listing. Wishing you all the success building your new site that blends your passion with your AirBnB business.

  4. Thanks for that great article on combining your passion in an Affiliate marketing website with promoting an Airbnb business. What a great idea to make your website stand out from the crowd of other websites simply listing accommodation. I have never used Airbnb but I’m involved in Affiliate Marketing and can see this is a great way to promote your business. I’ve bookmarked your website and look forward to more inspiration from you. Keep up the good work.

    1. Hi Greg thanks for the feedback, its always a good idea to give life to your passion and if you can combine it with an income stream even better. Please keep checking in. Regards

  5. Hello

    Thanks for a very good your article

    I have also managed to develop my WA site in a very short time with many hours of work and I can attest how effective the WA platform is for getting traffic.

    I didn’t know much about subscribing to airbnb, but I’m curious about it so this information is really useful

    I would think that the content strategy you mentioned in your article is essential to a successful Airbnb business.

    I’ll start looking for apartments that have a website just because it makes so much sense.

    Keep up the good work!

    The best

  6. I heard that affiliate marketing is a great way to bring your business real success and if you can do it right with your website and especially if you can get yourself to have a following such as email subscribers and Facebook or instagram followers then whether it be any niche or your AirBnb business you will get to be real successful become a notable presence in your niche. Thanks for this eye opener Is it really that simple to set up as an affiliate marketer for my AirBnb business.

    1. Hi Donny yes you are correct there are multiple channels that you should use to market effectively. However the majority of bookings and online business is still done through websites. So, if you missing this element you are missing a huge potential market. A successful website needs to be active and not just a static landing page with information that is updated annually.  And this is where your passion comes in. If you can blend your AirBnB business with your passion then it becomes easier for you to have an active site. With regard to setting up an affiliate marketing website it has been made really easy with Wealthy Affiliate.  I was able to set up my website very soon after signing up. And then as you get more experience your website becomes better.  I can guarantee you that you will have your own site up and running within days if you follow the instructions and commit the necessary time. All the best.

  7. This is a great article about marketing for Airbnb, I have a house myself on the platform and in the summer it’s doing great, however, in the winter because of the cold, not a lot of people would like to come. I’m hoping to use these kinds of marketing strategies to also have an income during the winter, as for now, I have to make sure that I’m making enough money during the summer months hoping that I will survive in the winter. Do you have any ideas on how to write a blog or an article with SEO that will attract guests during the winter? Do you think Wealthy Affiliate can help me with this?

    1. Hi Virenda yes this is an issue that many AirBnB hosts  and the hospitality industry in general has to deal with.  There are many ideas that you can use to write blogs to attract people over winter periods. Im sure there are winter activities in your town that you could be promoting? Also  places that are special during winter that visitors are not aware of? These are called niches and Wealthy Affiliate has a lot of information to help you with identifying niches that can work for your online business.  WA also has extensive information, lessons and tutorials on SEOs which is an important element of becoming a successful affiliate marketing business. So yes to all of the above, give it a try.  You will not be disappointed.

  8. Wow this is great information for someone with an AirBnB business.  If you want to stand out from teh competition you need to have a good online presence. Wealthy Affiliate helped me grow my online business and helped me monetize them as well. This is a very great review and article about WA and how it can help AirBnB owners. What I like about WA is the community in it. They are all helpful and always active. Anyway, this is a very well written article and indeed really helpful and informative! Will go ahead and share this with my friends who are in hospitality. For sure they will benefit from this. All the best! Thank you!

    1. Thanks AJ for visiting and glad to hear you have had success with WA. Will be keen to hear feedback from your friends in the hospitality space.  Please ask them to leave a comment. All the best

  9. Interesting. I’ve seen a lot of examples people getting their room booked because it was more than just a room. As you shown, there are different and special themes within these rooms and most people are attracted to them. If you really want to succeed at AirBnB you need to be serious about your game.

    I have a question regarding the other part of the article. Is Wealthy Affilaite really free to try?

    1. Hi Strahinja thanks for visiting Web Business Mentor.  A themed room definitely does better on AirBnB so its a good strategy to follow. With regard Wealthy Affiliate yes it is absolutely free to try and you will have full access. This is the only program of its kind that has this offering, they are so confident with their product. Please read my full review in the link.

  10. This looks like a great advice ; “make money while building your passion”. I think this is the best solution. Wealthy affiliate is an amazing platform to explore when it comes to that. There are series of trainings available from the great expert, Kyles and Carson and the hosting plan for the website is pocket friendly. Thanks for bringing this ideas linked with this platform.Airbnb is surely a cool business and venturing into together with wealthy affiliate will make it a double hit in successful online business world. This is a very useful review that worth visiting over and over again.

    1. Hi Stella thanks for the feedback and glad you support teh concept of blending your passion with your online business.  I agree bringing together WA and Airbnb would make a powerful online partnership for original content.

  11. Content strategy really matters in Airbnb marketing. Most appealing airbnb websites ranks higher in website results. Just the same with lower quality content or lower ratings is harder to find. Prepping your place and showing good angled pictures can help but it must be paired with a great description to attract visitors. If it’s visually stimulating it can get high click through rate. I love the idea of blending your passion with your airbnb marketing strategy, thats just brilliant. Thanks for sharing all these good advice for  Airbnb marketing strategy. 

    1. Hi Misssus, thanks for visiting my page and you are correct about airbnb marketing.  You need to put the effort in to differentiate yourself like any other business.  Thanks for the support with this approach. 

  12. I travel a lot for business and personal and love AirBnB! The idea of theming your property to your passion is excellent. I can see how that would create an immediate connection between the guest and the host.

    I’ve created personal connections with AirBnB hosts in the past and I now consider them friends. I reach out to them when I’m in their town, whether I can stay at their property or not. But due to the relationship you know I would choose their property first if I need a place to stay.

    Creating that relationship will not only help get the initial business but ensure repeat business as well. 

    The themed decor would also make a guest with the same passion feel immediately at home and relaxed. This is a great concept. I’ll be looking for it next time I’m on AirBnB.

    1. Dave thanks for visiting my page and your feedback.  As someone that travels often Im glad you support the concept of matching your accommodation to your passion. Safe travels

  13. Hi Abbas,

    This is a really interesting article! I used Airbnb quite a few times in The Netherlands. Thanks to you I am actually going to start looking for apartments that DO have a website, simply because it shows a lot of professionalism. I honestly ended up in the creepiest apartments when I used Airbnb, ergo, I am not using Airbnb anymore… But you actually inspire some hope here, and a great opportunity to increase revenues for hosts!

    Keep up the good work! There should be more business Mentors like you, the whole Wealthy Affiliate thing hit me like a golden brick! 😉

    All the best,

    Matteo

    1. Hi Matteo thanks for visiting my site and the feedback, much appreciated.  Yes people that put more effort into their listing will definitely provide a better experience.  Like any business your reward is based on your effort that you put in. All the best on your journey.

  14. Thank you for the great information on airbnb here. Honestly I didn’t know a lot about listing on airbnb but I am curious about it so this information is really useful. It looks like airbnb has ranking and competition to key word search, interesting as I hadn’t considered that. But that’s good information to know should I get into this business. Great advice in referencing outside of airbnb. That’s where something like affiliate marketing can come in handy. Wealthy Affiliate would be a great complement to airbnb, and I’d recommend that everyone who hasn’t heard of it follow the links!

    1. Hi Pen thanks for visiting my page and for your feedback. I absolutely agree that Wealthy Affiliate would be a good complement to Airbnb especially since they would then have access to good original content.  Thanks for the support. 

  15. Thank you for this article on marketing for an online business with Airbnb. I think you are absolutely correct about  combining your passion with your listed room on AirBnB.  It is a great way to attract business while sharing your passion! Will definately look out for this next time Im looking at accommodation options. I don’t have an airbnb, but I do affiliate marketing through blogging. I’m a part of the wealthy affiliate program and can attest how awesome the platform is. All the resources, help and inspiration you need to be successful! 

    1. Hi Sherry thanks for visiting our site and for sharing your thoughts. I think AirBnB is a great product and something like this would just enhance their offering. 

  16. In my opinion, Airbnb is one of the best affordable options for many travelers today, Also, it is a community based marketplace where local people with rooms to rent are linked with travelers looking for comfortable and inexpensive places to stay. I think this idea that you are promoting is wonderful and I would definitely make use of it if Airbnb was to make it available. I Always travel without booking any hotel thanks to Airbnb.

    1. Hi Fabio thanks for visiting Webbusinessmentor and for your feedback. Glad to hear that you will make use of such a offering if it was available. 

  17. I am also a member of Wealthy Affiliate, and it is a great platform for any business you can imagine.

    I have a dance school which I also market using their platform, and it makes life so simple when you know how to correctly place yourself on the internet to attract local traffic. Since I have had a website our enrolment each year has doubled.

    Thank you for reminding me why using Wealthy Affiliate is a great idea for both local and international online business. If one knows how to do SEO and build a website, one can conquer the world.

    1. Hi Michel 

      Thanks for visiting our page and for the positive feedback.  You are absolutely correct, once you understand how to position yourself on the internet the opportunities are endless.  And that’s what I love about WA, its such a great place to experience hands on learning in a structured and very supportive environment. All the best with your online business.

  18. I came across your blog while searching online Airbnb opportunities.  I just love your idea, I think its absolutely great and needed. I love airbnb and have been tracking how they have disrupted the accommodation world and I think this addition could add to that disruption.  Nice website, nice headline, nice written blog. I highly recommend airbnb to all my friends that are considering travelling even though some of them are a little bit expensive but I am always able to find bargains when travelling. Also thanks for introducing Wealthy Affiliate, it looks like a very nice all in one online training platform, will be trying it out.  I am your fan. Keep it up 🙂

    1. Hi Mata thank you so much for visiting our page and so glad you found the idea disruptive. Yes AirBnB is a great product and this would be one way that they can continue their innovation through creating content from their hosts.  Please let me know how you find the WA world and shout if you need any help.

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