Airbnb entered the realm of holiday lettings in 2009, but it wasn’t until 2016 that it really started to gain traction – around the time it became an official alternative accommodation partner for the Olympics. 

It’s now suggested that a whopping 150m people use Airbnb to book breaks and over one billion have stayed within an Airbnb listed property.

Whilst on face value this seems attractive to those renting out their properties as holiday lets, as users grow, so does competition. According to Moneyfacts the number of holiday let mortgages doubled in 2021. What’s more, Atlus Group found in England alone, that 11,000 people had turned their properties into holiday lets in the same year. This can be evidenced in the number of listings now active on Airbnb, which according to the latest data has increased to 5.6m worldwide.

So, with so much competition now facing holiday let landlords through their go to platform, where else should they be marketing their properties? Simple; social media.

Why Social Media?

Social media has changed. It’s no longer just an outlet for connecting with family and friends, it’s fast becoming one of the best ways for individuals and brands to sell. 

Social media has also become a huge part of the buyer journey. In a recent HubSpot report 47 per cent of people said they do their research on a company through social media. Social media has also been found to be a hotspot for holiday searchers, so much so that a WeSwap report found 23 per cent of UK adults will search for their desired holiday destination on social media. And, in a recent study, 18 per cent of respondents said they had booked a holiday solely because of what they have seen on social media.

Need further justification?

The average person spends almost two and a half hours a day on social media. With that many eyes on platforms, it’s apparent that social media is a honey pot for businesses to generate profit – holiday lets included. 

Where to start – Instagram and Facebook first

When looking to utilise social media for your holiday rental, the two platforms likely to bring you the most success are Facebook and Instagram. 

Facebook has excellent shareability. Friends of people who interact with your post can also have your content appear on their feed, giving your holiday rental even more exposure. Facebook can also act as a first point of contact for businesses, due to its messenger feature. 

Instagram on the other hand, is much more visual. Due to the main component of posts being pictures or video, Instagram users are most attracted to what’s aesthetically pleasing. It is worth remembering when you are uploading photos to Instagram that ensure they look good ‘on the grid’. This means images that look cohesive amongst your other posts on your profile.

Research by Schofields shows that 40 per cent of those under 33 choose their next holiday location based on its ‘instagrammability’, which is how photogenic places look, so that visitors can capture it themselves. Your account should therefore highlight that ‘instagrammable’ aspect of your property. Perhaps you could showcase the eye-catching decor of your property, the surrounding area, or even the views from the window? 

Social Proof

The fact is people like to do and visit what is on trend, meaning if more people are seen visiting your property, the more people will want to book in, thus helping to generate more profit.   

Business pages on Facebook, for example, allow for people to rate your business and leave reviews, demonstrating to others how welcoming and hospitable your rental is, thus persuading more people to book. 

Encouraging visitors to tag your profile in their own photos too during their stay also allows more people to see an authentic side of your property. 

Community focus

Posting on social media helps to show you are more than a holiday rental, but an integral part of a community. As part of the community, you can support their stay by recommending local attractions to see and do. 

Giving a shout out to local businesses that are adored within the community could be another pull for potential guests. For example, do you have a local bakery that serves the perfect Sunday morning pastry? Tell the world that they need to visit!

You should also remember to mention what events are happening in the area. From Christmas markets to ‘back in time’ weekenders, people visiting these events may be looking for the perfect place to stay. By mentioning the events, not only are you highlighting what’s happening in your area, but you are making it easier for people attending to find you.

Competitions

Competitions on social media can be one of the fastest ways to grow your social media audience. The typical format of social media competitions usually involves the person having to like, share the post and follow your account to be entered. People want nothing more than a free getaway, so the likelihood of entries is strong. Every person that enters the competition is sharing your account with their own followers or friends – that kind of exposure is hard to replicate.

Think you don’t have time? Automate

Consistently posting on social media can be hard to keep up with. Being able to think of ideas that are both original and likely to increase engagement can be challenging, but there are ways to help you. Using scheduling tools and dedicated social media software can drastically free up your time.

Not only can tools post your content for you at your desired date and time, but some like SocialSendr can also recommend and even generate targeted content for you, making social media not only a walk in the park, but a core part of your profit generation. 

Solely posting on Airbnb might be appealing to you because social media is new to you, or too time-consuming to keep up with, but Airbnb is just one factor that helps generate profit and investing in social media is a no brainer.

*Michelle Cowan is founder of SocialSendr and a current Holiday Let Landlord*