My Number One Tip that will Help you get More Bookings

[Lilian20]

In low or mid season, when accommodation offers exceed demand, you need your listing to stand out.

You already know that the title of your listing will make a difference as well as the number of comments.. but that's not what my number one tip is about. It's about the cover picture and what you can do with it to get more attention from guests and more bookings. 

 1) Get Gimp (cool software like Photoshop which is free and safe to download from http://www.gimp.org/ ) 

 2) Open the picture that you use as a cover pic.

 3) Add a bit of color and a very simple message such as  " WIFI " or " SEAVIEW " 

 4) Export as .JPG file. 

 5) Load in airbnb. 

Try it, you will have fun making your cover picture better as I have done here : 

https://www.airbnb.fr/rooms/14316022

or here : 

https://www.airbnb.fr/rooms/7195521

You can also put two pictures in one as I have done here : 

https://www.airbnb.fr/rooms/12043937

You may not be impressed so far but the ads with a special message and a bit of color on the cover picture really stand out in the search results.

See how the above listings look in this search results page : 

https://www.airbnb.fr/s?host_id=29330043 

Your turn !  

Show me your style, post a link to your listing in this conversation to show how you have handled your cover pic. I am looking forward to see how you do it. 

[Gina-And-Jose-0]

I did travel the world, for 40 years , lived in a Pan American World Airways airplane or hotel, Airbnb did not exist.  We have been doing Work Away and HelpX for some years now, 99% successfully, but they compete to be confirmed with us not the opposite.  We are very caucious and seriously vet all requests from Airbnb, to stay in our personal home.  Vast difference from stays in a hotel or hostile with impersonal employees at the front desk, hired security gurads in the property and no personal posessions of the owners there avaialble and used by the guests.   Someone commented that ''this is a business '' and sure it is but not enough money involved to turn yourself inside out for.   Somehow I am seeing guests who when renting 1 room seem to think they are renting the entire house and garden.  I was a guest on 2 Airbnb trips myself and one was just ok, while the other one was terrible.  Both looked good before I got there but the reality was different.  I have serious reservations that this program is for us either way, host or guest.  My jury is still out on this .  I am listening and learning , here for the first time.  

[Rhona0]

The text would make your photo stand out. I remember seeing a listing with a video with text in it. The man was a tv producer and I thought how cool to put text onto your photos like that. But he used his property for a tv program and he put the actual video on his listing. 

So Airbnb has an option to use video - and this is something I would like to add to my listing.

I'm sure this is "legal".

[Marat0]

Firstly, Thank you for this tip!

I believe it's a great idea and I changed my cover photo about 5 days ago. Now I notice in my Stat that number of views decreased last days. Almost no views, even for week-ends. I don't know what is the real reason. At the same time I declined one booking request, but it was reasonable. Guests wanted to make movie at my apartment. I need to respect my neihgbours and  I believe it would be quite noisy. So I declined it. It has been first time since I started to host. My listing looks like this in the search

https://www.airbnb.ca/s/longueuil/homes?adults=4&checkin=2017-04-02&checkout=2017-04-06&guests=4&all...

https://www.airbnb.ca/rooms/14470657

What's wrong with my title photo? I'll appreciate any ideas.

P.S.: sorry for my english. it's not my native language.

[Gina-And-Jose-0]

Marat,  I am the last person to offer any suggestions but on a personal basis, a bed is a bed.  If I was looking the fireworks would catch my attention and I'd stop to have a look at that then also the other photos athat you have posted.  Looks very nice by the way, really good.   If I were coming your way, Id book with you.   f y i   I never Never accept any booking until I find out why, what, and etc about the gurests.  I am admant - no smoking, no drinking, no noise at night, and if my requirements are not ok,  that is ok by me.  TRy the fireworks photo and see how it goes.  I would be interested to know.  (your English is fine)  Gina 

[Marat0]

@Gina-And-Jose-0 I think it's a good idea. When there are some big events in our area, I'll put a photo of this event like my title photo. Thank you for your advice. 

[Lawrene0]

I love what you did with the photo, @Marat0. It really does stand out in a search. No idea why your views went down - they do sometimes. 

It was very smart of you to turn down the filmmakers. There is a reason that film set-scouting listings charge $1,000 a day. Movie-making is very invasive and disruptive. 

It looks like you are doing everything right (with the help of @Lilian20!) Hope things pick up for you!

[Marat0]

@Lawrene0 It's really strange. May be it's just coincidence and there is a low demand period ... By the way last 2 weeks was very snowy here. I have only guesses)  Thanks for support!  

[Lilian20]

is it getting better ? 

[Lilian20]

Hi @Rhona0 that sounds great - will dig into this to see what opportunities are available. 

As far as i know, the only place where one can post a video is the profile page.

[Lizzie]

Hello everyone,

As I mentioned earlier in this thread it is fantastic to see you sharing a tip here in the CC @Lilian20.

Thanks to those of your who have asked me about this, unfortunately I would discourage adding any text to your photos, as the system may flag this on your profile. 

I would like to thank you again @Lilian20 for sharing a tip here, and please do continue to share any other gems you have. 🙂

Thanks,

Lizzie

[Gina-And-Jose-0]

THIS was in the newspapre also on t.v. and on the internet that the commissioners met with the Miami Mayor and voted 3/2 aginast Airbnb.  Now NOW  I just received a recorded phone call saying how dangerous, wrong, damaging to the community and how awful Airbnb is for  Florida.  The call offered to transfer my to my State Senator to ask him to vote against Airbnb / home rentlals so I got transferred.   Of course, I spent half an hour explaining to the staff that this is terrible wrong, that Airbnb is wonderful, responsible and very safe and that we as home owners have the right to use our homes as we chose so long as we are not engagned in any illegal activities.   And so on.  

My Burning Question here is  WHAT IS AIRBNB DOING TO COUNTER THIS ATTACK THAT IS TRYING TO MAKE AIRBNB ILLEGAN HERE ?   

[Joan107]

Guest need to know the size of beds when viewing possible places to stay.  My husband is very tall and a double or even a queen are not always comfortable.  So it would be very helpful when beds are listed to always give their sizes.

[Lilian20]

Hello @Joan107 

That's a good tip to get more bookings from tall people !