Do you Instagram your Airbnb?

[Maxine33]

I have noticed a major shift in the demographics of my guests and have started an Instagram account to connect with people. I am not very well versed in the Insta-world and was hoping for a little feedback.  Have you found one topic is better than another?  What are your most commented posts? Do you find your Instagram account has helped boost your bookings? Are you using any other social media?

You can find me at https://www.instagram.com/charminglycharleston/ and I would love any feedback you might have.

If anyone would like to  mutually follow and interact, I would love to do that too.  It does not matter if we are on opposite sides of the globe.  

I have also noticed @Airbnb  posting listings on their Instagram... does anyone know what you have to do to get featured there?

Thanks a bundle, Maxine

[Lawrene0]

It's a good idea, @Maxine33 , according to the consultants who are hired by our municipality every once in awhile to tell us how to market our places. Yours looks very nice. I did that thing with mine early on where you split a big photo into tiles, but it is annoying in that you have to post three new photos at a time, every time you post, to keep it positioned correctly. 

You've got all the hashtags in there, and quotes from nice reviews. On mine, I repost the photos of guests, with their permission, which is fun. Harder these days, because with self-check-in and -out and no coming to the house for breakfast, we don't chat, so although I suggest a hashtag for our place in the house manual, it doesn't get used.

I haven't been going hard at Instagram for the treehouse, because we are pandemically popular right now, but you have reminded me that I shouldn't let it slide. 

Followed you. 

[Lisa723]

@Maxine33 I do, but I'm not convinced it's led to a lot of bookings. I'm mostly followed by other STRs I think. We've been featured by Vrbo a few times, but never Airbnb, so I can't tell you the secret to that.

Followed you from:

https://www.instagram.com/lelandlakehouse/

[Maxine33]

@Lisa723 Thanks, I followed you too.  You have some great photos... it gives me some good ideas.  I am not young and cute anymore so I am not sure how to get cute people in my pictures but I do have a dog that is photogenic! 

[Lisa723]

@Maxine33 Haha be assured none of the young and cute on my feed is me! They are guests and/or offspring. 🙂

[Maxine33]

Haha... that is the hardest thing about instagram it seems!  Everyone is young and cute.  I just want to show pictures of my house!  But I did put up to today of Charleston. 🙂  How do you get your guests to interact with you?

[Lisa723]

@Maxine33 we have small laminated notes on the fridges inviting them to tag us, and in our check-out message we invite them to send us any photos of their stay that they'd like to. I'd say maybe one in ten does, but those that do tend to have pretty good shots. I always ask permission before posting, of course.

[Maxine33]

@Lisa723 I like the laminated notes idea!  Do they just say "Instagram me"?  Could you share a picture?

[Lisa723]

@Maxine33 I don't have a picture; they're about index-card size with little graphics of a canoe and a fishing pole and say "Follow/like/tag us on Facebook and Instagram!" with our ids.

[Lisa723]

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[Anna9170]

I have an instagram of my apartment, but it is an addition to my personal insta profile, which has many subscribers, and so I can "promote" my apartment. In the link in my profile is my Airbnb account, I prefer to solve all issues officially. 

Now my insta profile is almost inactive, because I have Russian subscribers, and in the situation of closing the borders it is not relevant, unfortunately, hugely.

ps. Instagram is one of the most effective social networks now, but you need to be able to communicate there and have your own electorate. Informal language is very welcome, before making a formal account there I advise you to spend time on studying it, maybe you will like the style of some presenters and you will understand your way.

[Maxine33]

I am up to 37 followers, I guess that is not terrible for three days but I hope to hit 100 soon!  I did message @Airbnb  about being featured but I did not hear back.  

[Kelly149]

We do. 
IG: monogrampropertyservices

#realtexasbarn 

havent seen much guest traffic from it but we also have postcards & business cards in the space inviting them to tag us. 
my favorite guests are moms with kids, teenagers & grands. Not sure how much of an IG demographic they are. And frankly I’m not super good at IG either, see above. 

[Maxine33]

Hi @Kelly149 I like your place!  I love your snail mail cards.  I did not realize Airbnb released people's  home addresses.  I am going to borrow that idea if you do not mind. 🙂

PS. I followed you. 

[Lisa723]

@Maxine33 Airbnb does not release home addresses.