My first booking and my first guest were actually NOT the same people, so I'll discuss both. My very first booking hasn't actually arrived yet!
I just joined AirBnB as a host in February. I live in Atlanta, and of course - we were hosting the Super Bowl, so there were a plethora of people looking for places to stay. Until then, I had no idea I could be a host and still live here. I have an amazing home, and have had dozens of roommates in the past, so that was a plus for me. I had needed a second source of income so now, AirBnB is my college fund. 🙂
In creating my listing, I included ten *excellent* photographs including the kitchen, the living room, two views of the bedroom/TV, the pool, the dining room/piano room and the exterior of the home. I emphasize "excellent" photographs because I do see a number of listings with poorly lit or poorly framed pictures. I tried to imitate the kinds of photos I see Realtors post that showcase a home.
I also included a picture of one of my cats wearing a Seahawks Superbowl Champions hat (since I was initially trying to attract Super Bowl fans). This not only displayed that I'm a football fan, but it emphasized that I have cats. I wanted to make sure that guests understood this to eliminate possible conflicts with allergies, or with children/pets who might not interact well with cats.
In my headline, I highlighted what I felt was my 'sizzle' - "Come to The Lake House - Fireplace, BBQ, & Pool". These are 'bonus' things people people want, and it implies that "I have everything you need and then some". I also made sure to go through the list and completely fill out the listing with amenities, security features, etc. Yes I provide towels, toilet paper and sheets. No I do not provide breakfast. Yes, I have free parking, yes I pay my cleaning people a living wage, etc.
In my description, I was completely honest about various things. For example, I do not feel my home is appropriate for children under 2. I do not have any of the 'childproof' things AirBnB lists as 'family' items, plus I am very short, so I keep cleaning supplies, medications, and sharp objects at levels a toddler could access. I also have a firearm on the premises (in a gun safe). I don't 'block' or 'decline' guests with small children, but I set the appropriate expectations for them to make the correct parenting decision for their children.
I also setup something AirBnB suggested, which was a 20% off offer for the first three bookings.
My first booking is a family coming to Atlanta who needed basically an extended stay type situation - they live a few hours away, and their sons are coming here for sports, so they would be going back and forth. What they actually wanted was 25 nights in a 50 night span. Since I block bookings over 28 days in length, they reached out to me three months in advance to see if I would be willing to work something out with them.
If they had booked every section (2-3 days) separately, they would have lost out on the 20% off offer plus had to pay 8 or 10 cleaning fees, multiple 'deposits' tying up their credit, and then had to be bothered with the check-in/check-out process every couple of days. We talked at length, worked out a plan, and set up three special offers so they could come and go fairly freely, still leave me some available nights when they were back home, reduce the cleaning fees and the amount of available credit AirBnB would hold for the deposit.
In a nutshell, they were attracted by my ad & the discount, but they booked because I went to the trouble to work with them.
My first actual *guest* was about 2 weeks after the Super Bowl. She was coming to town for a 4 day class, and was drawn to the picture of my piano! She asked if I'd mind if she relaxed in the evenings while playing some soft jazz. (Mind!? Please do - I would love that!)
Now not every guess needs or wants a piano, but every one of us has unique talents and possessions that might interest some kind of niche crowd. While you don't have to center your ad around it (I didn't), including a picture or two of something that interests YOU might attract a guest who chooses you because they are interested in the same.
Lastly, I'll mention that I have 100% 5 star ratings from 100% of my guests. Now, I'm new - so it's easier to bat a 1000 when you have fewer 'at bats', so one day this may change. But part of the reason for this is that I review everyone of them immediately after they check out, and then I wait a week. If they have not posted a review, I reach out to them and remind them that AirBnB offers a 14 window to review, and I would really appreciate a review from them. They have all responded positively.