Special offers for quiet weeks

[Valentina32]

Hi, does anyone have some tips on how to promote my listing for a period for which I don't have many bookings?

I have already applied a discount (which I understand should put my listing amongst the first options if a potential guest is searching), is there anything else I should be doing (i.e. change the title to something like ( @Special offer for.....)?

thanks!

Valentina

[Dave-and-Deb0]

Hi @Valentina32,

Making your prices lower than others will not necessarily move you up in the rankings.  I also notice that you do not offer weekly or monthly discounts.  What you could do is offer a discount within your description of your listing and then when people send an inquiry, you can send a special offer.  You can also put something in the title like "25% off in May".

[Valentina32]

Thank you very much for your feedback! True, I generally do not offer weekly discounts because I rent on a weekly basis only, apart from quiet times like this one where I would rent for less than a week. I will take your suggestion and put the discount wording in the title and then send a special offer when someone enquires.

Thanks again!

Valentina

[Matt26]

@Valentina32 Air BnB doesn't fully explain how to rise in search rankings, but I've noticed a few things that seem to help because whenever I do them, I get a request shortly after.  Here's what I do regularly:

- If you don't have smartpricing, go in and update the pricing on your calendar at least daily. Usually I go in a couple times a day.

- Block / Unblock dates on your calendar.

- Make sure every single part of your listing is complete (description, emergency proceedures, etc) and occasionally change them (minor edits, whatever).

- Change a picture or two. I'm always tweaking the way I prep for guests, so occasionally I'll take a picture of some new thing I'm doing (my most recent was changing the way I display towels in the bathroom).

- Get verified photos if you don't already have them.

- Do search queries using an incognito browser to see what listings are coming up first then review the listings to see if they have any keywords you can use for your listing.

By far the most effective trick is updating the price and availability of your listing. 

(If you thought my response was useful give it a thumbs up!)

[Valentina32]

Thanks Matt!

[Nora-and-Hajni0]

It really works. We are doing this for day 1. 

The thing that helped most, is following the pricing suggestions. 

The other very important thing is, to get the app on your cellphone, and respond within 5 minutes! 

Your future guest is ready to book: while he is waiting, keeps clicking around, and might see something else!

[Alisha-And-David0]

@Nora-and-Hajni0 WHat do you mean "We are doing this for day 1?"

[Nora-and-Hajni0]

It is hard to accept the Airbnb recommended prices, because they are ridiculously low, but when we had no feedbacks from guests, no experience, the low price is the only thing that will attract a guest.
After all, they are coming from far away, for their vacation, and they they don't know what to expect.

We have a base price, ut we go on the calendar every day, and change prices. May be not the whole month, but most of it.

The recommended prices in the morning are lower, than the evening.
I just put in the comments, that we follow the pricing guide based on travel trends. Airlines and hotels do it all the times too.
So far, so good, we got 5 feedbacks from guest in the first 5 weeks, all 5 stars.

Other pricing strategy: accept 1-2 reservation/month for a lower rate, than rise the pice a little.

Existing reservations show to travelers, that your place is desirable at that price 🙂

Hajni

[Scott-and-Sherryn0]

If you followed airbnb's price suggestions you would go broke 😄

[Robin-Mark0]

Thnaks for sharing Matt 🙂

[Alisha-And-David0]

@Matt26 I'm having this same issue.  Are you saying you do reccommend following the smart pricing and setting our prices accordingly  (do you change your base price too)?  I've noticed the smart pricing is way lower than most rent out for around here.  This is the only time my place has been vacant for a longer period of time since June.  What do you mean block/unblock dates on your calendar?  If all are available do you mean that just blocking days and quickly unblocking them seems to rise the ranking?  How do you get verified photos or know if your photos are verified?  

Key words?  I didn't know you could search on airbnb using keywords?  How do you do that?  I just see where you type in where you want to go, not a key word type in.  Please coach me!  We rely on this income and these down days are killing us.  HA!  Thanks! 🙂

[Nora-and-Hajni0]

@Alisha-And-David0 
1.  I just looked up a professional local photographer on the internet.

2.  I do change to base price too, to raise interest, and I price 1-2 weekdays (usually Wed-Thur.) accordingly.

3.  Smart price is a killer yes, but no reservation kills me more, LOL
      After all, I have the cleaning fee to recover some.

4.  I also seen hosts price it low for 2, (we are talking about houses for 6-8, like mine) and ask additional $10-20/person for additional guests. I prefer not to do that, but it might make sense in high demand cities, to control high prices.

Hajni

[Matt26]

@Alisha-And-David0 From my experience, search rankings seem to be related to how active a listing is, so the more active the higher it goes in search (continuously updated calendar, quick response to guest inquiries, etc.)

I don't have smart pricing on my listing for some reason, despite being a superhost. All I have is the ABNB recommend prices. Twice daily I go in and see what my recommended prices are and then I accept them all. Right after I go back and alter anything lower than my current minimum (which is currently $80/night, plus $65 in cleaning fees and $25 per extra guest after 1). 

Usually I'm unblocking dates that I'd previously thought I didnt want to rent, but my personal plans change and my place becomes available. I almost always get a booking within 24 hours of unblocking a month (and not necessarily in the month I unblock), my calendar is always blocked off completely for anything more than 3 months away - i.e. I'll unblock August in a few days.   Occasionally I'll block off specific nights (usually early in the week) and then the next day unblock them and make them available; I do this very rarely. 

Here's how you get ABNB to send a professional photographer to take photos for you free of charge: https://www.airbnb.ca/help/article/297/where-can-i-learn-more-about-airbnb-s-professional-photograph...

And after doing all this, I closely monitor my views on the stats page and adjust according to what I'm seeing.

(If you found my response helpful, give it a thumbs up!)

[Mike59]

Yeah I go into the calendar and put the price down or block and unblock dates saving each time. Helps with the rankings.
Also if you have a cancellation you go up in the rankings.
(Please like if helpful)

Thanks 😉

Mike

[Ana7]

@Mike59 what do you mean "if you have cancelation, you go up in rankings"? Shouldn't it be the other way round? or is it just for cases when the guest makes the cancelation?