In response to Airbnb’s recent Live There campaign, John Bower explains how to build a local travel guide to share with your guests.
Over the past 24 hours alone, roughly one million people have picked up the keys and opened the door to their perfect Airbnb property.
In their most recent advertising campaign, Airbnb say “when you stay in an Airbnb, you get more than a home. You get a neighborhood. The local coffee shop is yours, too. Wherever you go, you get to feel like you #LiveThere. Even if it’s just for a night.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1AtjOKph7-k
Make your guests feel at home
What makes you feel special when you stay away from home? For many, the experiences that stand out are when your host has learned about you and the things you like, and provided little touches that are personal to you.
Chip Conley, Airbnb’s global head of hospitality, says: “If you understand the guest really well, and you can actually suggest an itinerary for them, that’s customised and perfect for them, that’s as good as it gets”.
This is reflected in positive reviews. The main basis for people booking your property is how good the reviews are, even over location or cost. As Airbnb hosts, having a guest who feels appreciated means higher reviews, more bookings and a great return on your investment.
What do you need to truly get to know your guests?
- Ask questions via Airbnb’s messaging before they arrive – find out why they’re staying, what their favourite food is, the kinds of activity they are looking to do
- Search for comments they have left on other people’s listings – if they mention something specific in a positive way, consider what you can do to provide a similar experience.
- Imagine having to convince someone that where you live is the best place in the world – which 3 local places or businesses would you show them? Pro tip: Download the Pearlshare app for iOS and always have your guides on hand, whenever you need to make a recommendation.
Once you have this information, you can easily use it to make your guests experience something out of the ordinary and ensure a return customer.
The power of a personal touch
Go beyond a generalised print out to the ‘Top Ten Tourist Sites in the City’. Create a stylish, personalised guide tailored exactly to your guests specific likes and needs.
Creating a personalised guide can be done in a few simple steps. Building one with Pearlshare is easy, and only takes a few moments to set up.
Creating a Guide
Now you have some more information from your guest, combine it with your own local knowledge and match some of your favourite local places with your guests. Build and share your first guide in minutes using Pearlshare’s guide-builder – all of the details they will need to find or book each Pearl are automatically kept up-to-date, and the link can be opened on almost all modern devices.
Here are some great examples by other Airbnb hosts:
- My Copenhagen favourites
- Top 7 places in Scotland for Whisky Drinkers
- Personal favourites around Kings Cross, London
- For guests in Lorelei
- Gluten Free Restaurants in London
- Amsterdam for Cat lovers
This can then be sent as a link to your guests, and accessed at any time for use again and again. If they download the Pearlshare app, your guests can take your guides with them as they travel around your neighbourhood.
Getting started
Want to know more about Pearlshare? Start making your own Guides today on pearlshare.com/hosts or get in touch with john@pearlshare.com or follow @johnmabower.