Post by High Priestess on May 28, 2016 1:25:30 GMT
Ian shared on New Hosts Forum in June 2014
www.airbnb.com/groups/content/content-90647
Promoting/getting bookings UK
I need to fill my available dates in the next few weeks. Can any hosts in the UK suggest what they are doing to advertise their property outside of the airbnb portal.
Many thanks for any advise.
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Marianne
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Glenn
Glenn2 years ago
Hi Ian, while you are certainly welcome to ask this question, you will likely get better engagement from other hosts if you first approach the question from a perspective of staying within the platform.
You are also not doing all that bad, really. By the looks of your calendar, you are at 73% occupancy for November and 50% for December at 3-weeks out.
There's always the push to get to 100% occupancy, but sometimes higher occupancy really means lower nightlies and more work.
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ian
ian2 years ago
A perspective of staying within the platform ? What does that mean ? I'm not worried about lower nightlies nor more work. Thanks for the stats
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Serafina
Serafina2 years ago
I think what Glenn means is that since hosts here are supported by Airbnb in this forum, it's inappropriate to share information on other competing listing companies. I've tried a few of the others, but I get far more high-quality inquiries that turn into bookings through Airbnb than anywhere else.
I'm not in the UK, but I get a significant portion of my bookings through a couple of housing coordinators through different sources--visiting scholars at the University, visitors on international professional exchanges. I develop the relationships independent of Airbnb, usually in person or through email, but since I've started here, I ask those referrals to book the rental through the Airbnb service, often with a discounted Special Offer--they make a profile if they don't have one, send me an inquiry for the dates, and then I send a Special Offer with the price we've agreed upon. (I usually offer a discounted rate because of the longer stays and knowing more of what to expect from the guests.)
My advice is to market your Airbnb listing to those institutions and companies nearby who might offer housing assistance to professional visitors.
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Andrea
Andrea2 years ago
Serafina. I've thought of trying to market in a similar way as I'm in Boston and there are many Universities and conferences. I just haven't been sure how to go about getting my information to the appropriate housing people. How did you do it?
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Serafina
Serafina2 years ago
Mostly through old-fashioned networking. A mathematics center at the U that brings in hundreds of visitors a year for short-term stays is one of my best referrals. Someone introduced me to the housing coordinator there, and she forwards my listing to visitors who might be a good fit with my housing style and price range. Similarly, professional acquaintances who work for international professional organizations like IREX or Partners of the Americas or the local international center refer visitors to a number of properties in our neighborhood. They've all been great experiences, but it takes a little old-fashioned investigative work to connect to the right person. Most universities have centralized services for visitor housing, but the smaller institutes within the University with high volumes of visitors have been more steady for me. Hospitals, likewise, have housing services that help the families of people receiving treatment find nearby affordable furnished housing.
Reply Like Delete
Andrea
Andrea2 years ago
Thank you so much for these suggestions. I plan to get investigative
www.airbnb.com/groups/content/content-90647
Promoting/getting bookings UK
I need to fill my available dates in the next few weeks. Can any hosts in the UK suggest what they are doing to advertise their property outside of the airbnb portal.
Many thanks for any advise.
6 comments•2 likes
Follow
Like
ian
Marianne
Delete
Hide
Glenn
Glenn2 years ago
Hi Ian, while you are certainly welcome to ask this question, you will likely get better engagement from other hosts if you first approach the question from a perspective of staying within the platform.
You are also not doing all that bad, really. By the looks of your calendar, you are at 73% occupancy for November and 50% for December at 3-weeks out.
There's always the push to get to 100% occupancy, but sometimes higher occupancy really means lower nightlies and more work.
Reply Like 1 like Delete
ian
ian2 years ago
A perspective of staying within the platform ? What does that mean ? I'm not worried about lower nightlies nor more work. Thanks for the stats
Reply Like Delete
Serafina
Serafina2 years ago
I think what Glenn means is that since hosts here are supported by Airbnb in this forum, it's inappropriate to share information on other competing listing companies. I've tried a few of the others, but I get far more high-quality inquiries that turn into bookings through Airbnb than anywhere else.
I'm not in the UK, but I get a significant portion of my bookings through a couple of housing coordinators through different sources--visiting scholars at the University, visitors on international professional exchanges. I develop the relationships independent of Airbnb, usually in person or through email, but since I've started here, I ask those referrals to book the rental through the Airbnb service, often with a discounted Special Offer--they make a profile if they don't have one, send me an inquiry for the dates, and then I send a Special Offer with the price we've agreed upon. (I usually offer a discounted rate because of the longer stays and knowing more of what to expect from the guests.)
My advice is to market your Airbnb listing to those institutions and companies nearby who might offer housing assistance to professional visitors.
Reply Like Delete
Andrea
Andrea2 years ago
Serafina. I've thought of trying to market in a similar way as I'm in Boston and there are many Universities and conferences. I just haven't been sure how to go about getting my information to the appropriate housing people. How did you do it?
Reply Like Delete
Serafina
Serafina2 years ago
Mostly through old-fashioned networking. A mathematics center at the U that brings in hundreds of visitors a year for short-term stays is one of my best referrals. Someone introduced me to the housing coordinator there, and she forwards my listing to visitors who might be a good fit with my housing style and price range. Similarly, professional acquaintances who work for international professional organizations like IREX or Partners of the Americas or the local international center refer visitors to a number of properties in our neighborhood. They've all been great experiences, but it takes a little old-fashioned investigative work to connect to the right person. Most universities have centralized services for visitor housing, but the smaller institutes within the University with high volumes of visitors have been more steady for me. Hospitals, likewise, have housing services that help the families of people receiving treatment find nearby affordable furnished housing.
Reply Like Delete
Andrea
Andrea2 years ago
Thank you so much for these suggestions. I plan to get investigative
