Social media tips for vacation rentals

You’ve taken phenomenal vacation rental photos, written a compelling listing description, and posted it for the world to see (and book) on Airbnb and Vrbo. Now what? You can sit back and hope you stand out from the competition on those channels. Or, you can take a proactive approach to get more eyes on your vacation rental on your own.

One smart way to do that is to market your vacation rental on social media. Not only is it free advertising, it’s a simple way to interact with potential and past guests who are already online looking for travel inspiration.

Tips for vacation home owners new to social media

We turned to Roman Anisimov, Vacasa’s social media manager—who oversees our social media and engages with our followers daily on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter—for some inspiration. His recommendations for social media beginners:

• Have a content strategy right from the start to guide your social media routine. This can be as simple as “post daily about unique amenities, local attractions, and guest reviews.”
• Start off with one or two social media sites. “Facebook and Instagram are generally great platforms to start with due to the vast audience on each platform,” he advises.
• While there’s no magic formula for how often you should post to social media, posting once per day is optimal. “Don’t forget—quality versus quantity plays an important role,” says Roman. “So, think about what information your audience craves.”

1. Repurpose a guest review

Whose opinions have the most influence on potential guests? Past guests. Their vacation photo sitting by your pool and the review they left behind can have a big impact on another traveler’s decisions. Some ways to repurpose guest reviews:

• Pull out vivid quotes that paint a picture of their experience. Check out this quote from a Vacasa guest who stayed in a Seattle vacation home: “It was just so homey. It felt like the exact kind of place that three generations would gather for a magical Christmas morning.” Who wouldn’t be intrigued?
• Repost the photos your guests shared on their own social media accounts. These are much easier to find if you ask guests ahead of time to tag your vacation rental in their posts. Make sure you have their permission to repost too.

2. Capture the guest experience with unique photos and video

Social media is highly visual—and authentic. So don’t simply post the same property photos over and over. Instead, focus on the experience and special moments that guests can have at your vacation rental and the amenities that make it happen.

Show them what vacation looks like at your home (and the surrounding area). You might even consider setting up a photoshoot with family and friends to act as mock guests. Some ideas for photo and video content:

• Roasting s’mores by the firepit
• Drinking a mai tai out on your lanai
• Playing ping pong in the game room
• Making family dinners
• Hiking nearby trails
• Playing at the beach
• Enjoying a nearby attraction

3. Launch a contest or giveaway

Nothing thrills travelers more than winning a free vacation. Offering a chance to win a stay at your vacation rental is a great way to get more visibility and attract new followers. First, make sure to follow Facebook and Instagram’s rules on running promotions and giveaways. Then, make it immersive and think of creative ways for people to participate.

Some ideas:

• Ask people to nominate someone who they think deserves a getaway.
• Make your prize even bigger and better by partnering with a location attraction or restaurant. You’ll also get greater reach and access to new audiences.
• Ask followers to caption a photo of your property.
• Ask fun trivia questions about your destination.

4. Run an interactive survey

People love to have their say. Use surveys and polls to let them do so. The added bonus: You can get insight into what people like. For instance, you can ask for advice on what amenity to invest in next: hot tub or outdoor fire pit? Or, find out which activities draw people to your destination the most: hiking or fishing?

Surveys should be quick and easy for people to answer—one or two questions, tops. This also doesn’t have to be complicated. Ask users to vote by leaving a comment or create an Instagram Stories poll.

5. Partner with a social media influencer

Put simply, an influencer is someone who influences. On social media, influencers are users who consistently create content and have a dedicated audience who know and trust them. Partnering with an influencer is a great way to get endorsements.

An agreement with an influencer usually involves hosting a 2–3 night stay in exchange for content. The influencer should agree to do a good mix of photo and video assets (for example, 10 photos and 2 videos) that they’ll share with their audience and you can reuse for your own marketing.

Before partnering up on anything, though, make sure you thoroughly research the influencer. How big is their audience? How engaged are they with their followers? “Audience size is important, but engagement is vital,” Roman says. “Someone with a small audience can still have a strong impact on their followers’ decisions.”

6. Use trending hashtags and holidays

Keep your social media channels relevant and up to date. Stay on top of which hashtags are trending at the time, especially in your destination. (Search your location’s name in Instagram to find out which hashtags are most popular.)

Holidays are another way to tie in related content from time to time. Think beyond national holidays—there are days that celebrate all things imaginable. For National Pie Day (January 23rd, if you’re wondering), give a shout out to your favorite local pie spots. On National Lazy Day (August 10), show guests all the ways they can kick back at your vacation home.

Travelers are already on social media looking for inspiration for upcoming getaways. By joining them there, you can interact with future guests directly and get more exposure for your vacation rental. Use Roman’s tips to create a steady flow of content that will keep your vacation home top of mind, while keeping your audience interested and engaged.