Travelers these days are always looking for a deal, and as a travel agent, they’re looking to you to provide them with the best one possible. Over the past few years, Airbnb has positioned itself as a bona fide brand in the lodging and hospitality industry. The reason for this is simple: It has high expectations of its hosts and listens to user feedback.
More and more travelers are thinking of Airbnb first when deciding how to book for their travel needs. They’re looking to be more frugal on what they spend on accommodations, so they can afford to visit more exciting destinations. Literally everywhere people travel seems to have Airbnb options available, and that leaves you with a huge opportunity: start a blog around Airbnb with a focus on specific destinations.
Now that I’ve put the idea in your head, I’m going to give you some advice on how to get the project off the ground and ensure that you deliver good content to your readers every time. These five strategies can all be used in the same blog and all target a broad range of travelers. Experiment with different themes, such as luxury destinations or popular budget destinations in Europe, with a heavy emphasis on saving money with Airbnbs.
1. Feature Several Properties in Your Post
Choose a destination and start doing some homework. Look at the Airbnbs in a reasonable radius, and select a few to highlight as affordable options for overnight stays. Take particular note of properties that offer extended stays; these are the kinds of properties you want to reference since most leisure travelers are looking to stay for more than a night.
There are several ways to feature specific properties in a blog post:
Feature them in a section about alternative accommodations — Compare and contrast Airbnbs with traditional lodging options that feature similar amenities.
Highlight them in conjunction with a specific attraction or activity — Suggest Airbnbs that are closest to the center of town, beach, boardwalk, or popular tourist attractions as more affordable options for budget travelers.
Do an “affordable dream getaways” post — Create a list post of interesting destinations (“Top 10 European Destinations for Budget Travelers,” for example). Feature one luxury Airbnb that can be had on the cheap for each.
2. Spotlight Affordability
If your agency exclusively serves a more upscale clientele, go ahead and skip to number 3. This one is for the rest of us. In some parts of the world, you can find palatial accommodations via Airbnb for the price of a one-night stay where they “leave the light on for ya.” Younger travelers are getting more acclimated to looking for Airbnb deals, but it might not be on the radar of someone who has been booking traditional accommodations for years.
Show people how much they can get for their money when they use Airbnb, and mention that they can afford a few extras with the money they’ll save. Helping people experience more from their vacation is always a welcome theme in travel blogging, and it shows your commitment to arranging the best possible trip.
3. Spotlight Amenities
You can also develop blog posts that compare Airbnbs in a specific destination area and how they deliver popular amenities. Titles might follow some of these themes (destinations are for example only):
• Top 10 Airbnbs in Vegas with In-Ground Pools
• Top 10 Airbnb Properties for Experiencing Austin’s Nightlife
• Top 10 Airbnbs for Kids in Key West
• Top 10 Albuquerque Airbnbs with Pet Amenities
4. Keep the Focus Relevant
I touched on this one a little bit a few paragraphs up, but I wanted to get a little more into it. This can be a tricky one to pull off because, of course, you don’t want to dissuade people from booking a more expensive room if they can afford it, right? This is why defining your audience is so important. You might even consider running separate blogs for separate demographics and develop content for each that attracts those specific audiences.
You could, for example, develop two blog posts about Toronto — one that spotlights luxury accommodations and one that focuses on Airbnbs. However, posts with those kinds of drastic shifts belong in separate blogs. Don’t just throw content at your audience; present quality content that matters to the people reading it. Fun fact: In some cases, the Airbnb is the luxury accommodation.
5. Promote a Property Directly
You could reach out to hosts in a specific destination area directly and ask if you can run a piece on their property. Include interesting details about the property, the hosts, and the destination area where they operate. This is a fantastic way to network in a certain destination area and form some valuable relationships with a few good hosts. Keep them busy, and they’ll be happy to work with you long-term.
6. Putting It All Together
Travel industry content marketing can be a tough market. It takes competent, engaging messaging to build and hold any audience, but in this niche that isn’t easy to deliver. Most travel copy is peppered with hyperbole and lofty adjectives that people stopped paying attention to years ago. Today’s audiences demand engaging content, and that is what we deliver at BeezContent. If you need help building a new travel blog or resurrecting your current one, feel free to contact us for a little help and advice.
