Back to: Essential Beginners Guide To Airbnb
Marketing your Airbnb can get tricky, especially if you’re not very familiar with how to do it properly. There are many things you need to do in order to market your property well, but one of the first things you’d have to do is put up photos of your Airbnb. People will need to see what they’re renting out, after all. Having good photographs is a sure way for you to promote your property, but it all has to be done right. Otherwise, your photos might end up hurting you more in the long run.
Photo Goals
It takes more than just looking good—your photos have to evoke a desire in your potential clients to book. That’s the ultimate goal, really. For your photos in particular, you want them to be as inviting as possible. These photos need to reflect what guests will be getting with a stay at your property. Your pictures have to stand out among all the thousands of pictures of other properties out there, especially against the properties in your area. To get you where you need to be, you’ll need to make sure you follow a few simple photographic tips.
Airbnb Photography
When it comes to photographing vacation rentals, you have to deliver a bit more authenticity. Remember that you’re not just selling a rental with Airbnb; you’re selling an entire experience. Most Airbnb clients are aware that not all properties are perfect, and this is perfectly okay with most. Little blemishes will not scare off your clients as along as you have something solid to offer. You don’t want to embellish your photos so much that your clients get extremely disappointed when they actually see your property. You wouldn’t want the bad reviews piling up. And when clients get let down, they definitely bring on the low star ratings.
Highlighting Features
In order to show off your property well on Airbnb, you need to highlight its best features. If you have the comfiest beds in the area, make sure you get them in a photo. If you have plenty of private backyard space, get that in a photo as well. You want to capture all the best parts of your property, but at the same time, you also need to capture the important parts. How many bedrooms and bathrooms are there? What appliances do you offer in the kitchen? Do you have a cozy fireplace? Put yourself in your clients’ shoes and figure out what they would like to see.
All in the Details
Apart from highlighting your property’s best features, you also need to pay attention to the smallest details. If you have a stunning view, make sure you open the blinds before you take photos. Turn on all the lights even in the daytime; it helps paint a picture of your property. Put the toilet seat down and the messes away; no one wants to see those. If you can, use props for your photoshoot. Put up a table setting if you can. Light the fireplace if you have it. All of these little details will set up the ambience for your property to sell.
Number of Photos
If you’ve ever shopped for anything online, you know how disappointing it is to only find one or two pictures of the item you’re trying to purchase. The same thing applies when clients are trying to find a vacation rental property. One or two pictures will definitely not cut it. Five pictures are still out of the question. Even 10 pictures are just not enough. Experts recommend that you have about 25 pictures uploaded, and they all have to be good and informative photos. You want your cover photo to be the best photo of the property. You also need to include at least one photo of the exterior of the property. Guests need to know how the Airbnb looks like when they arrive.
Taking the Photo
Once you’re ready to take photos of your Airbnb, try not to use your phone camera as much as possible. If you have a DSLR camera or know someone who does, borrow it and use it. The higher the resolution of your pictures, the better they’ll be when viewed online. Use a tripod if you can to keep your photos as steady and as clear as possible, and make sure that you have ample light. You want to upload bright and warm photos. If you only have a smartphone camera to work with, do your best to take good shots. These photos will suffice in the meantime. However, you should try to replace them with more professional looking shots in the future.
Seasonal Photos
This part is especially important for areas that go through the seasons every year. If you’re promoting your property during the summer months, it might be ideal to highlight all the best parts of the warmer season. If you have a pool to offer, keep it in the photos. During the winter months, it would make sense to have photos that depict the property during the wintertime. Fireplace shots would be great. Snowy backgrounds would be appropriate as well. The goal is to depict the property as guests should come to expect it—nothing more and nothing too less. Potential clients looking to rent an Airbnb in your area should already be aware of the local weather. It would be helpful for you to be as updated as possible with the seasons.
When to Hire a Pro
You should know what your photography skills are. While it might save you a little bit of money to do photos yourself, it’ll hurt you in the long run if you have absolutely no skill whatsoever. It’s a good thing to practice and learn as you go, but a little investment in hiring a pro can be the game changer for you. It can mean the difference between having constant bookings and having none at all. Pictures really do say a thousand words; and when it comes to promoting your Airbnb, a few thousand words in a few pictures are absolutely irreplaceable.
See some more photography tips on our blog.
