While there are seemingly endless amounts of social media platforms, Meta (or still often referred to as Facebook) continues to have 2.1 billion daily users. This type of engagement isn’t something that can be ignored by short-term rental hosts. This blog post walks you through everything you need to know about how to use Facebook to drive direct bookings to your vacation rentals.

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Is Facebook still important?

As much as some people would like to move on from Facebook, one simply can’t ignore it. It’s not just a place where your mom posts pictures of the grandkids. It’s truly become a central hub where people search for their next vacation inspo. As a host, you want your vacation rental front and center of that prospective guest’s search.

Meta offers its own set of advertising opportunities. Users can use these tools to run ads, engage in groups, and even set up a page that leads to their direct booking website. More direct bookings mean more money in your pocket.

How to set up your Facebook page for vacation rentals

First things first: set up a Facebook Business Page. People need a place to click on when they see your ad come up, and this is it.

Tips for creating a business page

• Pick a name that really stands out from the crowd. You want to highlight who you are and what you offer, which are great starting points.
• Complete your “About” section. Here is where you’ll include all the important info like your location, amenities, etc.
• Have a call to action button. This is typically something that says “Book now” or “Contact us” so browsing eyes are encouraged to interact with you right then and there.
• Have messaging turned on. This allows guests who may have a question to send you a direct message.

In all of this, be sure to maintain a level of professionalism. Your Facebook page is part of your business strategy, and you want to appear as professional as possible across all platforms.

Learn to use Facebook groups

Facebook groups are an important element of advertising your property. They’re basically curated discussion groups that users can choose to join to ask questions, find insperation, and make connections. As a host, they’re a great opportunity to share info about your home in a meaninful way. Remember, you don’t want to be marked as spam. You’re going to want to be thoughtful in how you approach engaging with these groups so you’re not just spamming people with pleas to book your rental.

How to use Facebook groups

• Join local travel or vacation-focused groups relevant to your property’s location.
• Share helpful tips about the area, such as local attractions, dining options, or weather updates, alongside showcasing your rental. These type of pro tips help you establish credability as a local expert that guests want to engage with.
• Avoid being overly promotional; instead, focus on providing value to the group while subtly highlighting your property.

How to get more visibility with Facebook Ads

Meta allows you to specifically target certain demographics of guests with Facebook ads. This can be by age, interest, location, etc. This feature helps you curate your ads to folks who are most of your target audience.

How to create Facebook Ads

• Use Facebook’s ad manager to specify who you want your ads to reach. Think about how old your travelers usually are and where they come from.
• Be sure to use the best photos possible in these ads. They need to be so great that people stop scrolling when it pops up in their feed.
• Add a clear message that will encourage guests to act. This should be something like “Save 10% when you book directly with us”.
• Lastly, be sure to pay attention to how your ads are doing. You can do this by checking in on your Facebook analytics dashboard. See what ads are working and which aren’t by tracking their engagement. When you see something working, adjust the less successful ads to be similar.

How to build engagement through organic content

In the age of paid media, earning trust through authentic experiences is one of the biggest keys to success. Your Facebook business page can offer a real, authentic, behind-the-scenes look at your experience.

• Include guest testimonials on your page. You can easily do this with a simple design on Canva that includes an image of your home alongside a direct quote.
• Highlight your seasonal promotions. If November is a slow season for you, share your upcoming deals and incentives for last-minute offers on your page.
• Prove you’re a local expert by showcasing what’s around your property. If there’s a cool Airbnb experience or local festival going on, show that and slyly mention your property as the perfect home base for that.

Final thoughts

While other social media platforms keep popping up seemingly every day, Facebook can’t be ignored. When you set up a business page, learn to run ads, and start engaging in groups, you’ll see more and more direct bookings coming through your site. You’ll save on fees from third-party platforms like Airbnb and Vrbo and have more hard-earned cash in your pocket.

Host Tools provides an automated, unified calendar for short-term rental hosts, allowing you to seamlessly list on all major channels. Start your free trial today!