How to Promote your Airbnb Listing on Facebook in 5 Steps

So you’ve listed your short-term rental on Airbnb and a couple of other channels. Maybe you’ve even got your own website. But somehow, you’re still missing a place to really connect with your guests. You may be asking "Should I promote an Airbnb listing on Facebook?" or "What’s the best place to show them why they should pick your rental over your competitors’? "

The answer is where your guests spend the most time: on social media platforms like Facebook.

Social media allows you to build out your brand and forge lasting relationships with guests. As such, it should be a part of every effective multi-channel distribution strategy for vacation rentals.

To help you get started, we’ve put together a guide to promoting your Airbnb listings on Facebook. You’ll find out everything you need to know about creating a Facebook Business Page, sharing posts that your guests will engage with, and running ads that drive bookings.

Let’s get into it:

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! 

Why Should You Promote an Airbnb Listing on Facebook?

There are several reasons to promote your Airbnb listing on Facebook. 

If you do it right, you can get bookings from guests who find you on Facebook, and as a result, increase your occupancy and revenue. 

But the main reasons to boost your social media presence should be to strengthen your brand, build trust, and connect with potential guests through stories and shared values. Below, we’ll go into detail on how to do that.

But first, let’s see how you can get started with Facebook Business.

5 Steps to Promoting an Airbnb Listing on Facebook

1. Create a Facebook Business page

To start promoting your Airbnb rental on Facebook, first, you need to create a Facebook Business Page. 

Facebook Business Pages are different from personal pages. Instead of representing individuals, they allow businesses to showcase their products and services and generate sales on Facebook.

As such, Facebook Business Pages have several benefits for Airbnb hosts that personal pages don’t offer. For example, you can add a prominent call-to-action button at the top of your profile, inviting guests to send you a message or make a reservation. You can display your phone number, email address, website, and other contact details so guests can get in touch with you easily. 

Furthermore, you need a Facebook Business Page to run paid ads and access the Facebook Ads Manager – which we’ll talk about later.

Creating a Facebook Business page is free, and it’s very simple. Follow these steps:

1. Log into your personal Facebook account.

2. Click the plus button (‘Create’) in the upper right corner.

3. Select ‘Page’ from the dropdown.

4. Enter a page name. You can use your brand name, your Airbnb listing name, or come up with a descriptive title for your rental. 

5. Enter a page category. Start typing ‘Vacation Home Rental’ and it will pop up.

6. Enter a page description. This will appear in the left-hand column on your profile. Provide a short, catchy description of your rental, including where it’s located, who it’s for, and how guests can expect to feel when they stay there. This is where you can start telling a story about your vacation rental brand, which we’ll get into later.

7. Click create page.

Here are some additional steps you can take to complete your profile:

8. Upload a profile picture (at least 170x170 pixels on desktop) and a cover photo (at least 1200x628 pixels). The former can be your brand logo (if you have one), and the latter a beautiful picture of your rental and its surroundings or a well-staged interior shot.

9. Add additional details about your business, such as your contact information. You can do this by selecting the ‘About’ section when editing your profile. Be sure to add a link to your vacation rental website so guests can make direct bookings. 

10. Add a button to your page. Go to your profile and click the blue ‘Add a button’ option below your cover image. This is where you can choose a call-to-action (CTA), such as ‘Send Message’ or ‘Book Now’, which will help you generate more bookings.

11. Invite your Facebook friends to like your page. Click on the three dots below your cover image and select ‘Invite Friends’. This is an important step because once you start sharing posts on Facebook and your friends start liking them, the posts will appear in the newsfeeds of your friend’s friends – which is the best way to reach more people and grow your following organically.

2. Connect your Facebook and Instagram accounts

Once you’ve set up your Facebook Business Page, it’s a good idea to connect it to your Instagram Business Account. 

This way, when you share a post on Instagram, you can automatically share it on Facebook too. All your images, descriptions, and hashtags will be carried over. This can save you tons of time in the long run, and make sure that your posts reach a broader audience on two social media platforms.

To link your Facebook and Instagram accounts, follow these steps:

1. Log into your Instagram Business Account.

2. Go to your profile and select ‘Edit profile’.

3. Under ‘Public business information’, select ‘Page’.

4. Tap ‘Connect existing page’.

5. Log into Facebook and select the page you’d like to connect to.

Besides allowing you to share posts on both platforms at once, this will also let you sync your business contact information, run ads on Facebook and Instagram, and handle all your messages in a unified inbox, among other benefits. 

If you don’t have an Instagram Business Account yet, read our beginner’s guide to using Instagram for vacation rentals. 

3. Tell a story with your social media content

Now you’re ready to start sharing posts on Facebook. We’ll give you a few ideas on what to post in a minute. But first, let’s talk about the general principle that should drive all the social media marketing you do for your vacation rental business: storytelling.

Brands use storytelling in their marketing and communications to connect with their target audience on a deeper level. By telling stories about your short-term rental brand through social media, you can highlight the values that you and your guests share and build meaningful relationships that will result in great reviews and repeat bookings. 

So how do you tell a story with your social media content? It’s important to remember that guests who choose to stay at an Airbnb instead of a hotel are looking for authentic, original experiences instead of cookie-cutter stays. So focus your storytelling on the aspects of your business that are unique to you. Don’t be afraid to let your personality shine. 

You can talk about:

• Your story. Why did you start hosting and what do you love about it? Are you a Superhost? Do you manage multiple rental properties?
• Your property’s story. How did you come to own your rental? Did you renovate it? What was it like before and how has it changed?
• Your neighborhood’s story. What do you know about the history of your area? How has the neighborhood evolved throughout the years? What do you like about it the most?

Of course, you don’t have to literally tell stories and start with “once upon a time” every time you share a post on Facebook. Just make sure that the snippets you share all fit into an overarching story – one that’s unique to you and your rental, and that your guests can connect with.

Here are some ideas on what to share:

• Photos of your property. The power of pictures lies in that they help guests visualize themselves staying at your rental. To inspire guests, share as many interior and exterior shots as you can. Don’t just take long shots: include close-ups that showcase the unique details of your home, like a cozy reading nook or a beautiful tile in your kitchen. Stage your photos and include props – you can even do special holiday shoots if you like. 
• Photos of your destination. There’s a good chance that guests aren’t just traveling to stay in your rental – they’re probably looking to explore the destination. Appeal to their thirst for travel by posting irresistible pictures of your neighborhood, nearby attractions, or natural wonders. 
• Reviews from guests. Since travelers trust the opinions of their peers more than anything, sharing positive reviews from your guests can help you get more bookings. Instead of just copying them into a Facebook post, though, use a free tool like Canva to create images with quotes on colorful backgrounds. With a tool like Host Tools, you can send automatic review reminders to your guests, so you have a wide range of reviews to share and re-share on social media. 
• News and updates. Previous guests who follow you probably do so because they want to stay in the loop, and potential guests may also care about what’s going on with your business. So whenever you have news to share – maybe you renovated your bathroom or got a new swing chair for the patio – make sure your Facebook followers are first to know. 
• Discounts and promotions. One of the reasons why you created a Facebook Page for your Airbnb in the first place is to encourage people to book your rental. One way to do that is by offering discounts and promotions. You can do this whenever you need to fill a gap between bookings or make up for a cancellation with a last-minute booking. Your Facebook followers will appreciate the opportunity to save on their trip.  
• Guest-generated content. Last but not least, you should always res-hare photos taken by your guests at your rental. You can ask them to tag you in their photos in your Airbnb welcome letter, which you can send out automatically with a messaging automation tool like Host Tools. You can even offer a small reward, like a discount on their next stay, in exchange for them checking in on Facebook with a photo of your place. If your followers see how much other guests are enjoying themselves at your Airbnb property, they’ll be more tempted to book. 

Related post:  How to Get More Bookings on Airbnb: 10 Tips for Hosts

4. Share links to your page in Facebook groups

Once you’ve built a solid Facebook Business Page and shared some posts, it’s time to start growing your following. The more people are exposed to your posts, the more bookings you’ll get from Facebook. 

One way to get new followers is to share links to your page in Facebook groups. This is an especially good tactic if you’re open to accepting mid-term bookings. Guests looking for extended stays are more likely to ask around in Facebook groups than those who are just planning a weekend trip. 

Start by typing your city into the Facebook search bar and searching for groups that target digital nomads or expats – these are usually good places to connect with people who are looking for temporary accommodation. 

However, before you post, make sure that you check the group’s rules – you don’t want to unknowingly violate them and get kicked out. Also, make sure not to appear spammy or post too often in one group. Instead, keep an eye on the questions that people are asking, provide helpful answers in the comments, and, if relevant, point them to your rental.

The key to promoting your rental in Facebook groups is being genuinely helpful instead of overly promotional. It requires a time investment on your side. But ultimately, it’s worth it if you can get people to follow you or book your rental. 

5. Run Facebook ads

While growing your following organically can deliver results, your Facebook marketing strategy may need a little push from time to time. That’s where Facebook advertising comes in. Paid ads allow you to reach a much broader audience and make your page visible to people who otherwise wouldn’t come across it.

Running ads on Facebook is a science of its own - here’s a complete guide by Hubspot on how to set up a Facebook Ad campaign. 

However, there are some basic tips that can get you started:

• Know your audience. Facebook Ads allow you to narrow down your audience and target groups who are more likely to be interested in your rental. You can target guests by location, gender, age group, and other demographic criteria. If you want to achieve a good return on investment, make sure you know your audience and set up your ad targeting accordingly.
• Reuse your best-performing content as Facebook Ads. Did one of the reviews you shared get a surprising number of likes? Did one of your photos practically go viral? Take your top posts and repurpose them as Facebook Ads to reach people who are not following you. 
• Run special offers. Think about what would make you click on a Facebook Ad. It would have to be something special, right? Come up with promotions that have a unique element to them. For example, offer a complimentary picnic or a horse riding tour – whatever you can think of to complement the experience of staying at your rental.

And remember, if your ads aren’t working, don’t wait until they drain your budget. Stop running them and create new ones. It takes a bit of experimenting to find your sweet spot. 

Related article: Advertise on TikTok

Can You Advertise Your Airbnb on Facebook?

As you can see from the above, you can absolutely advertise your Airbnb rental on Facebook. All you need to do is set up your Facebook Business Page, connect it to Instagram, share posts that tell compelling stories, engage with people in Facebook groups, and run some paid ads. If you commit to it and share posts consistently, you’ll start to see new bookings coming in. 

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!