It’s well known that the hardest sale is the first one. It’s also the most expensive as you spend more money (on advertising, promoting, etc.) to acquire that first guest (and each new guest is a “first”).
So doesn’t it make sense to use the guests you already had, that was satisfied with your product, and sell to them over and over again?
The easiest way to do this in any industry is by building a mailing list. So how do you go about willingly collecting emails by guests who want to hear from you?
The best way to do this is by having your own website.
Let me guess that your next thought is that it seems like an expensive endeavor and you’re worried about having to invest money in SEO optimization and trying to compete with the “Big Boys” like Airbnb, Homeaway, etc.
But what I’m talking about is a website that your guests will have to visit because it is your welcome site, a site they visit after they book and when they are traveling to or reach your location.
Now that we have established how you can start your mailing list we will get into the why you should have one.
The most obvious way you can use your mailing list is by letting your previous guests know of upcoming events that are going on in the area that they wouldn’t want to miss, or perhaps you want to run a discounted price promotion (during off-seasons) you want them to know about.
Another way you could use your mailing list is to partner up with services that you think have value to your guests and earn an affiliate commission from them.
For example, perhaps your Airbnb is by the sea and your guests enjoy snorkeling or surfing.
You could strike a deal with your local surfing rental gear to refer clients to them, then you can run a small discount promotion letting them know that you are offering return guests this special deal for their next trip and walla – another way to earn money is now available to you.
Remember you don’t want to spam your guests with constant emailing so be sure to space out your communication, and try to offer them real value, even if it’s just a recommendation for a really good book you thought they would enjoy or a picture of a beautiful sunset taken from your Airbnb location with a quick note letting them know you’d be happy to host them again.
As I truly see the value in having such a list, and knowing how hard it can be to start one, as well as how time-consuming building a website can be, you now have a to quickly set up a welcome site for your Airbnb Listing here.
If you want to learn more about how to start, grow and use your mailing list to produce more income be sure to sign up to my mailing list below (like how I did that? 🙂 to receive more tips and information.
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