Your listing has one chance to make a great first impression.

And it must instantly engage your target audience’s attention. Fail to do so, and potential guests scroll on by, get it right, and they’ll click through every time.

You make this impression by promoting what your target audience looks for in a property and location on your listing.

Starting with images:

1. Quality photographs make a difference:

Beautifully taken and perfectly lit photos of your property’s best features are an absolute must.

It amazes me how often Airbnb hosts get this wrong.

Airbnb allows up to 100 photos per listing; use no more the 10-12.

Why?

Too many photographs dilute your property’s best attributes and confuse viewers, resulting in an information overload that negatively impacts their decision-making.

So, be picky and make each photo count. Include your street, an entrance photo, main living area, bedrooms, bathrooms, patio/garden/terrace if available, and your property’s main features to convey its character and quality.

And Airbnb provides a free photography instruction service, so check that out and these Airbnb photography tips.

If you’re unable to take a high-quality photo pay a professional. You’ll get the images you need, and it’s tax-deductible.

Once engaged using photography, you convert viewers into paying guests through the use of words.

2. Write an engaging description:

Write your description for your target audience in mind.

The title should pop from the screen and engage their attention. Brief but uniquely descriptive content and your words must reflect your photos.

Structure your description, so it’s easily read. While you should be creative to capture attention, don’t oversell your space or use meaningless words like nice, great, or lovely.

How to write the perfect description:

• Brief introduction – Your property’s best-selling points.

• Room by room description – Short descriptive paragraphs detailing what’s in each room. Mention any smart technology, feature furniture or art, number of beds, windows with views, and types of appliances.

• Outdoor spaces – Garden, pool, patio, or balcony, describe whatever you’ve got, including furniture and kid’s play equipment.

• Location – Only include what’s relevant to your target market, such as popular restaurants, walking, cycling trails, etc.

Check out this fantastic introduction:

Luxury city center loft on a traffic-free street

“Take an early morning stroll and enjoy the Trevi fountain without the tourists.

Wander around the historic streets while the city sleeps.

Then head back for a morning coffee at this urban-chic studio with a suspended loft bedroom”.

Why this Airbnb listing rocks:

The title says all that needs to be communicated to attract its target audience “city center loft,” and mentioning “traffic-free” is marketing genius. Because most traveling to Rome want to enjoy the locality without the infamous congestion and noise.

The description’s infused with romance, “Wander around the historic streets while the city sleeps,” and the “Trevi fountain without the tourists” captures your imagination while highlighting the convenience of the location.

It describes the property uniqueness in eight words “urban-chic studio with a suspended loft bedroom.”

3. Set a competitive pricing strategy:

Regardless of how beautiful your rental space is, price always plays a significant role for guests when choosing an Airbnb property.

And if you’re priced higher than other comparable listings in your area, odds are you’ll miss out on bookings.

Successful Airbnb hosts use savvy pricing strategies to achieve their earning goals, but it’s a balancing act.

At first, you’ve got to be competitive and consider changing variables such as day-to-day, week to week, and seasonal demand.

The proven following strategies will help find the right price:

Why you should set a lower price for a new listing:

When you’re new on Airbnb, it’s a chicken and egg scenario.

Guests choose properties based on their reviews; you’re new, so you don’t have any; what do you do?

You set your price a little lower than your competitors.

While you’ll earn less initially, you’ll attract more guests who’ll leave positive reviews.

Here’s why this strategy kicks ass.

Reviews that say “great value” will always be on your listing, even when you raise your price to match your competitors!

How to stay competitive by adjusting your pricing:

You remain competitive and increase your income by adjusting your listing price on weekends, holidays, special events, and seasonally.

Use your competitor research to establish the going rate in your area for these dates.

Here’s a quick reminder of how to do it.

Search Airbnb for similar listings in your area, and look for the following:

• Your property type (entire home, apartment, private room, etc.)
• The number of bedrooms/beds you provide
• The number of guests your property can accommodate 
• All extra and available amenities

And think ahead to learn how your competitors adjust for seasonal pricing, holidays, weekends, and special events. And don’t make the mistake of matching other listings that are still available close to these dates because if they haven’t sold, they’re probably overpriced.

Why not automate the process?

I’ll explain next.

Airbnb optional Smart Pricing tool:

Airbnb provides a Smart Pricing tool that analyzes relevant factors and data for property listings.

However, the built-in tool automatically updates your listing price based on market demand, only within your pre-set minimum and maximum price range.

Airbnb’s Smart pricing tool considers 70 different factors to determine the optimum price for every available night on your calendar — plus controls you’ve pre-set. Your listing price’s automation depends on things like:

• Lead time – As a check-in date approaches.
• Local popularity: The number of people searching for property in your area.
• Seasonality: Predictable seasonal demand for rentals in your locality.
• Listing popularity: The number of views and bookings your listing receives. 
• Review history: The number of positive reviews you receive from successful stays.

And remember, the final price you set isn’t the final price your guests will pay. To find the right price point, you must also factor in any additional/guest service fees you may need to charge, such as cleaning and local taxes

When to raise your price:

The tell-tale sign to when you can raise your price is an increase in bookings.  And that happens due to positive reviews and a higher ranking. 

Play to your strengths when Pricing:

Look for positive repetition in your reviews; what are your guests saying that you can use to charge a higher price?

Perhaps it’s exceptional hospitality and complimentary continental breakfast or the welcome hamper and those wow factor extras you provide, and how you go the extra mile for your guests.

Whatever yours, promote it in your listing and photos.

Competitive Pricing pays:

Of course, having a higher price improves your income; however, lower-priced rentals rank higher in the Airbnb search algorithm.

And it’s a snowball scenario because the more competitive your price point, the higher you’ll rank, resulting in increased bookings.

And the more bookings you get, the more reviews you’ll receive, meaning you can charge more!

Pricing is a game that’s always in play; the better you are at it, the more bookings you’ll get, the higher you’ll rank, and the more you’ll earn.

Now put your rules where guests can see them:

4. Highlight your Airbnb rules for guests:

The clearer your house rules, the fewer problems you’ll have running your Airbnb business.

Keep your rules simple to avoid confusion and have them on your app listing and in your property in the form of a binder.

Rules could be no smoking, quiet hours, cleaning procedures, pets and animals, parties, and off-limit areas.

But your rule book should also contain helpful property information such as using electronics, showers, foldout beds, any tricky locks, and how to contact you.

Remember, the more information you provide, the less often guests will need to contact you.

If you follow those four steps, you’ll have a high converting listing, but becoming a super host requires more than creating a listing!