Instagram and Your Vacation Rental Business

Social media platforms allow you to market your vacation rental and brand. You can use Instagram, personal blogs, Facebook, and Twitter, to name a few.

What you may not know, is that Instagram offers a variety of audiences to market to. There are different methods you can use to get the most out of Instagram. It all depends on your vacation rental properties/business.

Vacation Rental Owner Success on Instagram

One of the best Instagram success stories is Thibault Masson. He has the biggest Instagram following on Saint Barthélemy (St Barts) island. In one year, Masson grew his business from 2 to 4 villas. See his branding and marketing through his St Bart and Bali Instagram.

In an interview with Rentals United, Masson shares his insights using social media. Here is a concise version of his main points:

Why Use Instagram?

1. Instagram focuses on visual sharing. It is perfect for people to share their vacation photos.
2. It is visually more effective than Facebook and Twitter.
3. As noted by Forrester, “Instagram delivered…58 times more engagement than Facebook. And 120 times more engagement than Twitter.”

How Did You Use Instagram’s Features?

1. Reach out to vacationers in your area to get repeat customers.

Masson’s Goals

1. To get his Instagram followers to join his mailing list.
2. Get people to click the link in his bio.
3. Download a free travel guide in exchange for signing up for the email list.
4. Drive engagement. “We post photos of our villas, photos of popular places in St. Barth’s and in Bali, nice restaurants, and bars. We also repost photos from other Instagrammers.”

Other Ways Vacation Rental Owners Use Instagram

An article from Rentalpreneurs shows other successful vacation rental owners.

1. Lorenzo Fagnoni – @apartmentsflorenceit
2. Shares tips and photos that reflect their other social channels. Works with influencers and bloggers in the community to gain popularity.
3. Goals are to “increase brand awareness and drive conversions.”

1. Nikki Woodson Blair – @clanventure
2. Shares personal photos to gain authority with their target audience (mothers and families).
3. Promote blog posts.
4. Instagram highlights the best parts of their homes.

1. Daniel Rouquette – @villabalicom
2. Shows renters the type of property and location they will receive.
3. Posts the “behind the scenes” work that goes into creating a successful guest vacation.

Your Instagram can customize to fulfill your rental goals.

Do you want to get more email sign ups? Follow Masson’s method. Do you want to establish yourself as a brand? Share photos of your properties and local area.

Why Millennials Should Be Your Target Audience

The word “Instagram” is often associated with college age or young adults. “Millennials” are the largest age group on Instagram. They prove to be a strong target audience for vacation rental owners.

For example, Forbes referenced a Topdeck Travel survey of 31,000 people. They found that 88% of millennial travelers went overseas 1-3 times a year. With 94% of these travelers between the ages of 18 and 30. Their most popular destinations include Europe, North America, and Australia/New Zealand.

Social media influences millennial travel destinations by 18%. Their friends’ recommendations are the number one influence.

What does this mean for vacation rental owners?

Instagram’s millennials are avid travelers. Millennials plan their destinations in advance and book independently. This increases the likelihood of booking a vacation rental property. Given their destinations, time of travel, and motivations, Instagram is an important tool.

This data tells us that vacation rental owners should use Instagram as a marketing tool.

Millennials consider booking with you when you promote your brand on social media. Your visibility partnered with peer recommendations influences their booking decisions.

Market to Other Audiences

Instagram gives more visibility and marketing opportunities for your business. 32% of online adults use Instagram.

This means that millennials aren’t the only audience on Instagram.

33% of Instagram users are ages 30-49. Even individuals 65 years or older use Instagram (8%), and this is data only for The United States.

As a whole, April 26, 2017 marked 700 million Instagram users.

That’s 700 million potential renters from all over the world.

If millennials aren’t your target audience, these secondary age groups are. Millennials can share your properties with their parents, friends, families, and co-workers.

Instagram allows you to create a brand which the subscribers market and promote for you. Subscribers do this through interactions with your posts. They share, comment, and tag their network of peers.

This introduces travelers to your property and directs them to your booking website. By including a link in your bio, you can solidify your brand and expand your network of contacts.

Where Will Marketing Take Your Vacation Rental Property?

Statista estimates that Instagram’s 2018 revenue will reach $6.8 billion.

Instagram’s popularity, and how it can expand your business continues to grow. Millennials make up the greatest users. They are ideal target audiences for vacation rental owners.

Do you already use social media for your business? What success have you had as a vacation rental owner? What tips do you have to share?

‍