Creating a clear Identity for your space.
Remember the children’s book by P.D. Eastman about the lost baby bird who went around asking everyone and everything he bumped into “Are you my mother?” Through much trial and error, this lost little bird was searching for his identity and his home. Ultimately, this floundering little fella gets dropped into his nest by happenstance and the story has a serendipitous happy ending when he is reunited with his mother. Can your Airbnb listing relate to this story of missing identity and happenstance?
One of our first steps in launching a successful Airbnb is to define a clear identity for your space. The listing identity is built with some attributes that YOU come up with like a name, description and decor and some attributes that are intrinsic to the PROPERTY, like the town it’s in, the neighborhood, the surrounding attractions and experiences available. All of these attributes come together in your listing to create a clear picture of what your space offers to your future guests.
You may be concerned that you have to be creative, original or visionary to author a clear identity for your listing, but it’s not as difficult as you may think. I suggest that you begin by describing your ideal guest, let’s call them Prime… defined as the perfect individual, couple or group of guests that you would like to host. Make a list of some specific attributes of your Prime guest. Are they a family? How old are they? Why are they coming to the area? Are they traveling from near or far? Are they in town for work or pleasure? Will they want to cook in or eat out?
Next, consider the things about your town, space and surrounding amenities that already exist. Add to the profile those things you believe this Prime guest will need and want. Will they want games, toys, fully stocked cookware or just the basics, a laptop friendly space, outdoor grill, hot tub, outdoor gathering area, several TV's or few? Once you have sketched a profile, you can set the furnishings, decor, accessories, recommendations, listing name and description that would most attract this guest to stay with you.
Going through this process will help you define a clear identity so that your Prime guests will be able to easily find their way to you. In addition, it will give you higher review ratings and a happier hosting experience since your guests will be a perfect fit for your space. It's a win-win for everyone! You can think of it as building a perfect nest for your perfect guest.