In a saturated market like vacation rentals, it’s essential to make your listing stand out. Travelers have so many choices, and they need a reason to pick your rental over ALL the others. And that’s where branding comes in. By creating a strong, recognizable brand for your short-term rental, you’ll be able to drive more traffic (and bookings!) to your listing. From vacation rental interior design to brand positioning, here’s how to brand your Airbnb.
Note: All content is our own (that is, not sponsored), but if you buy something through our links we may earn a commission.
Table of Contents
Your Airbnb Branding Strategy Should Consist of the Following:
Choose a catchy name for your rental.
When starting a vacation rental business, you’ll want to choose a name that’s unique and will help your guests remember your rental. Consider a name that reflects the location or vibe of your rental, and make sure it’s easy to say. After all, when your guests are raving about your place you’ll want to make sure they’re using the right name.
With a great name comes a great sign. Here are some of our favorite sign makers on Etsy – click the images for links.
Decide on your brand voice.
It sounds very official, but your brand voice really just reflects the kind of host you are and what kind of property you’re renting. Are you friendly, funny, tech-savvy, or super professional? Is your rental a fishing cabin, a family-friendly house, or a sleek condo? Let your personality and the type of experience you think your guests will experience define your brand voice. After you’ve given it some thought, write it down. For example:
The brand voice for Crystal Lake Cabin is casual, friendly, and to the point. We answer questions quickly and cheerfully and are not afraid of corny jokes.
Defining your brand voice will be very helpful to you when you need to choose a logo design, write your description or respond to inquiries.
Create (or commission) a professional logo.
Creating a logo is not the magical cure-all for positioning your brand on the market, but it does help to create a distinct identity for your rental. Make sure the logo is simple, memorable, and reflects your brand voice. You can hire someone to create a logo for you on a site like Etsy, Fiverr, or Upwork, or try your hand at it with a program like Canva. You’ll use your logo on your website, your email signature, and on your guestbooks and signs. Most importantly, you’ll use it on the business cards and giveaways that will help your guests remember to book with you next time.
Decide on your colors and fonts.
If you hire a graphic designer for your logo, you may want to ask them for some help with the other graphic aspects of your brand identity: your brand colors and fonts. You’ll usually choose a couple of colors that you use for your main graphics and one accent color. You’ll choose (or ask your designer to recommend) a headline font, a body copy font, and perhaps another font that you use for emphasis, such as a handwritten style.
Put it all together in a branding document.
Your branding document – sometimes called your brand standards or branding package – will contain your logo and how to use it, your brand voice, your brand colors, and your fonts. This will not only help your vacation rental look consistent across all platforms and mediums, but it can also serve as a guideline for professionals you’ll hire in the future, like web designers, interior designers, or virtual assistants.
Once you have created a brand identity, it’s vital to ensure that it’s reflected in everything you do – from the words you use in your Airbnb listing description to the images you share on social media. Consistent messaging across all platforms will help potential guests remember your rental and make your brand stand out..
Some done-for-you branding packages.
Make your rental interior design reflect your brand.
Although you don’t have to be literal about it, you can carry your branding through to your interior design in subtle ways. The signs you order or make will reflect your branding, of course, but you can also be consistent with your accent colors, artwork selection, and overall style.
Focus on creating an inviting atmosphere with personal touches that reflect your brand voice – this could be anything from vibrant colors and modern furniture to cozy throws and antique decorations.
You can find plenty of free interior design tips on this blog, but if you need help with vacation rental interior design, consider hiring a professional designer who can help you create a space consistent with your branding. Yes, that would be me. Take a look at my services to see how I can help you create a unique brand experience, or book a complimentary chat with me! I’d love to hear from you. 🤗
Make photos part of your Airbnb brand strategy.
Nothing speaks louder than quality imagery – if you can, invest in hiring a professional photographer to get great vacation rental photos and videos (if that’s not in your budget, take a look at my guide to DIY vacation rental photography). Since you’ve taken the time to ensure that your interior design reflects your brand, make sure your photos communicate that, both in appearance and tone.
Share your brand with personal touches.
Your welcome book will tell your guests everything they need to know, and it’s also a great place to put your brand standards into action. Write information in the voice you’ve identified, and use a pre-purchased template or create your own for the pages. Better yet, use a digital guest book so that your guests have all the up-to-date info in their pockets. Don’t forget that part of your brand is you, so don’t be afraid to share your personal interests in your recommendations. For example, if you are an avid foodie traveler, you could share some of your favorite farmer’s markets, specialty stores, and under-the-radar restaurants to visit in the area.
Three examples of customized digital guestbooks. Courtesy of Touchstay.
Utilize the power of social media platforms
Social media is great for promoting your short-term rental business – from building relationships with potential guests to showcasing your rental in creative ways. Use social media to connect with people and draw more attention to your rental by posting everything from interior design and behind-the-scenes photos to those 5* reviews. Set up an account in Canva with your brand fonts and colors set to make creating your social media graphics easy and consistent.
On your way to successful Airbnb branding?
I hope this quick guide will help you brand your Airbnb and stand out in the sea of listings. Remember, there is no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to branding – it’s most important to be authentic and creative!
Just remember that you don’t have to do it all at once and that you’re allowed to change your brand graphics in the future. Consistency is key even if your brand evolves over time.
And if you need help with creating unique branding for your vacation rental, I’m here to help. With years of experience in hosting and design, my creative approach will help you end up with the vacation rental of your dreams. Schedule a free get-to-know-you phone call to see if a strategy session might help you identify your brand voice and create a roadmap for building your brand.
Happy branding! 🙂
