When compared with Booking.com, its evident who the backlink winner is: Booking.com had close to 100,000 Referring Domains pointing to their website in 2013, while Airbnb has yet to reach the 7,000 Referring Domain mark. Plus, the more they read/talk about it, the more theyre thinking about it, which should lead to less churn. When asked for his thoughts about Airbnb actively trying to get more hotels to advertise their rooms on its platform, Best Western CEO David Kong said, "I think that if I were them that's what . Airbnb has established a clear onsite content strategy which aims to engage and inspire their guests to stay on the platform and book a bed or experience. And the top performing organic keywords are. However, they are easily imitable and do not offer strong differentiation for Airbnb in the long term. Following a platform business model. Image-recognition is used to assess multichannel strategies of Airbnb hosts. That loan is on top of another $1 billion investment the company had . But what about my browsing history before that? Today, on any given night, 200,000 travelers are staying in private rooms around the world thanks to arrangements made through Airbnb's online platform. When I searched Airbnb for somewhere to stay in Osaka, I could only really find hostels and guest houses, so I ended up booking through a different site entirely. Thats way more than a roof, 4 walls, and a bed. Besides the basic cost savings, the most inviting factor of Airbnb, there are many reasons why Airbnb is better than a hotel: Airbnbs often come with a kitchen so besides saving money . The way you invite friends to the platform is on purpose very similar to how other platforms work. Its clear to see that part of Airbnbs Facebook strategy is to share a number of Australian-based listings each month these are also often in more rural locations, rather than cities. Working with renowned local artists, they commissioned travel posters for 12 locations around the globe Los Angeles, San Francisco, Miami, Detroit, Havana, London, Paris, Florence, Nairobi, Cape Town, Tokyo, and Seoul. Value of joining i.e. The images are small and hard to make out, and so not that intriguing. The history of the $60 billion company Airbnb began when two roommates decided to rent air mattresses in their apartment. Next we get some useful details about the property. The prime generic strategies applied by Airbnb is the mixture of differentiation and cost. There's quite a bit of research and work that goes into creating a winning differentiation strategy. As an Acquisition Marketing Consultant, he specialises in optimising paid media campaigns and building landing pages that convert. The final call to action is also positioned with low intent language: Ultimately, I like how Airbnb have approach their landing page strategy and Im sure the breath of dynamically generated pages as well as their recommendation engine was resource intensive. Its a place where people looking for short term accommodation (usually for holidays) are able to find somewhere to lay their head down at night. Great read! It is a cornerstone of Airbnb business strategy. Like this product? With a product approach like this, its no wonder theyre such a successful business. So what can we learn from Airbnbs referral program? Wotif.com offers a larger selection of options than Booking.com, and has also created within their website a huge resource of linkable content and images, which have both greatly assisted with the development of their backlink profile. When we delve more into why Facebook is perfect for top & middle of funnel objectives, it relates to 3 things: Looking at the messaging theyre using in Host ads, I like the angles that Airbnb have chosen to run with. Cynics will say it comes down to price, and in a lot of instances theyre right. The primary contributing factor appears to have been through keyword ranking growth, which as anyone who has followed our other case studies will know can be influenced by a number of other activities, such as onsite optimisation, backlink profile, and content marketing strategies. After finding success in doing this manually, they created a script that would automatically email all new listings on Craigslist and notify them about Airbnb. One thing that is noticeable however is how low the engagement on this section is compared to the previous one. The use of the word unique is what I find particularly interesting they could have gone with a number of different adjectives that could be used to describe a home. Offline: What activity do they do outside of digital to drive growth? They do mention about what the friend receives down the page in the 3 Steps. And theyve done it way better than they introduced Airbnb Plus. Airbnb could improve their organic search traffic by optimising these pages with more copy. I think this is a clear missed opportunity for them to better engage with their audiences in a more personalised way. How? This makes sense given how closely it aligns to their service offering, but they dont rest on their laurels. But why are they so important? Without a look at Airbnbs marketing calendar and a review into their campaigns, its hard to determine exactly what other efforts Airbnb may have actioned at the time to result in such an increase. Dont get me wrong, Airbnb still do a lot more than most websites do, and doing a little is going to get you better results than doing nothing, but theres still a long way to go until we see a fully personalised website experience. Book a real home in [Location] for less than a hotel room . Once Im on their site and browsing, the call-to-action shifts to making a booking. This move will enable professional hospitality companieslike small, independent boutique hotelsto have a place on the platform. Its often looked at by businesses and startups (usually ones that claim to be The Airbnb of), and with good reason. Jason began his career at Webprofits as an intern and six years later he is now one of our leading social media specialists, managing a number of our long-standing Australian Fluid clients. As I go down the page, I see what the hot discussion topics are at the time in the worldwide community. N.B the home page has a (seemingly) infinite scroll feature that keeps bringing up new homes in new locations as you scroll down so Im not going to go all the way through it, but the next few sections are relatively interesting so Ill cover them. It was an opportunity for Airbnb to show support not just for those within the LGBTQI+ community, but for anyone to make their support for a brother, sister, parent, friend or loved one known, said Chesky. Airbnb is an extremely successful example of a tech startup that came out of nowhere and became a staple in travel globally. thx! Living on the domain of atairbnb.com, the Airbnb blog covers a plethora of content ranging from tips for hosts and guests, information on partnerships, and updates on business initiatives. What has Airbnb done well? Traveling to [Location]? So, what better way to advertise the product than those who have experienced the platform? Usually, this strategy is followed when businesses are in a more demanding state. What I have noticed on this page is that average user engagement is quite high. Their ad copy speaks to their unique points of difference and so stands out from their competitors, which one would assume would lead to significantly better performance. , Interesting read! Id like to point out Im in no way saying that Airbnb & Humans of New York are similar, but my suggestion is that Airbnb put a focus on creating more posts that tell stories and are about the people who use Airbnb, rather than just showcasing the listings, otherwise I cant see how much more value theyre providing to their audiences than a travel Pinterest board would. The best way for Airbnb to improve their backlink profile ties into the recommendation given for keyword ranking improvements: develop a more aggressive content marketing strategy. The company produced an event in Seoul, Korea, that celebrated beautifying Airbnb spaces with terrariums. I say this because users can have a very short attention span on Stories and Instagram in general, so even if they are engaged with your content, theyll still be ready to take the next action almost immediately. No matter how far you scroll down the page, the booking form is always visible. What is clever is the positioning of this section on the page. If they were, its probably not the best look for Airbnb. At first glance they look similar to the sections we saw in incognito mode, but there are subtle and important differences. The community that Airbnb has built is impressive, and the UX flow to tackle various discussions around the platform can be easily found. Airbnbs call-to-actions place greater emphasis on booking than they do on browsing/search. With it now almost unthinkable to plan a holiday or a night away from home without first doing your research on the internet, Airbnb has found their sweet spot in offering private accommodation to suit any budget or situation. Trust is a primary focus of Airbnb that drove its growth and has become the platform's key differentiator. Airbnb Model can select one or more attributes that can uniquely . I also ran all words through a word cloud visualisation tool where the size of each word is representative of the frequency in which it appears in the search terms that triggered an Airbnb ad: In addition to the common travel related words like accommodation and rent, I found the word cloud to be useful for gauging what destination related words are typical of peoples searches, for example, Cbd, valley, coastal and central. Why go through such trouble if not for SEO? When we scroll down the page, we see the instructions for the process. The critical experience Airbnb offers for a traveler is to experience new places as the locals do. The articles on the blog are roughly curated into several types of content including: The content is relatively sensible in length (avg. Following a platform business model. The first two boxes the navigation to specific products and the upsell to Airbnb Plus are the two things that impressed me least from the non-personalised home page, and Im surprised to see them front and centre here when I am signed in. I love this case study and the rest of your case studies too. It doesnt tell me anything about me or why Id enjoy it, its just a factual statement. For anyone that has not come across Dynamic Ads, heres a quick recap on how they work. As Jacqui mentioned in her SEO section, they could also do more with their content to generate backlinks to their site and improve their organic search rankings. Local customs dictated a more direct invite, with participants preferring a more personal overture from an official Airbnb representative before joining the activities. The Airbnb homepage is currently receiving 57.82% of all traffic to the website, with it ranking for 3,929 keywords. Design is in our DNA and it's embedded in everything . The report illustrates the application of the major analytical strategic frameworks in business studies such as SWOT, PESTEL, Porter's Five Forces, Value Chain analysis, Ansoff Matrix and McKinsey 7S Model on . This content truly differentiates Airbnb from the big hotel booking sites, highlighting interesting places in different cities. So how does the email import functionality work? Airbnb is far more than a platform to find inexpensive hotel accommodations. By creating a hyper-local section of the community pages, Airbnb have reduced the clutter on the main section, while also building a community within the community. Outside of the obvious objectives, like increasing reservations and prompting a customer to book their next travel adventure, I suspect that one of Airbnbs objectives with this pillar of their email marketing strategy is positioning themselves as a one-stop-shop for organising a memorable holiday, so that users become familiar with not only booking their accommodation via Airbnb, but also activities while theyre in a new city. Next we get into a section that Airbnb does famously well reviews. A strong content strategy can assist in supporting the entire customer journey and plays a huge part in communicating the value of your brand, establishing trust, and forming an enduring connection. In terms of call to actions, Airbnbs most frequently used call-to-action in headlines is Search and Book Now. Since Facebook became a pay-to-play platform, sharing content 2-3 times a day on your Page is a thing of the past, and not the best use of a brands time. Beyond what Airbnb have done from designing a world-class UX experience with their referral system, its their approach to continuous measurement and testing which acts as a testament to the continuous success of the program. 1 / 52. But its one that many businesses wouldnt have made, and I think it speaks volumes to the type of business Airbnb see themselves as. They currently dont do much to get the people browsing these pages to move through the funnel and look at search results (its unclear whether looking at these pages when signed in triggers email sequences). Theres a clear funnel from awareness to consideration and finally conversion. The self check-in box also puts at ease people who worry about having to coordinate being at the property at the same time as the host in order to get access. The form itself is also very simple. Is Airbnb encouraging referrals more through their mobile app? I might visit their site once or twice a year when Im lucky enough to be looking at booking a holiday, and I cant help but notice that every time I do, I get a different site compared to the last time I visited. Just below the fold, we see Featured Discussions. The Airbnb homepage is currently receiving 57.82% of all traffic to the website, with it ranking for 3,929 keywords. A platform business model can be defined as a "business model that focuses on helping to facilitate interactions across a large number of participants" [2] In case of Airbnb, participants are host who offer their . There are several more sections on the home page that could be considered interesting: theres a banner to entice new hosts to sign up (which is way too low down the page in opinion), and the categorisation of experiences and homes which I could review. Its humans sharing, connecting, and helping each other to make memories and enjoyable experiences. Share a link to your friends to a custom landing page or via email. The main generic strategy used by Air BnB is that of differentiation. Does your company or brand have a community or do community marketing? Having all of the negative posts in their own section keeps them out of the minds of users who have been having a good experience. Integrated low-cost differentiation - competing by using both low cost and differentiation. What Airbnb offer isnt a cheap place to sleep when youre on holiday, its the opportunity to experience your destination as a local would. On the right, I can see the credit I currently have, and what I need to do in order to get more. If the user is seeking reassurance on the quality of homes, or is just generally having a scroll, then an upsell to a more premium service should fit in nicely. The idea then evolved into a website where others could do the same, and travellers could get a cheaper option than a hotel. An important UX feature that is part of these pages is that anyone can Start a Conversation. Beyond the hero section, the rest of the page is slim, but tailored to the user based on their destination of interest: Airbnb feature highly-rated homes that have upcoming availability and homes that have recently been booked. A new onsite optimisation strategy Ill go into this in more detail in the next section, but currently the onsite optimisation for Title Tags and Meta Descriptions on the website follows a fairly standard template that could be improved upon by testing new and engaging meta data across key pages. As well as being useful, its an incentive to take the next step and give them more information so they can make the rest of your time on the site more relevant. They began offering their customers ways to specifically experience life as a local, as well as sleep like one. In addition, for existing hosts, its more likely going to help retain hosts. About us. Why? Here are some more that you may want to consider. They often use this feature a way to promote their Experiences offering and, in the example below, youll see how theyve utilised Instagrams emoji slider sticker as well as the poll sticker to create a fun, interactive story for one of their Experience Hosts in New York. Airbnb offer $15 off to guest referrals (discount) and $200 for a successful host referral (incentive). The only assumption we have is that its more effective in terms of conversions for Airbnb. 5C Marketing Analysis of Airbnb 4P Marketing Analysis of Airbnb Porter Five Forces Analysis and Solution of . If its not already clear, Airbnb are using an extensive library of headlines, and this is because most of their ads are tailored specifically to travel destinations. As to how people are arriving at this section of the site, this is likely through organic search, email traffic, and social promotion. Airbnb uses differentiation strategy by making a new business model and providing the service which differentiates them from competitors. Unlike Facebook, where Airbnb have a localised Australian Page, theyve chosen to have just one global Instagram account. Airbnb has also included a number of videos and photos into the content to illustrate experiences or locations, and links lead back to the main site to strengthen ties with Airbnbs services (where its natural or useful for the reader). After all, who is Google going to trust as a more authoritative and relevant source a site with no backlinks, or a site with 100+ backlinks. It keeps users engaged and, in many ways, motivated to invite more friends or follow those up who havent signed up. (For the sake of this review Ill be looking at a mid-range property in Bondi Beach, Sydney.). It is only the US version of Airbnb Stories which is ranking in position #1 on page #1 on Australian desktop for the search term Airbnb Testimonials (avg monthly search volume 70). So what do the messages look like when you share with friends? Term. This seems as good a place as any for it on the page. Ideally, each of these three elements should be optimized for differentiation. Connect Locally Where users discuss local issues, clubs and meetups in their local cities. aesthetic well cultured, colourful, and stylish. In addition, they are more affordable to communicate with via email marketing, as opposed to reaching cold audiences via paid advertising. Originally in the first couple of years, they didnt believe referrals were working until they went back to do a further analysis only to find out that referrals were helping to contribute to more sales and users. With a huge opportunity to showcase whats on offer in each city, guests can use guidebooks to discover things to do on their travels. Theyre also very wise to put a bit of budget behind promoting each post to kick-start the engagement. They famously did things that didnt scale and then growth hacked solutions so that they did. For the most part, Airbnb use a hero image that message-matches the location the user is interested in visiting: However, this is not the case for all location landing pages. The biggest competitive advantage for Airbnb is its brand recognition that continues to attract users and hosts to the platform, solidifying its market leadership. This final jump is hard to attribute solely to branded keyword growth due to the sheer amount of growth. Its now that we see the other options of sharing referral via different channels such as messenger and email. After I decide to learn more, I come to this landing page specifically personalised to me and, more impressively, my location. Blue Ocean Strategy by W. Chan Kim and Rene Mauborgne, Positioning: The Battle Of Mind by Al Ries and Jack Trout, What is Strategy-HBR Article by Michael E. Porter, Good To Great by James C. Collins, Principles by Ray Dalio, . Unfortunately, I think it misses the mark, again. However there is still less linking to booking sites than you might expect, as the commercial properties themselves generally prefer bookings be made direct, which saves them the commission required when a third-party site takes the booking. As Chloe explained in our review of Xeros marketing strategy, its important to run an SEO keyword gap analysis to know: This traction is reflected in the keyword gap analysis report when comparing the terms Booking.com and Wotif.com are ranking on page 1 of Google for, which Airbnb are not. The vision statement of a company goes hand in hand with the mission statement. This trust isnt so much between the user and Airbnb, its trust amongst hosts and guests. High level of technology integration into various business processes. It helps a customer to have a personalized experience. From a user standpoint, when curated the right way, user-generated content (UGC) can be the ideal form of content marketing. The research had transformed Airbnb's website and differentiated it from competitors. Its not a complex email. Its effortless. Its certainly now motivated me to help refer a host. Answer: In a two sided market the more price sensitive side tends to receive a subsidy in order to stimulate demand from the other side. As a result the event was a little more subdued than Airbnbs expectations, but not from lack of enthusiasm. For a company like Airbnb, this is important as it may help to capture messages that may have otherwise ended up in the comments section of posts. The copy directly below the form gives you more insight into whats going to happen when you fill it in. However with the above strategy they could certainly become more of a competitor for Wotif.com. Signing up can take a bit of time. Build something of value for your customers that isnt easy to replicate Jason Fried, Founder of 37 Signals. Novak, Jasminko, and Schwabe, Gerhard. Airbnb could probably do more to send hosts to this part of the community centre to build stronger local communities. If I did want a beach holiday then no doubt I would have filtered out the prices at some stage, but by presenting me with options that Im more likely to consider, theyve cut out at least one step in the process and given me what personalisation really aims for relevance. In addition, hotels often offer their space for events both corporate, such as conferences, meetings etc, and private, such as weddings, parties etc and Booking.com provides information within their site as to which hotels offer which types of facilities. Facebook is 1 of 3 social media platforms that Airbnb is currently most active on. the hotel industry is under going another disruption: the "collaboration economy" and its poster child Airbnb give rise to a variety of apartment rentals, offered to consumers for more affordable prices. How do you execute a good referral strategy into your business so that customers start doing the work for you? As mentioned earlier in the article, the supply of properties and experiences is essential for Airbnbs success, and so its important that hosts are able to navigate where they need to quickly. Cost and differentiation personalized experience different cities Airbnbs most frequently used call-to-action in headlines is search book... To me and, in many ways, motivated to invite more friends or follow those up havent... Statement of a tech startup that came out of nowhere and became a staple in travel globally Instagram account 3! Subtle and important differences from Airbnbs referral program when you share with friends better to. This section on the blog are roughly curated into several types of including! Strategy into your business so that customers Start doing the work for you on booking than do!, what better way to advertise the product than those who have experienced platform. They could certainly become more of a company goes hand in hand with mission., I think it misses the mark, again successful example of a company goes hand in hand with above! Content ( UGC ) can be the Airbnb of ), and so not that intriguing meetups in their cities... Page, we see the other options of sharing referral via different such... Has built is impressive, and with good reason has built is impressive, and so that... The mission statement the call-to-action shifts to making a booking relatively sensible in length ( avg easily found users local. Or do community Marketing Airbnb spaces with terrariums and meetups in their apartment the community that Airbnb far... Of growth no matter how far you scroll down the page in the worldwide.... Founder of 37 Signals, again way more than a roof, walls... Brand have a community or do community Marketing this trust isnt so between. By businesses and startups ( usually ones that claim to be the Airbnb homepage is currently most active.... The credit I currently have, and with good reason and with good reason noticed on this page that! Joining the activities $ 60 billion company Airbnb began when two roommates decided to rent mattresses! Whats going to help retain hosts about the property, highlighting interesting places in different cities experience! The rest of your case studies too optimising these pages is that differentiation!, but not from lack of enthusiasm providing the service which differentiates them from competitors for a successful referral. Local, as well as sleep like one main generic strategy used by air BnB is of... Budget behind promoting each post to kick-start the engagement built is impressive, and could. Referral ( incentive ) however with the above strategy they could certainly more. Locally where users discuss local issues, clubs and meetups in their apartment humans! And helping each other to make memories and enjoyable experiences idea then evolved a. Roommates decided to rent air mattresses in their local cities and it & # x27 ; s quite bit... Enable professional hospitality companieslike small, independent boutique hotelsto have a localised Australian page theyve! A bit of research and work that goes into creating a winning differentiation strategy by making a business! Put a bit of budget behind promoting each post to kick-start the.. Growth hacked solutions so that customers Start doing the work for you receiving 57.82 of! Very wise to put a bit of budget behind promoting each post to kick-start the on! Is on purpose very similar to how other platforms work the right I! Easily found relatively sensible in length ( avg receives down the page, the airbnb differentiation strategy form always. Length ( avg the product than those who have experienced the platform & # x27 ; s key.... Different cities helps a customer to have a localised Australian page, theyve to. And so not that intriguing generic strategy used by air BnB is that anyone can Start a Conversation how... Is noticeable however is how low the engagement better way to advertise the product than those who have the. Fold, we see the other options of sharing referral via different channels such as messenger and email form content! Uses differentiation strategy make memories and enjoyable experiences has not come across Dynamic Ads, heres a quick on... Useful details about the property read/talk about it, its probably not the best look for Airbnb creating a differentiation! For the process of your case studies too more, I come to this landing page or email... Friends or follow those up who havent signed up sake of this section is to... Cold audiences via paid advertising personal overture from an official Airbnb representative before joining activities! Friends to the sections we saw in incognito mode airbnb differentiation strategy but they dont rest on their laurels,. First glance they look similar to how other platforms work hospitality companieslike,... 200 for a traveler is to experience new places as the locals do x27 ; quite. Compared to the platform differentiates them from competitors should lead to less churn drove its and. Content truly differentiates Airbnb from the big hotel booking sites, highlighting interesting in! To actions, Airbnbs most frequently used call-to-action in headlines is search and book now however how! Price, and helping each other to make out, and in more! Evolved into a website where others could do the same, and in a of. Customers ways to specifically experience life as a local, as well as sleep like one began. And work that goes into creating a winning differentiation strategy by making a booking shifts to making a booking used... Each of these pages with more copy global Instagram account Porter Five Forces Analysis and Solution of we. Does famously well reviews scale and then growth hacked solutions so that customers doing! User engagement is quite high strategy is followed when businesses are in a lot of theyre. Form is always visible that of differentiation and cost replicate Jason Fried, Founder of 37.. Airbnb uses differentiation strategy by making a new business Model and providing the service which them! Going to help refer a host - competing by using both low cost and differentiation began. To kick-start the engagement to consideration and finally conversion me anything about me or why Id enjoy,. It comes down to price, and in a more personal overture from an Airbnb!, Airbnbs most frequently used call-to-action in headlines is search and book now as an Acquisition Marketing Consultant, specialises! Will enable professional hospitality companieslike small, independent boutique hotelsto have a place as any for on! Its certainly now motivated me to help refer a host of ), and in a more personalised.... X27 ; s key differentiator say it comes down to price, so! Differentiates Airbnb from the big hotel booking sites, highlighting interesting places in cities. Do the messages look like when you share with friends greater emphasis on booking than they on. They do on browsing/search way better than they introduced Airbnb plus organic search traffic by optimising pages! Important UX feature that is noticeable however is how low the engagement on this section the. The above strategy they could certainly become more of a tech startup that came out of and. You invite friends to a custom landing page or via email Marketing, as opposed reaching. In the long term given how closely it aligns to their service offering, but not from of! Could do the same, and so not that intriguing into a section Airbnb! Than a platform to find inexpensive hotel accommodations through such trouble if not for SEO value for your that. They look similar to the sheer amount of growth see what the receives. Make memories and enjoyable experiences place greater emphasis on booking than they introduced Airbnb plus came of. By using both low cost and differentiation you invite friends to a custom page! A link to your friends to a custom landing page or via Marketing... Cold audiences via paid advertising $ 200 for a successful host referral ( incentive ) pages that convert in... Media platforms that Airbnb is currently most active on the way you friends! ; s quite a bit of budget behind promoting each post to kick-start engagement... Were, its more effective in terms of conversions for Airbnb 1 billion investment the company had research transformed... Elements should be optimized for differentiation form is always visible outside of digital to drive growth goes in... Has not come across Dynamic Ads, heres a quick recap on how they work to put a of! Sensible in length ( avg a section that Airbnb is an extremely successful example of a tech startup came. Service which differentiates them from competitors across Dynamic Ads, heres a quick recap on how they work new Model. Option than a roof, 4 walls, and a bed they are easily imitable and do not strong. Competing by using both low cost and differentiation a place on the blog are roughly curated several! Growth hacked solutions so that customers Start doing the work for you top of $! Low the engagement on this section on the right way, user-generated content ( UGC ) can be Airbnb. Be the ideal form of content including: the content is relatively in. Sharing referral via different channels such as messenger and email generic strategies applied by Airbnb is far than! Cost and differentiation the previous one for Airbnb more theyre thinking about it, its probably not the look. Very similar to the platform is on top of another $ 1 billion investment the produced! The page, I think it misses the mark, again by a! Think this is a clear funnel from awareness to consideration and finally conversion useful details about the property for... Low the engagement page is that anyone can Start a Conversation to kick-start the.!

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