For travelers, social media has become a tool to plan out trips and communicate with friends and family back home about their experiences. People are interacting with social media at an increasing rate.
In fact, according to a recent report, 30% of all time online is now spent on social media.
For property managers and owners, that makes social media one of the primary influences on booking decisions. Even if you don’t have dedicated profiles for your properties on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and other channels, what people say online can impact your business.
These are some of the top ways that we at BookingTeam.com have seen social media change the vacation rental industry.
1. Expected response times are much faster.
Social media has increased the pressure put on businesses to have speedy customer service, not just in the rental industry but every industry. Because social media has provided a very public forum to call people or businesses out when they don’t meet expectations, there is an urgency to respond in record time.
In fact, over 72% of people who send a negative tweet to a brand expect a response within one hour. Facebook Pages will display the response time for a business. Even rental sites factor in a host’s average response time in their rankings. Host profiles on sites like Airbnb will list the response time, which guests may consider in their booking decisions. The standard rule is generally 24 hours, but social media has caused many to expect a much quicker turnaround.
Develop a standard response time policy as well as documented procedures for how to respond to potential complaints and FAQs that could arise. A management platform like BookingTeam.com can also help you manage your communication with your guests across multiple rental sites and channels.
2. Social media has amplified word of mouth.
Word of mouth is perhaps the greatest influence on booking decisions, and social media (along with reviews) is the modern word of mouth. It’s how people get recommendations and advice. Even if you have beautiful photos and incredible amenities, people will be hesitant to book a stay in a property with negative reviews.
At the same time, you can leverage positive experiences to boost your bookings and revenue. For instance, in a study conducted by Facebook, 84% of respondents said that their friends’ travel photos and posts influenced their own travel plans. Another 95% reported using Facebook during the booking process, sharing links and lodging plans with friends.
3. The entire customer experience is more important.
Booking a vacation rental isn’t just about having a place to stay for a few nights. More people are focused on the entire experience, and sharing those experiences with their friends and family via Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and other social media channels.
In this way, social media has made the community factor more prominent and experience even more important. More than ever, it is critical for vacation rental properties to craft consistently positive guest experiences. It doesn’t begin when they check in or even when they make a reservation. It goes from when they start thinking about going on vacation and browse sites to after check-out.
To manage vacation rental properties more effectively and efficiently, use a management platform like BookingTeam.com. Our 24/7 team of booking professionals combined with an array of management tools save properties valuable time that they can dedicate to growing their business and creating exceptional guest experiences.