Airbnb Audit
One of the many unique properties listed through Airbnb..
Section 1: Audit of Brand Accounts
Airbnb is a renowned company that allows people to rent out all different kinds of homes to people. They use multiple social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, X, TikTok, YouTube, and even LinkedIn. I have put together an audit that covers the strengths and weaknesses of Airbnb.
Followers: 6.1M
Top Content: High-quality travel photos and videos featuring unique stays, host stories, and travel guides.
Engagement Trends: Posts showcasing aesthetic properties, especially treehouses and tiny homes, tend to receive the most likes and shares. User-generated content featuring their own experiences is beneficial.
Image on Airbnb Instagram.
Facebook
Followers: 16M
Top Content: They primarily show different travel locations and their properties.
Ways of Engagement: The photos, videos, and graphics they post keep engagement high which is why they have so many followers.
Negatives: They have not posted on Facebook in almost four years.
X
Followers: 18.1K
Top Content: I noticed that they primarily repost other people’s posts mentioning them. They do not tweet too much.
Ways of Engagement: What they do post shows travel ideas, deals, and also have their own help account for any concerns which I found interesting.
TikTok
Followers: 353.4K
Top Content: Videos featuring unique places through Airbnb, promoting people who are listing their properties, and different influencer collabs.
Negatives: Their competitor Vrbo has more followers than Airbnb does.
YouTube
Subscribers: 655K
Top Content: Longer-form content like host stories, travel vlogs, and Airbnb Experiences features.
Negatives: They have their comments turned off so customers cannot share their concerns through YouTube.
Ways of Engagement: Tips for people who want to put their house on Airbnb. This can provide helpful information for users.
Followers: 2,838,540M
Top Content: Providing insight into who they are as a company and potential job offers.
Negatives: Typically, they only respond to positive comments.
Airbnb’s most successful content shows off its beautiful and unique properties. Although they need some work on certain platforms, overall, Airbnb is very responsive and user friendly.
Section 2: Observation of Social Media Care
In terms of customer care, Airbnb is very inconsistent through all their platforms. Below I will go more in depth for each platform.
X: Airbnb has its own help account where they solely focus on helping customer’s issues. They usually get back within a few hours. They provide personal, thought-out responses and do all they can to help customers to the best of their ability.
Instagram & Facebook Comments: Airbnb actively engages with comments, thanking users for positive feedback and addressing concerns. They also redirect users to their support team for issues related to booking houses. Overall, they are very consistent on Facebook and Instagram.
TikTok & YouTube Comments: On YouTube, they have their comments turned off completely, not allowing their customers or anyone for that matter to ask questions or provide feedback. On TikTok I noticed they get a lot of complaints yet primarily respond to only positive comments.
Personalized Responses: Airbnb sometimes addresses users by name and provides specific answers, making interactions feel personal. Other times they are not very personaly by only providing emoji responses or short responses.
Redirecting to Proper Channels: I noticed when Airbnb does give a personalized message, they direct the customer to their help page or ask for them to DM them with more information.
Encouraging Engagement: They encourage travelers and hosts to share their experiences, creating a cycle of user-generated content. A lot of the posts Airbnb has been from customer’s pictures that they send to them.
Section 3: Observation and Analysis of Social Media Comments
To analyze Airbnb, I examined a mix of X, Facebook, and YouTube comments. Here are key insights:
Top Qualities Mentioned:
Unique Stays: Users frequently praise Airbnb for offering unique accommodations, for example they provide the house from the movie “Up” and all types of creative properties,
Affordability vs. Hotels: I noticed some customers say the price is very reasonable, while others mention that pricing can sometimes be high due to cleaning fees.
Host Experience: I have seen mixed reviews about the hosts either being rude or unhelpful, and in other cases they are very friendly and helpful.
Ease of Booking: I have seen many comments saying they prefer Airbnb in terms of it being easy to use over their competitor Vrbo, which is a very good thing.
Content Ideas Generated from Comments:
"Hidden Gems" Series: A video or blog series on YouTube showcasing lowkey but more unique Airbnb properties.
Host Spotlights: Highlighting top-rated hosts and more about their background.
Budgeting Tips: Creating a guide where users are able to see if a property is a good, okay, or bad deal like Seatgeek does for example.
Customer Videos: Encourages guests to share their stay in video clips.
Behind-the-Scenes Content: Shows how Airbnb ensures safety and quality control.
Other Trends Noticed:
Some people have discussed concern about hidden fees, saying Airbnb could improve their transparency to customers.
I noticed many people ask why they have trouble finding a place that is pet friendly, so having that prioritized would make customers happier.
Section 4: Closing Analysis and Learnings
Summary
Airbnb’s social media presence is strong on some platforms and needs work on others. Instagram and Facebook have the best customer care although they haven’t posted on Facebook in years. LinkedIn and YouTube are probably the worst in that category. However, the brand successfully leverages user-generated content and visually appealing travel experiences. The concerns around pricing and service need attention. I have some recommendations below:
Learnings & Recommendations for Airbnb:
Airbnb should continue posting beautiful properties and encourage hosts to be more involved in posting. They should also have a video explaining pricing breakdowns (cleaning fees, service charges, etc.) could help trust.
Learnings & Recommendations for a Competitor (Vrbo):
Vrbo’s primary advantage is offering whole-home rentals, which appeals to families and groups.
Recommendation: Airbnb could highlight entire-home listings more often to keep up with Vrbo.
Vrbo’s customer service response time is slower than Airbnb’s.
Recommendation: Airbnb should maintain its quick response strategy and use it as a competitive advantage.
Final Thoughts: Overall, Airbnb’s social media strategy drives engagement and brand loyalty, but there’s room for improvement in many aspects. Companies are far from perfect, but with more work Airbnb can stay on top.