Should You Host Influencers And Creators At Your Airbnb?

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Today, I want to answer a question that came from my Airbnb Hosting Facebook Group: Should you host influencers and creators at your Airbnb? By “host,” I mean give them a free stay in exchange for services.

I feel that I am in a unique position to answer this question because I am both a travel content creator and an Airbnb host. I make my living doing both, and my blog, Our Little Lifestyle, is centered around both travel content and Airbnb hosting content.

As a travel blogger, I have collaborated with many tourism boards and hotels over the years. I have worked with international destinations such as Fiji Tourism and Peru, as well as destinations here in the United States like Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Tourism, Visit Destin, and more.

On the Airbnb hosting side, I have also received probably close to 100 pitches from content creators and have said no every time. Not because creators aren’t valuable, but because I am a travel writer and photographer myself, I don’t need this service. We spend a lot of time at our rentals, and I have become very knowledgeable about 30A and our surrounding areas. But I know that many of you are hosts and not creators, so maybe you can benefit from these partnerships.

Today, I want to answer this question in detail and offer some tips for working with creators. Some topics I will cover include:

what are content creators?
things to consider first
choosing the right creators
deliverables & compensation

Hosting Influencers & Creators At Your Airbnb

Before you launched your Airbnb, you may have wanted to hire influencers to help spread the word. Or, maybe you had never even considered it but received a creator’s pitch in your inbox. What should you do, and how does this all work?

First, let’s define who we are talking about here because they come in various forms and it really does matter especially when it comes to deliverables.

Defining Content Creators, Influencers, Bloggers, Photographers, & Their Platforms

I want to point out that the below categories aren’t mutually exclusive; in fact, I consider myself to be all four. This is important because to get the most value out of these partnerships, you want to look for a robust creator with a solid track record.

Furthermore, for most successful travel writers and content creators, a purely hosted stay is going to be of little interest. For true professionals, a lot of work goes into these trips (before, during, and after), and most will want to be paid for their work. But there are sweet spots for some creators where maybe a hosted stay is sufficient and it’s mutually beneficial.

So, let’s define who we are talking about and what they do. Remember, there is often crossover, and many content creators fit more than one of these categories. But, the key is to note the difference in deliverables.

Bloggers & Travel Writers

These are people who have an actual writing outlet, whether it be a digital publication, blog, or print journalism. Typically, they will write a blog post about your place, such as the one I wrote about my sister’s Aframe rental near Dallas, Texas. Sometimes, articles are even syndicated, like mine here on MSN.

PROS: An article has longevity with proper search engine optimization and supporting social media content, such as Pinterest. These can bring your listing views and traffic for months and years to come.

CONS: Not all writers are great photographers or savvy social media users. Do your research. If you are looking for new listing photos or Instagram reels, a travel writer may not be the best fit.

Influencers

Someone who is solely an influencer generally does not have a blog or publication outlet. Whether on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, or YouTube, they create content for their specific audience. Often, they are made with an iPhone, but the good ones do it really well!

PROS: If they have an engaged audience of your target demographic, you may be able to get a lot of quick attention. Plus, you can often reshare their posts in your stories if you are set up with social media for your Airbnb.

CONS: It’s often short-lived. Stories expire in 24 hours, and posts get buried below their next trip. Instagram reels and TikToks have a little bit more life, but nothing like a blog post.

User Generated Content (UGC) Creators

The user-generated content style has really gained popularity in the last few years because it doesn’t require a large audience. And I get the most pitches from people like this who are just getting started. User-generated content creators want to stay in your place and take photos and videos to give to you to post on your channels and in your listing. They don’t typically have any outlets or a large social media following.

Many courses teach people how to get started as user-generated content creators and provide them with standard pitch messages. I get a lot of them on both my social media accounts and even sent as Airbnb inquiries (which is super annoying). To be honest, to any UGC creators reading this, I find most of the template messages to be very generic and quite a big turnoff, especially those sent to me through the Airbnb platform. I have even gotten the same one numerous times from various people.

PROS: If you can’t get to your rental and truly need this content, then these creators may be a good fit. The ones who do it really well usually create some great content. However, many true professionals will then upsell you usage writes to the content they create.

CONS: Many aren’t providing professional-level images and videos. Plus, you are losing out on any of the benefits that come with bloggers and influencers (the outlet and the audience).

Photographers

A photographer is just that! I want to specify here that I am talking about professional photographers with equipment who create clean, color-correct images at your rental property. For these, you really need to make sure you understand the terms of the agreement and what usage rights you are getting to any photos.

Most reputable bloggers and successful influencers do not give you any of their content (photos and videos). Still, they will offer the option to purchase usage rights to images after the fact.

PROS: If you are hosting a photographer for photography services specifically, the images are usually part of the deliverables. These are generally different than your basic listing photos and focus more on lifestyle content at and around your Airbnb. These photos are great for adding to your Airbnb listing or posting on your website or social media accounts.

CONS: This is a lot of work, and often, a short stay isn’t sufficient time or value compensation for a photographer to do a great job.

Moving forward, I will refer to them all as content creators in this post because most will check more than one of the above boxes. However, I will highlight their different aspects and recommend that you look for a particular type of creator for your varying needs.

6 Things To Consider Before Giving Content Creators Free Stays At Your Airbnb

So, should you let creators stay in your Airbnb for free? Will they even want to? How do you find the perfect fit?

Let’s look at six things to consider before collaborating with a content creator. I want this to benefit both parties because I have been on both sides of this arrangement! These are actually listed in a specific order because it’s the actual flow in which you should approach these situations.

I also want to point out that return on travel collaborations is rarely instant. You will not host a creator and then get tons of bookings immediately after their stay. It is a long game, which is why I value longer-lasting content.

#1 Do You Have A Need? Let’s Define It!

First, do you even need to be working with someone? If you stay 100% booked most of the year, you probably don’t. Or, if you have the capabilities to create this content yourself, like me, then you probably don’t either.

If you are struggling to stay booked and have social media accounts for your rental but need something to post, then collaborating with a content creator may be the perfect solution!

Whether you are seeking out a creator or vetting creator pitches that come in, you will need to ask yourself if they have something you need. This could be the audience, the equipment, the outlets, or even the time.

#2 Is Their Audience Your Target Market?

Ask yourself (or the creator) who is the audience that will see this content. Then, ask yourself if that audience will be of value to you. If an influencer is based in Paris, France, and planning their first trip to the United States, is their audience that valuable to you?

General travel creators post a lot about travel, and their audience is often fairly spread out or hard to define geographically. A niche travel creator, such as my friend Tammilee at Gulf Coast Journeys, might be a better fit for your Gulf Coast rental.

You may actually find it more beneficial to work with other niche creators outside of travel. For example, if you own a rental home near a popular university, maybe working with the local sports creator for a staycation would reach people who are traveling to that area for sporting events and need a place to stay.

Look hard at their visual content. Does it align with your values and aesthetics? If you have bright and sunny beach photos, a dark and moody photography style might not fit. Or, if you cater mostly to families, does it make sense to work with a creator who focuses on romantic getaways? Take a look at my main Instagram account @outlittlelifestyleblog as an example.

Bloggers and journalists who write for online publications are often able to keyword-optimize their posts to reach people who are specifically searching for that content beyond just their base audience. For example, if you Google search Carhuaz Hotel, you’ll see this post I just wrote about the Wayarumi Sky Hotel on the first page below the big hotel sites. This is because it’s optimized for people searching for that phrase. I may be biased, but this type of coverage is very valuable, especially if it has high-quality imagery.

WAYARUMI Hotel Carhuaz Premier Deluxe Suite

That said, pay attention to your local friends if they hold your target audience! I often see regular people who just happen to post a lot on Facebook get a ton of engagement on posts about their travels. Maybe hosting them and asking them to post pictures and a link to your listing on their Facebook page is valuable enough.

#3 Seasonal Demand vs Peak Season Experiences

So, we now have the who and why, but let’s talk about the when! In my recent article about How To Get Booked In The Offseason, I didn’t mention working with creators. Why? Well, is that really where you shine?

If you own a rental cabin in the woods known for gorgeous Fall foliage, will the creator be able to create great content in February when the trees are bare?

This is always the problem for me on both sides of this discussion. You want your content creators to highlight the best time of year at your place, but that’s often when you are most busy, and the rates are the highest. For example, I usually have a lot of availability in January, but it’s cold, the beaches are empty, and the grass out front is dead. Is content showing that off even valuable? They are selling the destination as much as the accommodations!

I don’t have a one-and-done answer here since every situation is different. This is just something I want you to consider. Don’t be afraid to think outside the box. If you are hosting a creator couple during an off-season weekend, maybe ask them to focus on something specific, such as dining options nearby. The last thing you want is to end up with a bunch of useless content.

Turquoise Place New Waterslide Orange Beach AL

#4 The Terms Of The Agreement

If you are ready to move forward and collaborate with a content creator, make sure to get everything in writing, especially the deliverables! I would hate for you to partner with a blogger and be disappointed when they won’t hand over their photos to you. That is not standard practice.

Honestly, in my world as a travel writer, content creator, and photographer, there are often very few deliverables required on purely hosted collaborations. Many of the people bringing us on these trips are just hopeful to get some coverage. But while that makes sense for a large tourism department or hotel chain, it doesn’t usually make sense for a short-term rental owner like you, who is blocking off days to host this creator.

Iron out exactly what service they are providing and what is included on both ends. Try to get a rough timeline for the delivery of content. As a host, make sure they know exactly what they are getting. Often, accommodations, cleaning fees, and taxes and covered, but they are on their own for meals and activities. Or are you covering those as well? What about transportation?

Remember, these are often work trips for these content creators, and this means time away from their loved ones. Yes, the trip is nice, but I frequently spend 30+ hours organizing, editing photos, and writing my posts after a trip. Is it worth it to them for a $75/night free stay? For some it is, and often that is the newer creators. That is not a bad thing! You just really have to vet them.

There is value on both sides of the equation. What is the actual dollar equivalent of what you are providing? Does that align with what you are asking for from the creator? A weeklong stay in peak season valued at $5000 will get you more content from higher-tier creators than a two-night off-season stay valued at $300.

#5 How Does This Incorporate Your Hosting Platform?

If you have been following me for any length of time, you know that I really value the 80/20 principle. As an Airbnb host, I like to work smarter, not harder, so I can minimize interruptions to my everyday life, especially when traveling!

I value keeping everything on the Airbnb platform, communicating all details before a stay, and using the Airbnb House Manual feature for all important information. We do not take direct bookings or communicate with guests via email, phone, or text unless we absolutely have to.

Why am I telling you this? Hosting a creator and providing a top-notch experience is hard if I can’t rely on my standard workflow. To be 100% honest, I would rather leave my place empty for a few days and enjoy the break than have to send a bunch of messages and get phone calls from a creator I am hosting. This may sound silly, but I just really value a streamlined workflow and separating my business from my personal life as much as possible.

#6 Could You Be Creating This Content?

So, let’s ask ourselves one final question: Could you be creating this content?

If you look through the story highlights on my @ourlittleretreats Instagram account, you will see that I have created an incredible amount of content over the years. Doing so has given me the opportunity to make a better connection with current and future guests and made me a local expert!

Honestly, I can answer every question and give custom recommendations for every guest I host. This ability comes from spending time at your Airbnb rentals as a guest and is what makes a host successful.

Can you stay at your rentals once every 4-8 weeks with the intention of creating content? Maybe bring a friend one time and your whole family the next. Create content that highlights what makes your place special. Play tourist in your area. Doing so pays off in so many ways!

Choosing The Right Type of Content Creators To Collaborate With At Your Airbnb

As you can see, there is a lot to consider when partnering with influencers and creators at your Airbnb. That said, you can easily throw all of this out the window and try it yourself. Learn, adjust for the next one, and keep going. There is no right or wrong way to do things.

I just see a lot of disappointment from both hosts and creators and often, that stems from it not being a good partnership off the bat! These types of collaborations work best when both parties have something to offer that the other wants and needs. Consider asking for references or a sample of previous work. Most should have some examples to show you.

So, don’t be afraid to work with content creators at your Airbnb. Maybe even consider family and friends instead. You can offer them a discounted or free stay in exchange for word of mouth and social media advertising. Either way, make sure to do your research, manage expectations, and highlight your rental property in the best way possible!

Flytographer Family Photos in Rio de Janerio Ipanema Beach

More Free Airbnb Hosting Tips

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