Have you ever read about the brilliance of Air Bnb’s marketing strategy? Let’s say You watched two ads on the television about the same products but different advertisements. One is colourful and introduces you to how their product is best of all and how it’s your best choice. At the same time, the other one involves more emotions, people, and behaviour. For example, imagine you are planning a holiday.

When you visit some websites, you see packages, happy families, or celebrities recommending those services. But on the other hand, let’s get creative. You visit a website, and instead of showing all these packages and positive reviews, they offer you a short video showing how a family lost a kid. They later found him working as a waiter at a holiday house they were staying in, or how a family found peace in marriage after they visited a particular resort and made a positive association.

All this will directly or indirectly influence your decision, and you will go for the second one. Why? When we need a break, we go on holiday and expect something positive from our vacation, and in that case, our selection is justified.

Today’s blog is all about such a company. You must know it. It is Air BnB, an American company offering rental places. This blog discovers all the factors contributing to the success and how AirBnB has billions of trusted customers worldwide.

What is AirBnB?

Airbnb has completely changed the hotel industry. Before the company’s official launch in 2008, tourists usually reserved a room at a hotel or motel when visiting a different town. These days, a large number of them choose Airbnb.

The basic concept behind Airbnb is connecting locals with a spare room or entire house for rent with tourists. Through the platform, hosts can market their properties to millions of people globally, all while knowing that a large corporation will take care of payment processing and other support. Additionally, Airbnb can offer visitors a cozy place to stay—often cheaper than hotels—possibly with a kitchen to cut down on eating out.

Apart from its success, the launch story of Airbnb is interesting. Airbnb was founded in 2008 by Joe Gebbia, Nathan Blecharczyk, and current CEO Brian Chesky. After two of the founders began renting out air mattresses to conference attendees from their San Francisco home, the idea took off. Hence, Airbed & Breakfast’s original name. So now you got it. Now, let’s move on to the marketing strategy of Airbnb that changed the game.

Why Air bnb Marketing is a Game Changer? 

Now, you might think that the idea was innovative, and that’s why Airbnb succeeded. Let me give you a reality check here: countless creative ideas come to the market yearly, and most flop badly after some time. Here are all the reasons:

• Airbnb gives Social Proof:

When faced with uncertainty, humans seek advice from others who have experienced similar circumstances. Because of this, we often see behaviour as acceptable if others have exhibited the same behaviour.

One such example is the reviews section found on every online marketplace. If others seem happy with their purchases, you are more likely to buy goods and services yourself.

Not an exception applies to Airbnb. But my favourite feature of Airbnb is how it leverages machine learning to produce insights from user reviews displayed at the top of the page.

According to data from Airbnb, 95% of recent visitors rated their check-in experience five stars, and 100% rated the location five stars. The more recent the ratings are, the more likely a guest will make a reservation.

Given that experience can change over time, which is beyond Airbnb’s control, previous ratings may not be helpful in this situation.

A few more examples of how Airbnb skillfully applies the social proof principle are when it states that a property is the “most wish-listed in the country” or has been viewed more than 500 times in the previous week and is, therefore, on people’s minds.

• Airbnb Reciprocates:

The reciprocity principle states that we usually repay favors when given to us. Companies take advantage of it by offering customers something for free before requesting anything in return. A few examples are free food samples at supermarket chains, freemium SaaS companies, or a free e-book in return for disclosing personal data.

Air bnb does not directly offer customers. However, teaching hosts how to treat guests well and guests how to abide by house rules applies the reciprocity principle—exchanging advice on how to make your home welcoming to guests and surprise them (in a good way), as well as information about local activities. This increases ratings, and demand rises in response to higher ratings. Increased need allows hosts to raise prices and increase revenue for both Air bnb and themselves.

• Air bnb is as Committed as Day 1:

The Commitment and Consistency Principle has numerous distinctions. On the surface, however, it suggests that once we commit, we experience pressure from the inside and the outside to follow through on that choice or responsibility.

The Commitment and Consistency Principle has numerous subtleties. On the surface, however, it suggests that once we commit, we experience pressure from both the inside and the outside to follow through on that choice or commitment.

One example from the book—which many of you may have already encountered—is when companies hold contests inviting participants to write a brief essay explaining why they like a specific product. The winning entry is then awarded a prize.

Although there appears to be minimal competition, the psychological effect on the participants is a promise to continue using the product. If you write something yourself and persuade yourself that you like it, 

The next time, won’t you purchase the same item? So you got your answer!

Air bnb gently applies this idea in a few locations:

Air bnb Superhost: A skilled and highly rated host who fulfills specific standards is awarded the Superhost title. The most essential requirement listed on Air bnb is the host’s dedication to giving their guests the highest calibre of service possible so that other people can easily trust them.

• Use of Authority Principle:

According to the authority principle, people are more likely to obey those they believe to have high authority—that is, to possess knowledge, information, or power. This is an effective strategy that people use to make decisions rapidly. Businesses can use this idea to sway consumers by citing authorities, bringing up honours, or highlighting prestigious partner organisations. Even though Air bnb has expanded to be a $30 billion business, it still needs to overtake hotel chains in the market to reach the next growth phase more quickly. But for Air bnb to succeed, it must deliver a dependable, high-quality, and comfortable experience that rivals that of hotel chains.

That’s where the recently launched Airbnb Plus comes in. It is a collection of residences that have been approved by Air bnb in various global cities and satisfy the standards set by the platform for comfort and quality. Because of its selection and verification process, which gives users the authority they require, people are more likely to book when they know the standards that Airbnb sets for hosts and guests.

• Air bnb knows how to create scarcity:

Last but not least, as the title suggests, we value things that we perceive to be scarcer—in terms of time, quantity, quality, etc.—more highly. This principle is based on the judgment heuristic that what is hard to obtain is better than what is easy to get.

Air bnb has incorporated it into various places, including search results, time-limited discounts, and showcasing rarity regarding location and booking availability.

 

Conclusion:

Psychology is indeed the most powerful tool anyone can use, yet it is underestimated. The companies that have used this potent tool have always outshined in the market, just like the example we discussed. If they were not targeting human psychology, this idea might have failed in a month or a year. Still, they used the principles of psychology like persistent commitment, reciprocity, the use of authority principles, social proof, and linking everything to deeper emotional levels, which are the foundations of Air BnB’s success. These techniques seem complicated, but anyone can learn and implement them in their business if they want ever-lasting marketing success.

F and Q’s

What is the targeting strategy of Air bnb?

Regarding Airbnb, travelers searching for less expensive alternatives to traditional hotels are their target market. More precisely, they frequently seek out experiences more tailored to their area. To draw travellers to the platform, Air bnb uses the phrase “live like a local,” which appeals to some travellers.

What is Airbnb, and how does it work?

Airbnb is a digital marketplace that links individuals looking for short-term lodging and those looking to rent out their property. Air bnb provides hosts a comparatively simple means of generating revenue from their real estate. Visitors frequently discover that Air bnb rentals are cosier and less expensive than hotels.

Why do they call it an Air bnb?

“Air Bed and Breakfast,” or “Air bnb,” refers to the company’s modest beginnings when its founders rented out air mattresses in their flat to people attending a nearby conference.

read also : The Advertisement of Manipulation (Part 1)