Even in today’s digital age with several popular vacation rental platforms and social media sites available, there is still a place for an Airbnb business card.
Having your own business card can be a great way to show that you’re indeed a professional Airbnb host. On top of branding, it can also help with word-of-mouth advertising which remains one of the most effective forms of marketing.
From formal network events to impromptu social gatherings, there are various opportunities where you’ll be able to hand out your Airbnb business card. To help you come up with a design for your own cards that will market your short-term rental business effectively, here’s all the information you need to include and tools and services that can make the job easier.
Benefits of an Airbnb Business Card
There are many reasons why business cards are still being used today. One of the main reasons is that they’re tangible. In a world where increasingly more things are digital, a hard-copy marketing asset, like a business card, appeals to our tactile senses in a way that other promotional material simply can’t. What’s more, they’re also:
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Easily accessible and transferable
As business cards are very accessible and easy to share, you can carry them with you on your person and hand them out to potential guests or when you meet an interested traveler.
Alternatively, you can also easily leave them at local tourist information centers or attractions and amenities, like coffee shops and theme parks.
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An effective part of a communication strategy
Many people still cling on to business cards (and quite literally). This means that some travelers will instead ask property owners for a business card than, for example, social media handles.
So, to ensure that you cover all possible communication channels, it’s key to carry a few printed business cards with you. They might be small, but they can succinctly communicate all the important details. After all, dynamite comes in small packages, right?
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Carries and builds your brand
A well-designed Airbnb business card can communicate more than just basic contact details. It also helps to say something about your brand and what guests can expect when booking your place.
For example, can they look forward to a rustic room with a view or expect a chic condo?
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Can reach multiple guests with one card
When you place business cards inside your property, they can also serve as a type of souvenir, a reminder of their stay that guests can carry with them.
Then, the next time that one of their friends asks them for a recommendation for accommodation, they can pass on this card to your next potential guests.
What to Include in Your Vacation Rental Business Card
As mentioned, you don’t have a lot of space. So, you’ll want to see to it that you add only the most important details so that there’s still sufficient white space (aka negative space) left.
Here are the essential elements that you’ll need to include and some best practices to keep in mind:
1. Name of host
Your short-term rental property might be the star of the show, but guests will still want to know your name, surname, and job title. Including your job title is a good idea as it helps to communicate your skills and experience.
2. Contact details
Just like with any other type of business card, you’ll also need to include your contact details like your email address, phone number, and business address.
3. Vacation home name
It’s a good idea to create a name for your vacation home. You’re looking for a short, catchy name that will encapsulate the style and biggest feature(s) of your property.
4. Short property description
As you have limited space, you should keep your property description very short (much shorter than what you’re allowed to share in your Airbnb listing).
5. Website
If you have a direct booking website, which is strongly recommended, be sure to include your website address too. Not only does this help to show that you’re credible, but it can also help you to land more direct bookings and increase your revenue.
If you don’t have your own website yet, you can check out a vacation rental software like iGMS that includes a free vacation rental website builder.
6. Social media handles
It’s essential that you have an online presence. For vacation rentals, Instagram and Facebook are good platforms to start. As they’re more visual than, for instance, Twitter, you can use them to share photos of your property and nearby attractions to help attract more reservations.
7. Logo and/or Image
Then, to round off your Airbnb rental business card, you can choose one or two images, even better if you have a logo that you can add.
Where and When to Hand Out Your Airbnb Business Cards
After you’ve designed your card and it’s time to hand it out, you can be strategic about when and where to hand them out.
Examples of situations where Airbnb hosts can hand them out include welcome gifts, travel expos, and first meetings with prospective guests.
Best Airbnb Business Card Design Software, Templates, & Services
The good news is that there’s no need to hire a graphic designer or start from scratch. There are several affordable tools that you can use (some of them are available for free) that offer ideas and business card templates to help you come up with a great design.
1. Canva
Canva is a popular, free graphic design tool that offers loads of business card templates. Not only can you use it free of charge, but thanks to its intuitive drag-and-drop features it’s also very easy to use.
2. Adobe Creative Suite
If you’re more comfortable using design tools, you can check out Adobe Creative Suite. It offers vector graphics tools, various fonts, and customized colors to help you design very professional business cards. After a free, 30-day trial, pricing starts at about $20 per month.
3. Moo
For creative designs and help with printing, you can head on over to Moo. It offers various business card sizes and premium paper options that will guarantee a good impression.
4. Ps Print
PsPrint offers online printing services for custom business cards. Even if you want to print fewer than 50, they’ll be able to help.
5. 99Designs
If you prefer to leave the job to an experienced designer, you can turn to 99Designs. They have a global community of professional designers that are ready to turn your ideas into a reality.
All you need to do is create a simple brief and they’ll help you find a designer. Then, only after you’ve finalized your design and you’re happy with the results will the payment be released securely.
6. Fiverr
If you’re unsuccessful in finding a graphic designer on 99 Designs, you can try Fiverr. It’s one of the leading platforms where freelancers from all over the world showcase their talents.
One of the features that make Fiverr such an attractive option is that all projects are based on a set price. As you won’t have to pay an hourly rate, it’s much easier to budget and avoid surprises.
7. Upwork
Upwork is similar to Fiverr. Though, one difference is that it also gives designers the option to charge an hourly rate instead of using project-based pricing.
To help you choose the best designer to partner with, all freelancers have a star rating and you can also refer to reviews to get a better idea of their skills.