How to Use Email Marketing to Personalize the Guest Experience

If your Airbnb listing is a treehouse or a castle, the property itself creates a unique guest experience. But what if your space is a typical, two-bedroom condo? How do you curate a personalized experience that exceeds each of your guest’s expectations?

Colin Holowaychuk is the Founder of Vamonosco, a done-for-you solution that generates new bookings and increases revenue for short-term rental (STR) managers. He also hosts his own portfolio of 200-plus Airbnb listings in Tulum, Mexico, and serves as an active participant in our STR Legends Mastermind. With 15 years of experience as a FinTech, marketing and eCommerce entrepreneur, Colin has developed an expertise in helping businesses accelerate their growth.

On this episode of Get Paid for Your Pad, Colin joins me to share his process for collecting the information he needs to personalize the guest experience before, during and after their stay. He explains how he uses the guest’s priorities and preferences to curate a custom itinerary and what he does when a guest is hesitant to share their information. Listen in for Colin’s insight on leveraging dynamic content to give yourself a competitive advantage and learn what technology you need to set up an individualized email marketing campaign for each guest!

Topics Covered

Colin’s process for getting the info he needs to personalize the guest experience

• Ask group to register ALL guests who will be staying
• Email survey re: purpose, priorities and preferences

How Colin thinks about the potential for violating Airbnb’s terms of service

• Hosts may ask questions, just need legitimate reason for doing so
• Be up front with guests re: purpose and make answering optional

How Colin uses the survey information to curate a unique guest experience

• Welcome email highlights local attractions + activities relevant to guest
• Share additional offerings based on preferences (e.g.: grocery delivery)

How Colin follows up with his guests after their stay

• Remind about experience to spark emotional response
• Invitation to return also catered to guest’s interests

What technology a host needs to set up this kind of email marketing campaign

1. Typeform survey platform
2. Zapier to connect software
3. Any email marketing service (i.e.: ActiveCampaign, Mailchimp, etc.)

Colin’s insight on leveraging dynamic content to do custom email marketing

• Takes time up front to configure autoresponder
• Sends automated, personalized emails from then on

Connect with Colin

Colin on Airbnb

Vamonosco

Resources

STR Legends

STR Profit Academy

Typeform

Zapier

ActiveCampaign

Mailchimp

Infusionsoft

Domio

‘Airbnb Suspends Domio’s Host Accounts and Listings for Allegedly Violating Its Standards’ in Skift

Kelly Kampen on GPFYP EP006

Kelly Kampen on GPFYP EP055