The humble Airbnb welcome letter hey…
Seldom appreciated - and often overlooked - this little host gesture could make all the difference.
Here’s why.
Whilst all the other hosts in your area are focused on doing ‘just enough’, you can focus on going above and beyond!
And it’s above and beyond that’s going to secure you more bookings, a higher ranking in Airbnb search, and a more sustainable, profitable business long term.
So, even though the humble welcome letter might seem like a pointless exercise, it could well be more beneficial than you think.
In this post you’ll learn:
Plus, you’ll get access to my personal Airbnb welcome letter template.
So, lets dive in shall we!
Table of Contents
What is an Airbnb Welcome letter & why do I need one?
An Airbnb welcome letter is a personalised letter given as a welcome gesture to new guests at your property.
This letter is valuable for a number of reasons:
It’s kind of funny right?
How such a simple gesture can have such asymmetric upside benefits, yet so few people actually use it!
What to include in your Airbnb welcome letter
When it comes to writing the welcome letter for your Airbnb property, there are a few things that you absolutely have to include.
Lets take a quick look at some of the most important.
1. Conversational not contractual
Your welcome letter isn’t a business contract, or a letter to some official…
No.
Instead it’s the equivalent of a letter to a close friend.
For this reason, you should keep the tone of the letter warm and conversational at all times.
Do this well, and you’ll start building rapport with your guests instantly.
2. Generic yet personable
Yes, your welcome letter is important, however, it’s not really something that you’re going to want to spend a tonne of time on before every new check-in.
That's just not realistic.
For that reason it’s a really good idea to write your letter in a conversational, personalised way, yet generic enough not to have to write one for each and every guest.
That might mean compromising on a few areas of personalisation like using the guests name, or adding any booking specifics to the letter like a honeymoon, birthday, etc.
However, for the trade off in time saved it's compromise worth taking in the long run.
3. A goodwill gesture
It goes without saying that your welcome letter should include a gesture of goodwill.
It doesn’t have to be anything cheesy, or brown-nose-esque, or anything like that. In fact it can be something as simple as “hope you have an awesome stay in %your_house_name%”.
Something simple, and something genuine will do the trick here.
4. Property address
It’s not really a biggy, but it’s a good idea to remind your guests of your exact address, plus a map just in case they get lost.
Add these to your welcome letter with a little gesture to take a picture of the details should be enough to avoid lost guests altogether.
5. A small part in a big puzzle
If you haven’t got one already, it’s a good idea to create an Airbnb welcome book for your property, as this welcome manual (if used correctly) will be a key component in your overall guest nurture system.
And your welcome letter - used in conjunction with your welcome book - is a vital part of a well oiled guest nurture funnel.
Here's how it works:
Step 1 - Your guests enter the property and immediately read your welcome letter.
Step 2 - Your welcome letter directs guests to read the welcome book.
Step 3 - All of your guests questions are answered - before they ever have to ask.
The result?
More guests reading your welcome book, which has the knock-on effect of reducing guest questions, and increasing guest satisfaction all round.
6. Important rules
Your welcome letter definitely isn’t a place to lecture your guests and rant, but it can be a place to casually drop any important house rules.
Things like remembering to lock the front door, or to keep the noise to a minimum after 10pm, etc.
Just remember, don’t go overboard with this information.
And if in doubt, just refer them to the House rules section of your welcome book.
7. Contact information
Just writing a welcome letter in the first place shows that you care, but it’s also important to make note of your contact details (or the property managers) too.
And, to push the needle even further, remember to remind your guests that they can reach out to you at any time - whatever the issue may be - in case of any problems during their stay.
A simple gesture like this goes a long way!
8. Well wishes
It kind of goes without saying that you want your guests to get the most out of their stay, but there’s no harm in re-iterating it in your welcome letter too.
That’s why I recommend you sign off your welcome letter with gratitude and well wishes.
Even something simple like:
“Thank you so much for choosing to stay at %your _house%. Please make yourself at home, and I hope you really enjoy your stay”
Wrapping it up
A well written Airbnb welcome letter - used as part of an overall guest nurture strategy - is an important piece of the hosting puzzle.
Of course it’s not the be all and end all if you choose not to provide a welcome letter. But if you’re committed to optimising every aspect of your Airbnb operations, and you want to create efficiencies as well as add value wherever possible…
Then it’s a cheap gesture, that goes a long way.
Let me know if you have any tips I missed in the comments below.
Chat soon.
Rowan
