Airbnb

Morgan Milza
February 18th, 2017
 1. Executive Summary
2. Social Media Audit
a. Social Media Assessment
b. Traffic Sources Assessment
c. Customer Demographics
Assessment
d. Competitor Assessment
3. Social Media Objectives
4. Online Brand Persona and
Table of Contents Voice
5. Strategies and Tools
6. Timing and Key Dates
7. Social Media Roles and
Responsibilities
8. Social Media Policy
9. Critical Response Plan
10. Measurement and Reporting
Results
Executive Summary
Facebook and Instagram are Airbnb’s most followed social networks, but Instagram
drives less traffic to the website than platforms with less followers and engagement.
Therefore, one of our goals will be to improve the website traffic from Instagram.

Another primary focus will be building a community and relationship with customers
on LinkedIn.

Two major social strategies will support this objective:

• Encourage movement from Instagram to Airbnb website.
• A plan to increase the volume and quality of content published on LinkedIn.
Social Media Audit
The following is an audit of Airbnb’s social media
presence to date. It includes an assessment of all
social networks, web traffic, audience
demographics, and a competitor analysis.
Social Media Assessment
Data as of February 17, 2017

Social Network URL Follower Count Average Weekly Average

Activity Engagement Rate
#interactions/reach

Twitter Twitter.com/airbnb 573,000 6 posts per week 3.1%

Facebook Facebook.com/airbnb 5,203,981 5 posts per week 2.1%
Instagram Instagram.com/airbnb 1,600,000 15 posts per week Average interactions
per post = 21,237
LinkedIn Linkedin.com/company/ 332,021 9 posts per 6 0%
airbnb months

Social Media Assessment:

At present time, the highest interactions per post occurs on Instagram. Very little interaction
occurs on LinkedIn, so the closing or strategizing of this channel should be considered moving
forward.
Website Traffic Sources Assessment
Timeframe: Monthly Average, September 2016 to February 2017

Source Volume Percentage of Overall Conversion Rate

Traffic
Twitter 40,000 Unique Visits 2.09% 1.2%
Facebook 550,000 Unique Visits 5% 3.2%
Instagram 800,000 Unique Visits 3% 1.5%
LinkedIn 10,000 Unique Visits 1.07% 0.2%

Traffic Summary:
Facebook drives the most traffic to the website, while Instagram has more
engagement and unique viewers.
Audience Demographics Assessment
Survey distributed in November/December via email and upon visitor registration.

Age Gender Primary Social Secondary Primary Need Secondary

Distribution Distribution Network Social Network Need
50% 18 - 30 52% Female 65% Facebook 50% Instagram Housing while Culture
traveling immersion
30% 31- 40 48% Male 20% Instagram 25% Twitter
10% 41 - 55 10% Twitter 15% Facebook
10% 56 - 80 5% LinkedIn 10% LinkedIn

Audience Demographics Summary:

According to the survey, half the customer base using Airbnb are in the 18 to 30 age
range. Their most popular social networks are Facebook and Instagram. Travel,
adventure, and cultural experience are major motivators for using Airbnb.
 Competitor Assessment
Competitor Name Social Media Profile Strengths
HomeAway FB: HomeAway Frequently posts with quality
graphics that are getting a lot
of engagement. Running a
Facebook sweepstakes that
collaborates with another
company.
Tripping Instagram: Tripping Posts quality graphics and uses
hashtags.
VRBO TW: VRBO Posts often, primarily with
photos. Retweets positive
tweets from customers
Weaknesses
One way communication – is
not responding to comments
on posts.
Should have Pinterest link in
bio instead of telling customers
to find you there.
Does not post frequently
enough and logo on bottom
right of every photo distracts
from content.
Does not communicate with
customers.
Posts do not get a lot of
engagement.

Competitor Assessment Summary:

Above are three major Airbnb competitors with a strong social media presence on Facebook,
Instagram, and Twitter respectively. All competitors focus on high quality visual content across their
channels. Competition has room for improvement with 2 way communication and creation of content.
Social Media Objectives
In 2017, the primary focus of our social media strategy will be to support revenue goals
by increasing traffic to the website from our social media channels; specifically
Instagram and LinkedIn. We will encourage viewers to move to our website through on
Instagram posts, and we will grow our following by increasing volume of posts on
LinkedIn.

Some specific objectives include:

1. Increase unique visitors from Instagram by 30% in the next 6 months.

2. Increase LinkedIn followers by 5,000 in 6 months.
3. Increase volume of creative articles with visual content on LinkedIn by 50% in the next 6
months.
Online Brand
Personal and Voice
When interacting with customers we
are:
• Encouraging
• Friendly
• Helpful

Adjectives that describe our brand:

• Adventurous
• Unique
• Worldly
• Inspiring
• Flexible
• Accepting
Airbnb Social Voice Examples
 Paid:
• Utilize Instagram’s advertising tool once a month,
especially around key dates.

Owned:
• Add a link to Airbnb’s website to at least one Instagram
post a week. Share most popular posts across all social
media channels each week in one article posted to
LinkedIn.

Earned:
Strategies and Tools • Monitor Instagram for keywords such as travel, explore,
vacation, hotel. Offer discount codes to promising
customers.

• Continue partnering with actors, actresses, and musicians

to influence audience. Offer them discounts to encourage
them to post about Airbnb on their own channels.

Approved Tools:
• Hootsuite
• Buffer
Timing and Key Dates
Lead Times
Holiday Dates
• Start content sharing a month
• Valentine’s Day
before holiday.
• President’s Day

(Long Weekend) Reporting Times

• Spring Break
• Reporting will occur once a
• Memorial Day
quarter om the last Friday in
(Long Weekend) February, May, August and
• 4th of July November.
Social Media Roles and Responsibilities
Marketing Director – Francesca Allen
• Final approval of content
• Budgeting for social campaigns
• Highest level of planning
Social Media Manager – Harris Brown
• Manage campaigns
• Make sure daily social goals are met
Social Media Coordinator – Dorothy Kilroy
• Publish Posts
• Monitor engagement
• Respond to customers questions and comments
Social Media Policy
Our social media channels are essential in developing a brand persona. How we present ourselves
online is how our customers are going to view our company. With that in mind, we expect our
employees to be attentive, respectful, and polite when engaging online.

Employees are encouraged to post photos, talk about their travel experiences, and help promote
Airbnb’s advertising campaigns on their personal social channels. Employees are not permitted to
post about upcoming policy changes, events, promotions, or any company news that has not
been made public. Any mention of Airbnb should be kept professional. If your online biography
mentions our company name than you are expected to follow our social media etiquette
requirements.

Our employees are an extension of our company, so violation of our social media policy will not be
taken lightly. Employees will be subject to possible termination and legal action.

Questions about appropriate social media conduct can be directed to your superiors or our HR
department.
Critical Response Plan
Scenario One – Inappropriate tweet sent from @airbnb
1. Tweet is to be screenshot
2. Tweet is to be deleted
3. Alert the social media manager of the incident. If the social media manager is not
available, alert the marketing director.
4. Social media manager and marketing director are to evaluate situation and
develop an appropriate follow up tweet
5. If media has picked up the tweet, marketing director is to sync with PR department
and manage all direct contact with the public.
6. Social media manager and marketing director are to talk with the employee
responsible for publishing the tweet to see if disciplinary action is required.

Pre- approved Messaging:

Is to include an apology on behalf of the company.
Critical Response Plan (Continued)
Scenario 2 – Complaint from customer or host
1. Social listening protocol of Airbnb’s name with negative key words and phrases
2. Alert superior of any negative posts
3. Personnel to alert social media manager of incident
4. Social media manager is to evaluate incident and determine level of severity
5. If news outlets have picked up the post, contact all social media personnel and the PR
department.
6. Continue monitoring the issue.
7. Post a response within a 48 hour window to reassure the party that they have been heard and
investigation is taking place.

Pre-approved Messaging
To posting account – “Oh no, we’re sorry to hear that! Please DM (private message) us, so we can look
into this issue.”
On our account – “ We are currently conducting an investigation into the event. If anyone has any
further information, we encourage you to DM us, so we can sort this out. We apologize for the
inconvenience!”
Measurement and Reporting Results
Quantitative KPIs
Reporting Period: 3
months
Website Traffic Data Data as of May 1, 2017

Source Volume Percentage of Overall Conversion Rate

Traffic
Twitter 42,000 Unique Visits 2.07% 1.5%
Facebook 500,000 Unique Visits 5.2% 3.8%
Instagram 900,000 Unique Visits 5% 3.2%
LinkedIn 50,000 Unique Visits 2% 1%

Traffic Results Summary:

Airbnb has experienced a significant increase in Instagram and LinkedIn ’s overall
traffic and conversion rate.
Measurement and Reporting Results (Cont.)
Social Network Data
Social Network URL Follower Count Average Weekly Average
Activity Engagement Rate
#interactions/reach

Twitter Twitter.com/airbnb 597,005 10 posts per week 3%

Facebook Facebook.com/airbnb 5,274,649 7 posts per week 4.2%
Instagram Instagram.com/airbnb 1,692,945 17 posts per week Average interactions
per post = 25,000
LinkedIn Linkedin.com/company/ 489,000 2 posts per week 2.3%
airbnb

Social Network Summary:

There has been a significant increase in posts and followers on LinkedIn. All platforms have increased in
number of followers and posts per week.