6 tactics to get guests to read your Airbnb guest book

How do you ensure that you don’t pour time, attention and heart into an Airbnb guest book that guests don’t read?

It’s a fair question. Research shows that, in this digital age, our capacity to pay attention is shrinking. And in the accommodation industry specifically, we hear about broken property rules and negative reviews that could have been avoided if guests had simply read the materials provided.

Hope is not lost, though!

You can take a proactive stance and influence whether guests read—and pay attention to — your Airbnb guest book. We’ve seen it in action! And now we’re going to share some of those tactics with you.

If you’re an accommodation host looking for tried and tested strategies to get guests reading your guidebook, then this article is for you.

Tactic #1: Offer persuasive reasons for holiday guests to read your info

Do your guests fall prey to the highly contagious “vacation brain” syndrome? Coined by Touch Stay’s own Queen of Guest Experience, Tyann Marcink, “vacation brain” describes the mindset many guests seem to fall into.

“Vacation brain” is at work when guests totally miss the part where they need to turn the deadbolt to actually unlock your digital lock. Or, when they call you for the WiFi password, which is plastered in no less than three places around your rental. Or, how about when they call to tell you that the door code isn’t working… and then realise they’re at the wrong house.

Vacation brain strikes early, sometimes right after guests have booked their stay, and only gets worse as their arrival approaches.

Here’s one potential antidote: be very clear with your guests about why they want to read your guidebook.

Why would your guests need or want to read your Airbnb guest book?

Because it contains access instructions? Because it tells them where the nearest seafood market is? Nope. It goes deeper than that.

The true “why” is that guests want to unwind, decompress, kick back, and simply not think. Fumbling around for access instructions ruins that. Spending hours searching for good seafood options ruins that. There’s your “why.”

READ: the 6 best guest communication tactics between booking and arrival

And you can communicate that “why” directly with guests in your intro email:

• Let them know how the welcome book will be of benefit to them.
• Keep it short and simple
• Draw them in by promising to answer their top questions—and include a list of those FAQs.

For example, Tyann’s guests were always asking about the closest grocery store, so she calls that out first. Here’s her example:

Your trip is almost here, and it’s time to unwind. Our digital welcome book from Touch Stay can help with that! Information provided includes:

• Nearby grocery stores
• Closest coffee shops
• Access instructions
• Wifi code
• Packing tips
• Wineries
• Bike shops
• and more

So take a few moments to check out our guidebook at this link (no download required!). It’s your shortcut to less stress and will start your trip off right.

Think about your own FAQs. Maybe your guests would open your welcome book in a nanosecond if they knew what was inside:

• how to get discounted ski lift tickets
• how to find the secret parking spot at the best beach
• where to rent baby equipment
• where to grab a truly amazing dinner.

Whatever it is for your guests, you’ll want to entice them with the promise of useful information. Without that, why would they click and read?

READ: 8 ideas for increasing digital guidebook usage by guests, for more ideas to get guests engaging with your info.

Tactic #2: Serve guests the info they need straight away

This tip is aimed at the skimmers. These folks are simply time-poor, maybe distracted, and likely overwhelmed. Who among us can’t relate?

They also tend to be skilled at glancing at your guidebook to find the information that they’re looking for in the moment.

Your job is to help them with that.

The most clever example we’ve seen of a skimmer-friendly strategy is from a manager in Kuala Lumpur. They ingeniously included a TL;DR section in their guidebook.

If you’re not familiar, “TL;DR” is internet forum slang for “too long; didn’t read.” In other words, “We know this is a lot of information. Here is the meat of what we’re saying.”

The TL;DR section should include the most essential pieces of information that guests need to know, right up front. The “this will be bad for everyone involved if you don’t read this” info. The “this is the stuff guests will text about at midnight” info. And, of course, the WiFi password.

Worried guests won’t know what TL;DR means? Use a heading that has the same essence:

• “If Nothing Else Read This”
• “Critical Info: Please Read”
• “Hate Reading? This is For You!”
• “Short Attention Span? Read This”

Hey, you might even pair it with a goldfish photo for some humour.

And then be sure to include a short sentence at the end, highlighting that your guidebook includes lots of valuable and rich information for those that want to read on.

DISCOVER: how Touch Stay has helped Sarah Bauermeister efficiently share everything her guests need

Tactic #3: Use your voice

The truth is, when your Airbnb guest book details are written in a dry, “strictly business” tone, guests are more likely to ignore it —or read it and immediately forget what they read.

There’s a reason that certain car insurance commercials are often hilarious and rarely about car insurance. The producers know that laughing makes people feel good, pay attention, and improves recall for their brand.

Like this one here in the UK:

If you incorporate some fun — even a bit of humour — in your guidebook, guests may read what you have to say, and, on top of that, will be more likely to remember what you said.

Even if you don’t moonlight as a stand-up comedian, you can engage guests with a friendly, person-to-person tone.

For example, Touch Stay’s templated “Access Instruction” content (which our hosts can use if they’re not feeling particularly creative) includes this section:

We will provide you with an access key code before arrival. This will allow you to check yourself into the property. Please ensure you have the code before you travel. If not, please contact us. There’s nothing worse than arriving somewhere new (potentially at night) and not being able to get in!

It’s a human way of saying, “If you don’t have your access code, you’re in for a rough start to your vacation.”

Compare that to something like: “Please ensure you have your access code before you arrive at the property.”

Yawn… 💤

No wonder some guests don’t ensure they have it! The tone is dry and forgettable. Plus, it isn’t clear about why this information is important. In other words, the human-ness is missing. Don’t forget to be a human! Just because you’re not there in person, it doesn’t mean you can’t inject your personality.

[Bonus tip: the bolded content within that section allows for emphasis without the drama of ALL CAPITAL LETTERS, which can feel like a scolding elementary school teacher.]

Tactic #4: Use menus and subheadings

Back to the skimmers again.

They’ll be more likely to digest what you say if you offer clear signposts to guide them through your Airbnb guest book. (Kind of like this blog post does!)

It makes sense: your guests probably don’t want to arrive at their vacation spot and then spend the next half hour learning every nook and cranny of your home, and they don’t need brunch recommendations at 4PM.

They want to find and digest information right at the moment it’s relevant.

By including a menu/table of contents, headings, and subheadings (like the rules in this blog post) for each section, guests can quickly and easily find what they’re looking for.

Your Touch Stay digital guidebook also allows your guests to search for specific content, so they can find what they need straight away.

Tactic #5: Trim your word count

As Mark Twain once wrote to a friend, “I didn’t have time to write a short letter, so I wrote a long one instead.”

Trimming back your words can be tough. But a big block of text can feel overwhelming — especially if guests are reading on a screen.

Sometimes it’s a matter of cutting extra words. Other times it’s about zeroing in on the most important info and eliminating the “fluffy stuff” that can easily be gleaned from context.

Here’s an example of a block of guidebook text about a hot tub in its more wordy form, and then an “after” that trims it back to the essentials:

WORDY:

Now let’s talk about the sparkling hot tub in the backyard under the pine trees on the back deck, which is cleaned between every set of guests. This hot tub seats six people and is a great place to relax with family and friends, but there are a few things you need to know before you get in. First, before you turn on the jets, lift the cover and tuck it behind the hot tub between the hot tub and the side of the house. To turn on the jets, look at the touchpad on the front of the hot tub, then use the up and down arrows to set your ideal temperature. We recommend about 102 degrees—not too hot, not too cold. The jets are also fully customisable so you can set them to your pressure preference…

You get the idea.

Now, here’s the bite-sized version.

LESS WORDY:

Now let’s talk about the hot tub, which is sparkling clean and ready for you to enjoy. Simply:

• Pull up the cover
• Slide it between the house and the hot tub
• Turn on the jets.

To set your jet-power and temperature preference, use the up and down arrows on the touchpad. We find 102 degrees to be just about perfect.

Same information. Fewer words.

Having trouble determining what to cut? Consider having a word-savvy friend (or copyeditor) help out. The team at Guest Hook have this incredible knack of sprinkling magic dust over badly written, overly wordy text. ✨

Tactic #6: Add visuals