How I Grew a Short Term Rental Brand on TikTok and Get 71 Percent Direct Bookings
Every time a guest books your short term rental through Airbnb or Vrbo, you are handing 15 to 20 percent of that booking to the platform. On a $200 per night reservation for a five-night stay, that is $150 to $200 going straight to the OTA instead of your pocket. Multiply that across dozens of bookings per year and you are looking at thousands of dollars in fees that could be profit. The hosts who are building real wealth in the short term rental business are not just listing on platforms and hoping for the best. They are building brands, and they are using social media, particularly TikTok, to drive guests directly to their own booking systems.
In this post, we are going to walk through a complete strategy for building a direct booking brand for your short term rental portfolio. We will cover content creation for TikTok and Instagram, building a direct booking website, email marketing, repeat guest strategies, and the economics that make this worth your time. Whether you have one property or ten, these principles apply.
The Economics of Direct Bookings vs. OTA Bookings
Before we get into strategy, let us make sure the math is clear. Understanding the economics is what motivates hosts to put in the effort to build a direct booking channel.
OTA Booking (Airbnb/Vrbo):
A guest books your property for $1,500 for the week. Airbnb takes their host service fee of roughly 3 percent, and the guest pays an additional 14 to 17 percent guest service fee. Vrbo charges hosts around 5 percent or offers a guest fee model. Either way, the platform is extracting significant value from every transaction.
Direct Booking:
The same guest books through your website for $1,500. You pay a credit card processing fee of roughly 2.9 percent plus 30 cents. That is about $44 instead of $45 to $75 in platform fees. You also control the guest relationship, their email address, and the ability to market to them directly for future stays.
Over a year, a property grossing $50,000 in rental income is sending $2,500 to $7,500 to OTAs in fees. If you can shift even half of those bookings to direct, you are saving $1,250 to $3,750 per year per property. For a portfolio of five properties, that is potentially $6,000 to $18,000 in annual savings. That is real money, and it scales with every property you add.
If you are still building your portfolio and evaluating markets, [The Short Term Shop’s market analysis tools] can help you identify where your next investment should be.
Creating a Brand Identity for Your Short Term Rental
You cannot drive direct bookings without a brand. A brand is what makes guests remember you, search for you, and book with you directly instead of going back to Airbnb. Here is how to build one.
Name Your Property or Portfolio.
Every property needs a memorable name. “Mountain Hideaway” or “Beachside Bungalow” is fine for a single property. If you have multiple properties, consider a portfolio brand name that ties them together, something like “Smoky Stays” or “Gulf Coast Getaways.” The name should be easy to remember, easy to spell, and available as a domain name and social media handle.
Create a Visual Identity.
You do not need a professional designer, but you do need consistency. Pick two or three colors, a simple logo or wordmark, and use them everywhere: your website, social media profiles, guest communication, and welcome materials in the property. Canva is more than sufficient for creating a cohesive visual identity.
Define Your Guest Experience.
What makes staying at your property different? Maybe it is the welcome basket with local goods. Maybe it is the curated guidebook with your personal restaurant recommendations. Maybe it is the themed design. Whatever it is, lean into it. Your brand is not just a logo. It is the experience guests talk about and share on their own social media.
Content Strategy for TikTok and Instagram
TikTok is the most powerful organic reach platform available to short term rental hosts right now. Unlike Instagram or Facebook, where your content is primarily shown to people who already follow you, TikTok’s algorithm actively pushes content to new audiences based on engagement. A single viral video can put your property in front of hundreds of thousands of potential guests.
Types of Content That Perform Well:
– Property tours.
Walk viewers through your property, highlighting unique features and amenities. Keep these under 60 seconds and use trending audio.
– Before and after transformations.
If you are furnishing or renovating, document it. These videos consistently go viral and showcase the quality of your property.
– Guest experience content.
Show the view from the deck at sunset. Show the hot tub at night. Show the game room in action. Sell the experience, not just the property.
– Local area highlights.
Feature nearby restaurants, attractions, and hidden gems. This positions you as a local expert and gives potential guests a reason to visit your area and stay at your property.
– Behind the scenes.
Show the turnover process, restocking supplies, and the work that goes into hosting. People are fascinated by the short term rental business.
Posting Frequency and Consistency.
Aim for at least one TikTok per day, ideally two to three. Yes, that sounds like a lot. But TikTok content does not need to be polished. Raw, authentic content often outperforms highly produced videos. Batch filming during property visits and schedule content throughout the week.
Instagram Strategy.
Repurpose your TikTok content as Instagram Reels. Use Instagram Stories for more casual, day-of content and behind the scenes. Your Instagram grid should be your portfolio showcase with high-quality photos of your properties.
Call to Action on Every Video.
Every piece of content should direct viewers to your booking website. Put the link in your bio. Mention it in your videos. Use phrases like “Link in bio to book direct and save” or “DM me for our direct booking discount.”
Building a Direct Booking Website
Your direct booking website does not need to be complicated, but it does need to exist and it needs to convert visitors into guests.
Essential Features:
– Professional photos of every property
– Clear availability calendar synced with your OTA listings
– Secure online booking and payment processing
– Mobile-responsive design (most of your TikTok traffic will be on phones)
– Guest reviews or testimonials
– Local area guide
– Clear contact information
Platform Options.
Hospitable, Lodgify, OwnerRez, and Hostaway all offer direct booking website builders that integrate with your channel manager. Alternatively, a simple WordPress site with a booking plugin can work. The key is that the calendar syncs with your OTA listings so you never get double booked.
Pricing Strategy for Direct Bookings.
Offer a 5 to 10 percent discount for booking direct. Even with the discount, you come out ahead because you are not paying the 15 to 20 percent OTA fee. Frame it as a benefit to the guest: “Book direct and save 10 percent. Same property, lower price, better deal for everyone.”
Email Marketing to Past Guests
Once a guest books direct or you capture their email through the OTA checkout process (where allowed by platform terms), you have the most valuable marketing asset in the short term rental business: a list of people who have already stayed with you and enjoyed the experience.
Welcome Sequence.
After checkout, send a thank-you email with a review request and a discount code for their next direct booking. This immediately plants the seed for a return visit.
Seasonal Campaigns.
Send emails before your peak booking season. “Summer is filling up fast. Book now and save 10 percent as a returning guest.” These emails convert at remarkably high rates because the guest already knows and trusts your property.
Holiday and Event Reminders.
If there are major events near your property, like a music festival, holiday weekend, or seasonal attraction, send targeted emails to past guests who stayed during similar periods.
Newsletter Content.
Monthly or quarterly, send updates about improvements you have made to the property, new amenities, and local events. Keep it brief and engaging. You are maintaining the relationship, not spamming.
Repeat Guest Strategies That Build Loyalty
Repeat guests are the foundation of a profitable direct booking business. They cost nothing to acquire, they already know the property, they leave better reviews, and they are less likely to cause damage. Here is how to cultivate them.
Loyalty Discounts.
Offer returning guests a standing 10 to 15 percent discount. This is still far cheaper than paying OTA fees for a new guest.
Personal Touches.
Remember guest preferences. If someone mentioned they loved the local coffee shop, leave a bag of that coffee in the kitchen for their next visit. Small gestures create emotional connections that platforms cannot replicate.
Priority Booking Windows.
Give past guests early access to book holiday weekends and peak season dates before you open availability to the public. Exclusivity builds loyalty.
Referral Programs.
Offer past guests a discount or credit for referring friends and family. Word-of-mouth from a trusted source is the most powerful marketing in any industry.
Measuring Your Direct Booking Success
Track these metrics monthly to measure your progress:
– Direct booking percentage. What percentage of your total bookings come through your direct channel? The host in the video reached 71 percent. Your goal should be to steadily increase this number over time.
– Cost per acquisition. How much are you spending on content creation, website hosting, and email marketing compared to what you are saving in OTA fees?
– Repeat guest rate. What percentage of your guests have stayed with you before?
– Email list growth. How quickly is your guest email list growing?
– Social media engagement. Track followers, views, and most importantly, website clicks from your social profiles.
Getting Started with Your First Property
If you are still in the process of [buying your first short term rental], think about brandability from the start. Choose a property with unique features that photograph well and create compelling content. Location matters not just for guest demand but for content creation. A cabin in the Smokies with a mountain view gives you endless content opportunities. A beige condo in a suburban complex does not.
When you are ready to find the right property in the right market, [get started with The Short Term Shop] and work with agents who understand both the investment fundamentals and the marketing potential of every property they sell.
The Long Game of Building a Short Term Rental Brand
Building a direct booking brand is not an overnight strategy. It takes months of consistent content creation, website optimization, and guest relationship management. But the payoff compounds over time. Every direct booking saves you money. Every email address you collect is a future booking opportunity. Every TikTok video is a permanent piece of marketing that can drive bookings for years.
The hosts who treat their short term rentals like a business, complete with branding, marketing, and customer retention strategies, are the ones building generational wealth. The hosts who just list on Airbnb and wait are leaving money on the table every single month.
Start building your brand today. Your future self will thank you.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Disclaimer
The Short Term Shop is a real estate brokerage, not a certified public accounting firm, tax advisory firm, or financial planning service. Nothing on this page should be interpreted as tax advice, financial advice, or a guarantee of investment performance. Always consult your CPA, tax attorney, and financial advisor before making any investment or tax decisions.
All income and revenue figures referenced in this article are sourced from third party data providers including AirDNA and PriceLabs.co. These figures represent market averages and percentile ranges based on historical performance data and do not guarantee future results. Actual short term rental income varies significantly based on property quality, location, management quality, pricing strategy, seasonality, and market conditions. Your results may differ.