It started with ‘Snaps’ from the Snapchat app, which was swiftly copied by ‘Stories’ from Instagram which eventually appeared on Facebook. Late to the party, Twitter announced the ability to create ‘Moments’. Well, another app is about to launch a similar feature and it’s not one you’d automatically expect – it’s Airbnb.
That’s right, everyone’s favourite website for sourcing a home away from home for the weekend or next vacation, is launching the feature to create ‘Travel Stories’ or films from your vacations. The new feature enables guests to make and upload video snippets from their trips, to create a sequence of videos, which Airbnb can use to show off locations and increase traffic.
Once you’ve capture videos for your travel story of trip highlights, Airbnb enables you to add the videos from your camera roll inside the app. You can then do the same as you can in the other apps and add locations, hashtags, and also a short sentence explaining what’s interesting about your videos and give users tips for the location your filming. Airbnb then encourages you to describe the trip in your title and include what kind of trip it was.
Airbnb also has an FAQ for filming your videos to make sure they are the ideal marketing tool. They recommend 10 seconds filmed vertically with minimal panning. In addition, focus on what you find most interesting about where you are and aim to film no longer than 10 seconds and for your trip, limit to 10 clips in total.
Stories should be interesting as it will be to see how it gets picked up as Airbnb aims to make itself more of a social travel app. Travel Stories are currently being beta tested and should be launching soon.
Hot on the heels is expected to be an Airbnb loyalty program. At this stage, details are unclear, but Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky recently teased about launching a membership program and asked for what you’d like to see included. Ideas put forward included priority availability, waived minimum night requirements, complimentary local gym access, instant book access and of course, free nights after a number of stays.
One new addition to the Airbnb system is the ability to spread payments. This enables you to spread your budget by placing a deposit (normally half the total payment) and the remaining a week before you are due to travel.
Go to the Airbnb website for more information.
