5 Dos and Don’ts for Writing Unforgettable Airbnb Photo Captions
The Best Captions For Your Airbnb Photos
When you’re crafting your vacation rental listing, it’s important not to overlook a vital piece of textual information: your photo captions. Many rental owners might not see the utility in carefully writing captions, but these small bits of text are one of the most essential elements of an effective Airbnb listing, mainly because guests tend to view photos before anything else.
So how do you create captivating Airbnb photo captions that will attract guests and encourage them to keep browsing your listing? Today, we’ll outline 5 dos and don’ts to keep in mind when writing your vacation rental photo captions.
Don’t Be Vague–Do Be Specific
Instead of writing a vague caption with no details at all, think about including important and specific information that guests will want to know. Since potential guests are far more likely to read your photo captions than your listing description, it’s a good idea to be as specific as possible when describing your property. Look at your photo captions as your textual first impression to potential guests–providing details helps build trust and rapport from the very first sentence.
For example, a caption that says something like, “This is the kitchen,” is fairly weak–it doesn’t add anything that a guest can’t see on their own. However, a caption like, “The kitchen features brand-new stainless steel appliances, including a high-end espresso machine and a popcorn maker,” is much stronger, since it provides specific, meaningful details about the vacation rental’s amenities.
Don’t Just State the Obvious–Do Provide New Information
It can be tempting to go the obvious route when writing your Airbnb photo captions by penning down whatever it is the photo shows, like “Downstairs living room with fireplace”. Unfortunately, guests will not be as drawn to photo captions that just restate the objects in the photograph, so it’s vital to provide new information that might not be immediately evident.
For instance, if you have a photo of the living room, describe some features that might not be clear from the photo itself, such as mentioning that the fireplace is remote-controlled or that the pictured couch folds out into a bed. By stating things that are not obvious, you provide more value to potential guests than the photo alone would. Even if these details are easily found in your listing description, including them in the photo captions will allow guests to more easily picture themselves in the space, utilizing all the amenities you mention.
Don’t Get Too Verbose–Do Keep Your Captions Short
Another important aspect of creating effective Airbnb photo captions is to not go overboard and get too descriptive. Most people on the internet have short attention spans, meaning that they won’t spend more time than they need reading overly wordy photo captions. While it’s important to highlight things in the photo that attract potential guests, you also don’t want to bog them down or overload them with irrelevant details.
Keep your captions short and sweet–one sentence is perfect and all that’s needed to supply guests with additional information not provided in the photo itself.
Don’t Just Describe the Photo–Do Give Details About Guest Experience
What would you rather read–a tedious description of everything pictured in your listing photo or a caption that helps you imagine what experiencing the space yourself is like? If you answered the latter, you’re aligned with the majority of guests. After all, no one wants to read a caption if they can easily see all of the details in the photo themselves, so it’s important to give your potential guests something interesting to read by diving into what the guest experience is like.
For example, rather than writing something like, “The living room features a remote-controlled fireplace and a fold-out couch,” give guests an inside glimpse by describing the experience of being in that room, such as “After an energetic day of exploring, spread out on the plush fold-out couch in front of the remote-controlled fireplace and unwind to the comforting crackle of the roaring flames.” Descriptive and experiential sentences like these don’t just give helpful information–they allow guests to picture themselves in the space, and that can go a long way towards attracting potential bookings.
Don’t Write in a Wooden Tone–Do Write in a Friendly, Casual Tone
Our final tip for crafting unforgettable Airbnb photo captions is to employ a friendly and casual tone of voice. It’s not uncommon for vacation rental owners to pen captions that come off as overly-professional and formal in an attempt to upscale their brand, but the downside is that tone of voice can be off-putting to potential guests and may end up scaring some of them away.
That’s why it’s vital to try to be as conversational and friendly as you can be in your Airbnb photo captions. Try to choose casual, conversational ways of speaking that will appeal to the largest audience of people, keeping in mind that for many, English could be their second or even third language. When you write in a friendly and conversational tone, you’re much more likely to get the information across without making potential guests feel like an outsider.
Don’t Underestimate the Power of Airbnb Photo Captions
Photo captions are your opportunity to make a fantastic and lasting first impression with potential guests. Whether you’re a professional copywriter or a novice at putting pen to paper, writing your Airbnb photo captions doesn’t have to be a complicated endeavor. Just put yourself in the shoes of your potential guests and your captions will go a long way towards attracting those travelers to your rental.
Want to get even more tips to push your vacation rental business towards success? Check out our guide to attracting more business travelers to your short-term rental or get some tips on marketing your rental like a pro.