Airbnb

This week, let's talk about the incredible digital marketing efforts of Airbnb. I, personally, have never stayed in an Airbnb, but I have scouted the website countless times looking for just the right home at just the right price. I have been successful in finding these places in the past, but I have just never followed through with booking. Airbnb's digital marketing strategy, especially on Instagram, is one of my favorites. They take consumer's photos, edit them to fit their theme, and then post them on their Instagram for nearly 1.7 million people to see. Airbnb features the most unique (not even the most expensive) locations that are available for rent around the world. From a cozy 1-bedroom in Amsterdam to a high rise apartment in Cuba, Airbnb has really found a way to showcase all kinds of rentals in a new light. With the new feature on Instagram where a single post can depict more than one image, Airbnb is taking advantage of the ways to showcase the beauty of these individual places without spamming their 1.7 million followers.

Up and Vanished

Let's talk about a different kind of digital marketing that, in a way, is sweeping the nation. Podcasts aren't new. They've been around for quite some time, but just recently picked up speed, especially when they are discussing the topics of court cases or murders. There are countless podcasts out there, with hundreds of thousands of viewers, but one that particularly sticks out to me is Up and Vanished. Payne, the producer, has really outdone himself not only on providing listeners with information about a big profile murder case, but also accepting sponsorships from companies. I have been a long time listener to this podcast and have heard plugs from Stamps.com, Blue Apron, Dollar Shave Club... really the list is endless. These minute advertisements from sponsors are unique in the way that the listener cannot really avoid them. They are placed periodically throughout the podcast, spoken in the same tone, almost as if to not allow the listener to know that an advertisement is coming. Talk about a marketing strategy! Uninterrupted advertising time for these companies is getting harder and harder to find and doing so through a podcast could be a wave of the future.