Does My Short-Term Rental Need a Social Media Account?

Does your short-term rental really need its own Instagram account?
The short answer? Maybe. But there’s a lot to consider first. So let’s break it all down together.

First Things First: What’s the Longevity of Your STR?

Before you even open Instagram or snap a picture of your cute coffee mugs, ask yourself:

• Is this property a quick flip?
• A two-year side hustle?
• A last-ditch effort to avoid selling?
• Or is it a long-term asset you’re building for real income?

If it’s a short-term project, I’m going to be honest—social media probably isn’t worth the time and energy. Content creation is a long game, and if you’re only keeping this property for a year or two, there are better ways to spend your time.

But if this is a revenue-generating property you want to grow long-term, I highly recommend investing in branding and building a social presence. That brand equity can turn into real dollar value later.

Why Branding Adds Real, Measurable Value

When I attended Level Up Your Listing in March, one speaker stood out, Isaac French, the founder of Live Oak Lake. He built the property for around $2 million and sold it for $7 million—$2 million of that attributed solely to the brand he built around the property.

That’s how powerful branding is. If your rental is part of your long-term vision, start treating it like a real business asset. And if you’re just getting by right now, that’s okay. I’ve been there. Allow yourself the space to let your project evolve into something bigger. You don’t have to have it all figured out on day one.

STR Accounts That Are Absolutely Killing It on Social

Let’s talk inspiration. At the same conference, I saw amazing examples of STR brands doing social media the right way.

Bolt Farm Treehouse

Run by Torrey and South Bolt, this Tennessee property has become a social media empire. They launched their project by selling over $1 million in pre-bookings—before they even owned the land. They documented everything—planning, design, and development—and brought their audience along for the ride.

Pink Dreams Cottage

Katie, the creator of this charming pink cottage in Ohio, rehabbed a dilapidated home and invited her audience to help every step of the way. She had her followers vote on pink paint swatches, choose furniture pieces, and more. It created so much engagement, and now her calendar is packed.

The lesson? People want to be part of your process. Invite them in.

My Own Experience with The Commonwealth

When we were furnishing The Commonwealth, our short-term rental in Kentucky, I did the same thing—without even realizing how smart it was. I named the house The Commonwealth because I’m originally from Virginia, and we launched the rental in Kentucky, both are among the four U.S. commonwealth states.

Each of the main bedrooms was designed around one of those states (Kentucky, Virginia, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania) and tied into state flowers, colors, and symbols. I used Instagram to let followers vote on paint colors, furniture, and even decor themes.

The result? Tons of engagement and feedback I wouldn’t have gotten otherwise. People were helping me source better pieces than I could find myself. It turned my social media into a collaborative, creative space, and made the brand so much more personal and memorable.

The Hard Truth About Social Media

Here’s where I’m going to get real: once the fun of paint swatches and furniture shopping is over, creating consistent content gets hard. This is where I see most STR owners fall off.

And if you drop off for weeks or months, social platforms won’t do you any favors. Algorithms reward consistent engagement, not perfection, but consistency. Two to three quality posts per week go much further than 20 filler posts in one month followed by silence.

If you’re just posting “Don’t you love this couch?” you’re not adding value. Your content needs to speak directly to your ideal guest, not just fill space. Be intentional.

How to Make Social Media Manageable

One of my biggest content tips? Repurpose everything.
Let’s say a guest leaves a glowing 5-star review. You can turn that one review into:

• A voiceover reel with a slideshow of your space
• A static feed post
• A story slide
• A TikTok
• An email quote

You don’t need to reinvent the wheel. Make every piece of content work harder for you.

Scheduling Tools I Use and Recommend

If staying consistent is your struggle, try scheduling tools. Here are a few I’ve used or recommend:

• Metricool: What I currently use—great for managing multiple accounts with robust analytics.
• Later and Plan: Simple and effective if you just have one rental account and want to keep things easy.

These tools let you batch work, so you’re not scrambling for content every week.

Social Media Shouldn’t Be the End of the Line

Let’s not forget: social media platforms are borrowed space.
Meta can go down. TikTok can get banned. Algorithms change without warning.

You need to move your audience from your Instagram or TikTok over to your email list or direct booking site. That’s where the real control and repeat revenue lives.

Use social to start the conversation, but guide them deeper:

• Offer a discount code or a free itinerary download to collect emails
• Send them to a direct booking site so you’re not depending entirely on Airbnb or VRBO

And since only 5–15% of your followers even see a given post, this multi-channel strategy gives your content more legs.

Let’s wrap it up with some final thoughts:

1. Evaluate the longevity of your rental. If it’s short-term, social might not be worth the time.
2. If it is long-term, branding will increase the value—and social media is a great tool to build that brand.
3. Post with purpose, not just for the algorithm.
4. Repurpose content to stretch your ideas and stay consistent.
5. Use scheduling tools to keep your content flowing.
6. Social media is a door, not a destination. Move your audience into email and direct booking.

Still not sure where to start? I created a short-term rental marketing quiz to help you figure out which marketing channel is best for you.