Popular startup Airbnb has decided to utilize the advantage of social media friends and find out where you can crash if you happen to be in town.
For those who haven't heard of Airbnb, it's a company that finds cheap rates for couch-crashing worldwide. Instead of having to stay in a stuffy hotel, Airbnb allows you to stay with a host.
The company's latest tool, Airbnb Social Connections, is a filter that helps you easily find connections you have around the world. This allows users to find common connections that may help the user feel a bit more relaxed about staying with a stranger. For example, a friend of a friend may know someone from the same university you attended.
Social Media Couch Crashing
Airbnb Lets You Use 6 Degrees of Seperation
Trend Themes
1. Social Media Connections - Utilize social media connections to enhance trust and facilitate connections between strangers for accommodation.
2. Couch-crashing Travel - Promote the trend of affordable and communal travel experiences by offering alternatives to traditional hotels.
3. Friend-of-a-friend Network - Leverage existing personal networks to build trust and increase confidence in staying with strangers.
Industry Implications
1. Hospitality - The hospitality industry can adopt social media connections to enhance customer experience and trust in shared accommodation services.
2. Travel - The travel industry can tap into the trend of couch-crashing and offer innovative travel experiences that cater to budget-conscious and socially-oriented travelers.
3. Social Networking - The social networking industry can explore friend-of-a-friend networks as a way to foster connections and increase user engagement by facilitating offline interactions.