Promoting The Industry

Our goal is to generate great publicity for BedandBreakfast.com members specifically, and for the B&B industry as a whole. In this issue we cover:

Ask the Pros

Let’s Hear It From Innkeepers

Posting Specials

Recent Media Coverage

Ask the Pros

If you would like your PR question answered, please email Marti.Mayne@BedandBreakfast.com.

Question:  Every time you send Publicity Leads you ask for an email signature file.  Why is that so important?

Answer: Whether responding to a guest, BedandBreakfast.com, the media, or anyone, a full signature including your inn’s name, full postal and street address, telephone number, website and email address is not only good manners, it can lead to increased reservations.  You wouldn’t send a letter without a return address, right? People may not have the time or inclination to search for your telephone number or address. By including your contact information in your daily communications, you increase the chances that others will find you more readily by storing your information in their address book and/or book-marking your website.  Email signatures can also include quotes from your recent media coverage, awards you’ve received, or short testimonials from guests – making them a sales tool as well as a communication necessity.

Think about your own time-starved day.  With so much to do during your waking hours, you don’t have time to try to figure out who has emailed you with only a first name as the signature. Despite our request for full signatures, more than 50% of the responses we receive from innkeepers arrive with incomplete signatures.  Each BedandBreakfast.com press release includes key information about the member inns featured, including names, locations, telephone numbers, and websites. Several hundred innkeeper respond to each BedandBreakfast.com Publicity Lead; there’s simply no time to research the missing information about each inn. If you include a complete signature file, your inn is more likely to be included in our press releases. 

Make it easy on yourself.  Create your signature, save it, then set your email program so that it’s included automatically with every email you send.

Let’s Hear It From Innkeepers
 

“Great response from last years ‘September for Seniors’ special, so lets do it again.”

                -- Debbie Keane, A Williamsburg White House Inn, Williamsburg, VA

Posting Specials

From time to time, when a reporter’s inquiry or some other rush request puts us on a tight deadline for information, we look to the Specials page on BedandBreakfast.com, especially the special interest packages (Family-Friendly, Girlfriends Getaways, Outdoor Adventures, Seniors are Special, etc.)

For example, the popular magazine Cosmo Girl referred to the Girlfriends Getaway Specials on BedandBreakfast.com in a recent issue.  And as you’ll read below, those who participated in the ‘Tanks a Lot!’ free gas promotion received plenty of publicity from media hungry for stories about battling rising gas prices.

• Log in with your property ID and password, then click the link to "Specials" under free member benefits.

• Under "Special Summary," click the theme of your choice from the drop-down menu, and combine a promotional rate with whatever tempting treats or special event tickets your guests might enjoy.

• To see the specials that have already been posted by your fellow innkeepers, visit our Specials page and click the dropdown box.

As you’ll read below, the popular magazine Cosmo Girl referred to the Girlfriends Getaway Specials on BedandBreakfast.com in a recent May issue.

Recent BedandBreakfast.com Media Coverage

First of all, many thanks to those who responded to the recent Publicity Lead where we asked for information about affordable, family, and senior packages for summer and fall.  It may not be too late to send yours to Marti.Mayne@BedandBreakfast.com.  Log in with your property ID and password, then check the Innkeepers Inbox in your home base for one marked URGENT: Publicity Lead from BedandBreakfast.com.  We’re working on those press releases now.
 

BedandBreakfast.com stories resulted in over 15 million media impressions in June. If this coverage had been purchased as advertising, the value would exceed $25,000. The Associated Press picked up two of BedandBreakfast.com’s stories, resulting in widespread media coverage including USA TODAY, Dallas Times, Miami Herald and more.  Here are some recent articles: 

Tanks a Lot: With rising gas prices in the news daily, The BedandBreakfast.com “Tanks a Lot” press release has  legs! Not only was it picked up immediately for short-lead coverage, it was also included in a story about rising gas prices distributed by the Associated Press, resulting in coast-to-coast coverage including USA TODAY , Spokane Spokesman Review, and Florida’s Sun Sentinel  where the article read: “Participating BedandBreakfast.com properties are offering gas rebates for guests. Sample savings include $25 off three-night midweek stays at the Old Yacht Club Inn in Santa Barbara, Calif., and a credit of up to $35 with a gas receipt for stays at the Westbrook Inn B&B in Westbrook, Conn. Access http://www.bedandbreakfast.com/Specials.aspx?ctx=S and choose Free Gas Promotion from the menu.”  A similar article appeared in the LAX to LA Harbor Daily.
 

 Best of BedandBreakfast.com Awards

The Best of BedandBreakast.com Awards announcements have appeared far and wide too.  The first appearance was in the B&B Association of Virginia’s June newsletter.  Additionally, Hotels Online, a newsletter for hotel executives ran the story, along with Yacht & Vacation Charters, an online travel magazine.  Because the story was included in the Associated Press Briefs, the winners were announced in USA TODAY, Miami Herald, North Country Times, CA, and the Lansing State Journal, and stories continue to appear daily.

This Month's Sponsor

Online Trade Show

Click to visit our newest vendor members:

• Florida B&B Inns For Sale: Darlene Armstrong is the “inn expert.” 

• Wristy Business: The complete source for home artists and professionals.

Gift Certificates

BedandBreakfast.com Gift Certificates have changed to an electronic format. Funds for redeemed certificates will be transferred directly into your bank account within four business days! No more certificates to mail! Don't miss out! To join the 3800 participating inns, just log in to your home base with your property ID and password, or click here for more information.

Traffic statistics

Log in with your property ID and password for details on the number of page impressions and click-throughs your B&B has received as a result of all BedandBreakfast.com online marketing, including property listings, Featured Property, and Inn of the Month advertising. More information

Member Information

To update your entry, post specials, and renew your membership, please log in with your property ID and password. Can't remember your password? Click here, then enter your property ID and we'll email it to you. Don't like your password? Once you're logged in to Home Base, just click "Membership," select "change password" (#7 in dropdown menu), and choose another that's easier to remember. More information

Inns for Sale

"We advertised our B&B in your Inns for Sale section in January, and started getting inquires a week later. In February, a couple came from Florida to visit us in Cat Spring, Texas. We made a deal, and they begin officially on April the 5th as the new owners. What you are doing really works." Sunny and John Snyder. Read more...

Online Bookings

Taking real-time, online reservations is the most effective way to transform your BedandBreakfast.com listing into a 24/7 sales engine.  For details, log in to your home base with your property ID and password, and click “Online Reservations.”

Innkeepers Information Center

Need more info? You’ll find lots of educational articles on our site for your convenience.

•  Resource Library
•  Member Checklist