Eric Goldreyer

Wouldn't it be great if you could keep your guest rooms full with a single marketing strategy? If only that were true! Successful innkeepers understand that marketing is a multi-channel process, involving both Internet and print, advertising and publicity, online availability and reservations, and building customer acquisition with repeat and referral business. BedandBreakfast.com's mission is to save you time and money by assisting you in many of these areas. Here are some general thoughts and specific recommendations that may help:

Building trust in the brand: You may think that "branding" is only for large corporations with multi-million dollar ad budgets, but you'd be wrong. Micro-branding is the art of branding your property so that everything about it evokes positive feelings of anticipation, enjoyment, and trust for both current and future guests. Having a brand sets you apart from being a commodity, i.e. an adequate place to sleep, indistinguishable from comparable properties. Building your brand means having marketing materials (website, brochure, etc.) that neither undersell nor over-promise. Underselling means that you'll lose potential guests because your photos are unappealing, your text wordy and trite, and/or prospective guests can't easily make a reservation. Over-promising means you've used photography to make your rooms look bigger and nicer than they are, promised a higher quality of experience and hospitality than you actually offer, and pretend to have a better location than you really do. Guests will come once, but if the value's not there, they won't return. Your brand assures guests that all reasonable expectations of their stay with you will be met, and often exceeded.

Marketing Channels

• Internet: Clearly, the major marketing tool for all innkeepers is the Internet, responsible for over 50% of reservations according to the most recent PAII Industry Study A well-designed, up-to-date, effective website that converts lookers to bookers is imperative. Appealing photos are essential to your website. For suggestions, read Sandy Soule's article Five Foto Fallacies. To drive website traffic, you'll need to balance several key sources: Internet directories like BedandBreakfast.com; state and local tourism offices and B&B associations; and major search engines, through a combination of free search results and pay-per-click advertising. Where you can easily keep the information up-to-date yourself (like your listing on BedandBreakfast.com), do so; for more complex areas of website design and search engine optimization, we recommend using an Internet pro who specializes in our industry.
• Online reservations and availability: According to a new study by the Travel Industry Association of America, "the share of online travelers booking hotels grew from 57 percent in 2002 to 71 percent in 2003." If you are not yet offering online reservations and/or availability on your website, now is a good time to start. Many travelers clearly want to be able to book their accommodations online; ignore this marketing channel and say goodbye to an ever-increasing number of reservations. BedandBreakfast.com's sister company, RezOvation, makes this more easy, affordable, and convenient that ever before.
• Yield management & distressed inventory: You make think these terms are useful only for big hotel chains, but they can help small independent properties as well. Of course, you want to sell as many rooms as possible at your top rates, but most likely you will have unsold rooms for slower times of the week (perhaps Sunday through Thursday) and quieter times of the year. Use BedandBreakfast.com Hot Deals and specials as well as promotions on your own website to fill these rooms. Later this year, BedandBreakfast.com plans to introduce a new program offering a different way to increase midweek occupancy; stay tuned for details.
• Other advertising: Some travelers still like to get their information in printed form. Budget for an attractive but inexpensive rack card, and invest in listings in effective print directories, like your state B&B association brochure and local tourism directories. If you're not sure of the value of a given product, network with fellow innkeepers for their advice, via the BedandBreakfast.com Message Boards or the PAII Discussion Group. If you have printed postcards of your inn, remember that they are advertisements, not an income source. Distributing attractive postcards for your guests to mail (you can even stamp them) creates far more potential income than selling a handful of cards at 50 cents each.
• Repeats & Referrals: The cost of acquiring a new customer always exceeds the cost of retaining one. Be sure to thank returning and referring guests in word and deed. Their visits are a testament to your hard work and a compliment to your hospitality. Give them gift certificates good for off-season discounts that they can use or pass along to friends. Upgrade returning guests whenever possible. Reward returning guests with items from your gift shop; give them two coffee mugs (bearing your logo, URL, and toll-free number), and they will think about a return visit with every sip. Happy guests will return and will send their friends; new guests checking in with repeat guests will pick up on the vibes and respond positively.
• Multi-night stays: In addition to the usual two-night minimum, take positive steps to increase the average length of stay. Make sure all your marketing materials stress the many attractions of your area, and why your inn makes an ideal base for exploring. Take care that your rooms live as good as they look, with super-comfy beds, great lighting, ample storage space, attractive décor, minimal clutter and so on, so that guests can enjoy an extended stay.
• Media coverage: BedandBreakfast.com has taken the lead in promoting B&Bs to the media. From your home base, click the Publicity Leads link to read about writers looking for information for stories; respond to Marti Mayne's emailed publicity leads to be included in the press releases that are getting picked up by all the major newspapers and magazines. To benefit, it's essential to respond to email promptly, and to have good print-quality photos available.