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

                                       Best of BedandBreakfast.com Awards Announced

Ask the Pros

New! Each month, innkeepers ask for our help in promoting their properties, so we decided to make “Ask the Pros” a regular feature.  If you would like your PR question answered, please email Marti.Mayne@BedandBreakfast.com. Each issue will feature one question and our response.   

Question:  Do you know if any state or local B&B associations are doing TV or radio advertising on a regular basis?  What works and what doesn’t? -- Kris Ulmer, Wisconsin B&B Association

Answer: A number of inn associations, B&B consortiums and individual inns have participated in television and radio advertising campaigns.  The campaigns vary from supplying prizes for PBS auctions to large-scale network TV ad buys.  Success has varied, and has been dependent upon a number of key factors:

• Targeted messages
• Strong call to action
• Enticing offer or event
• Time-sensitive offer
• Effective visual images for TV
• Clear tracking mechanisms                                      

Successful TV and radio campaigns include announcements of a timely offer or special event.  Viewers are asked to respond by calling a central phone number to make reservations or visit a web page that can be clearly tracked.  Productive ads give the impression that space is limited, prompting the viewer to respond without delay.  These ads clearly communicate the benefit to the customer, whether it is a savings or added value.  Additionally, attractive TV footage conveys the beauty of the inns being promoted. With these key elements included, the inns involved will reap the benefits in either event ticket sales or room bookings.

Recently, Kristie Rosset of the Lookout Point Inn in Hot Springs, AR ran 54 thirty-second ads on the local ABC affiliate over a nine-week period in the first quarter of 2005, offering a 15% discount on midweek stays.  According to Kristie, “I was impressed with the immediate response, immediate reservations, and appreciated our increased visibility.”  She attributed doubled occupancy to the ads, and got valuable B-roll for use later on.  Additionally, with the frequency of her ads, she was able to brand the inn, and has continued to receive calls well after the ad campaign ended, along with referrals from locals who’d seen the inn on TV.

TV Tips:

• Be sure your message includes a timely offer or event, rather than a general concept.

• Tie your offer to a specific time period, prompting potential guests to call soon to take advantage of limited availability.

• Include character graphics (CG’s in TV-talk) for your website and phone number, so potential guests not only hear it but see it too.

• Ask about promotions and sponsorship opportunities where rooms can be traded for TV time.

• Network TV nets better results, but can be expensive in many markets.  Think about the audience you wish to reach, and consider buying at times throughout the day, not just during prime time. You’ll find morning news shows, soap operas, and game shows often attractively priced.  Cable and public TV can be considerably less expensive, but your audience is much smaller.

• Depending upon the complexity of your offer, consider ten-second       “billboards,” offering enough time for a succinct offer, toll-free phone number and website. Be sure to negotiate for copies of the B-roll footage shot when creating your TV ad.

Radio Tips

• Be sure to sync your choice of stations with your target audience. The number one station isn’t always the best, if its listeners don’t fit your demographics.

• Tie in with “Loyal Listener” programs that offer points to those who visit your website or book stays with you.

• Ask about other advertisers who might want to co-op with your inn or association.

• Be sure to ask about cash/trade payment schedules

Let us know how your inn, consortium or B&B association does with their TV or radio campaigns; email comments to Marti.Mayne@BedandBreakfast.com.

Let’s Hear It From Innkeepers
 

Once again, we heard from innkeepers about the value of responding to publicity leads. In February, we sent out a request for information on waterfall packages; in March, we used the information received to create a press release. In April, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution printed the material on southeastern inns in an article entitled “Fall in love with waterfalls of Southeast.” Here’s what we heard from one of the inns included:

“Thank you so much for including Mountain Laurel Inn B&B in the Waterfall tour press release.  I know the value of press releases but I do not always take advantage of them.  I am so glad that I did this time.  In the Southeast, my inn was included in newspapers in the following cities: Atlanta, Chattanooga, Nashville, and Pensacola.  The release also resulted in an article featuring the Mountain Laurel Inn, written by Lynn Edge and published in the Birmingham News, entitled “Stay at Mountain Laurel Inn and enjoy beauty of nearby waterfalls” and published on April 24. I have received reservations from all the articles except the Pensacola paper, perhaps because it’s a six-hour drive from Mentone. Thank you again for the idea of the press release and I hope to respond to another one soon.” Sarah Wilcox, Mountain Laurel Inn, Mentone, AL

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, etc.) If you haven’t already done so, be sure to post your specials on BedandBreakfast.com. Posting Specials is free for Silver-level members and up.  In case you’ve never tried this, follow these simple instructions:

• 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
 

BedandBreakfast.com stories resulted in over 7.5 million media impressions in April and May. If this coverage had been purchased as advertising, the value would exceed $10,000. Here are some recent articles: 

The “Tanks a Lot!”  press release was immediately picked up in the online editions of the Rocky Mountain News, Dallas News, Ventura County Star, and Forbes.com, and continued to appear throughout April and May in newspapers across the country including the Palm Spring Desert Sun, San Jose Mercury News, St. Petersburg Times, Lowell  Sun, and the Atlanta Journal Constitution.

The Allergy Free B&Bs press release has been featured in the Rochester, NY Democrat and Chronicle, and prompted a ten-minute interview on the Travel with Terry Spence show, aired on C-FAX Radio of Vancouver, BC.  Additionally, the release prompted a story in Energy Times and Alternative Medicine Magazine; we’re looking forward to the story in the July issue of Health Magazine.

 Best of BedandBreakfast.com Awards Winners Announced

The votes have been tallied and checked for validity, and more than 18,000 inn-goers logged their choices for the second annual Best of BedandBreakfast.com Awards. Congratulations to the top overall inns, as well as the category and regional winners of these annual awards.

For a complete list of award-winners, click here or visit the BedandBreakfast.com Press Room.

Last year, coverage about the Best of BedandBreakfst.com continued for twelve months, garnering millions of impressions for the winners. Look for announcements soon about the 2006 Best of BedandBreakfast.com Awards.

This Month's Sponsor

Online Trade Show

Click to visit our vendor members:

• BB-4-sale.com
• Bath Plus Inc
• B&B Team Realtors
• Big Kahuna Hawaiian Coffee
• Clawfoot Supply
• Deneen Pottery
• DVTour.com
• Earthly Delight Soap
• Inn Broker, Inc.
• Inn Connections, LLC
• Innkeeping Specialists
• Innstyle
• InSPAration
• New England Inn Brokers
• Northwest B&B Inn Consulting
• RusticDecorating.com
• B&B Team Realtors
• Topica

More vendor info...

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 3600 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