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:

Upcoming Publicity for BedandBreakfast.com members
Ask the Pros
Let's Hear it from Innkeepers
Recent Media Coverage

Current and Upcoming Publicity: January and February
BedandBreakfast.com’s publicity focus for January has been on Valentine’s Day, Black History Month, New Year’s resolutions and pancakes. Click on the headlines below to read the releases created for January:

Coming up next month: We’ll turn our focus to spring and summer travel in the upcoming months. We’re looking for information on the following topics for upcoming releases:

Tanks a Lot – Free Gas Promotion: Each year, media interest is high in BedandBreakfast.com’s free gas offers. We encourage you to post your Tanks a Lot free gas offer on BedandBreakfast.com’s Specials pages under Free Gas Promotion. We are specifically looking for eco-friendly or creative offers that combine at least $25 in free gas with incentives to save on gas or enjoy a green getaway, like rewarding guests for carpooling, driving hybrid cars, or packaging in eco-adventure. One-tank getaways may also be highlighted. The offers included in our Tanks a Lot press releases must be valid through July 2008 (later is better). All material for this release will be taken from the Free Gas Promotion Specials posted on BedandBreakfast.com, so be sure to post your offer soon.

To add specials: Click here to go to your Home Base on BedandBreakfast.com, then click the Specials link to add your packages. Be sure to include all relevant information including rates, validity dates, whether children/pets are welcome, and the costs. (Silver-level members and above may post specials; simply log in with your Property ID and password. Select Specials from the table in your Home Base. Enter appropriate offers for Tanks a Lot. Bronze member? Please click here to upgrade. Not yet a member? Join today!

Let’s Get Dirty! We’re looking for spring gardening packages where guests can “get down and dirty” and participate in gardening at inns. Perhaps you offer a workshop in organic gardening, perennial, cutting, or herb gardens, or even a cooking school featuring garden-fresh produce; if so, we want to hear about it. With all the interest in eco-tourism, create or share packages designed to attract guests interested in such environmentally friendly getaways as the art of composting, creating a sustainable garden, etc. We may include some garden tours in this release too, so please post all your gardening-oriented packages under Gardening Getaways on BedandBreakfast.com’s Specials pages.

Ask the Pros: Each time I attend seminars where Marti Mayne or Sandy Soule are speaking, I hear them tell the audience that if we remember one thing only from their words of wisdom, consider what they say about photography. What’s all the hype about photography and why is it important? -- Anonymous Innkeeper

A: Sandy Soule has done a great job of explaining the importance of photography while offering useful advice on many aspects of B&B photography. If you haven’t already read her feature story in the Innkeeper News, click here.

Let’s Hear it from Innkeepers
“Ha, ha! I think the pictures must be magic. When I came home tonight I had someone already make another reservation for two nights. Your site is working fantastic for me!! I LOVE IT!!!!” – John, Stone Manor Inn, Frederick, MD

"I really appreciate the personal attention I get from the folks at BedandBreakfast.com. You all do a stellar job for inns of all sizes. I am so thrilled to have been chosen as one of the Best of the South...our little town feels like we are on the map!" – Chloe, Big Mill B&B, Williamston, NC

“We like what BedandBreakfast.com is doing on the Wheel of Fortune! Fabulous marketing for the B&B Industry. Please thank everyone with your company, and we hope that more marketing innovations are forthcoming in the future.” – Mat, The Captain Wohlt Inn, Hermann, MO

"The majority of our bookings are attributed to BedandBreakfast.com. My guests love your website, and respond after their stay with wonderful reviews. BedandBreakfast.com has very professional and helpful staff, especially in the area of marketing, giving such wonderful ideas. I also like the fact that I get frequent updates for marketing tools.” – James and Deborah, A Touch of Italy B&B, Port Clinton, OH

Recent BedandBreakfast.com Media Coverage
From January 2007-2008, the BedandBreakfast.com publicity machine generated more than 318,489,650 impressions with a value of over $866,513 for BedandBreakfast.com, its members and the B&B industry.

BedandBreakfast.com worked with Wheel of Fortune to create the first-ever Wheel of Fortune B&B Week. Each night during the second week in January, Wheel of Fortune featured a trip from a BedandBreakfast.com member, along with navigational footage of the site. Throughout the week, the show’s themed set promoted B&Bs. Stories about BedandBreakfast.com’s B&B Week and Wheel Prizes appeared in Rockland, Maine’s Village Soup, the Honolulu Advertiser and on Canada.com.

In addition to much other coverage, BedandBreakfast.com gift cards were mentioned alongside iTunes, Southwest Airlines, and American Express in a story on Fox News which stated “Romantic travel cards. Along the same lines, The Getaway Gift Card offered by travel portal BedandBreakfast.com is good at some 4,000 different bed-and-breakfast facilities and comes with no fees and free FedEx shipping. You can choose different card styles or even upload your own photo (good especially if you know someone's favorite destination). Cards can be shipped direct to the recipient in a nice folder with your own personal message.”

Hats off to Pancakes with Personality® Winner Joanne Nichols of the Arbor Inn in Rye, NH, and runner-up Cyndi Cobb from the Colby Hill Inn. Coverage of the national competition included NPR’s All Things Considered, Boston Globe, Portsmouth (NH) Herald, Rocky Mountain News along with the Cape Cod Times.

BedandBreakfast.com’s press release about B&Bs with ties to the Underground Railroad appeared in Newsweek magazine on Reuters Wire Service and in American Chronicle, viewed by 11 million readers. Additionally, this story ran in several urban newspapers including Dallas Times, LA Times, Seattle Post Intelligencer, and in Dallas, Houston and San Antonio Business Journals.

The Valentine’s Day for Singles release enjoyed widespread pick up including Biloxi Sun, Frommers.com newsletter, and the Cleveland Plain Dealer. This release was

also picked up by Yahoo! and AOL, too, along with Texas Cable News, Las Vegas Business Press, Houston Chronicle and many more media outlets.

In a story about holiday travel, syndicated writer, Ellen Ogintz suggested, “Certainly it will be easier – a lot easier – if you can drive, as the majority of us do during the holiday season, according to AAA. Maybe all you want is a couple of days at a country inn with the kids, one that touts special holiday discounts, treats and gas rebates (www.bedandbreakfast.com).”

This Month's Sponsor

Gift Card Reseller Program

Could you use some extra cash? Sign up for the gift card reseller program, and make 10% on each sale! There is no cost to get started; click here for details. If you'd like to receive a free reseller kit, contact us at 800-462-2632 or Support@BedandBreakfast.com.

“I have purchased weekends at B&Bs for friends before and had to contact the place and make arrangements for a gift certificate of some sort. This way my friends can select the location they want and when they want to go. I will tell others about this great service!”

Referral Program

What’s better than three month’s free membership? How about six months? Or a whole year? Refer fellow innkeepers to BedandBreakfast.com, and if they join at the Silver level or above, your membership will be extended by three months for each B&B that signs up. If four B&Bs sign up, your membership is free for a year! For details, log in to your Home Base and click Referral Program under Free Member Benefits, or call 800-GO-B-AND-B (800-462-2632).

Online Trade Show

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"I am happy to report that we have had several enquiries from your site, and one guest who is staying for five nights, so our membership cost has been covered. Thanks for your help!" Caitlin Adair, Sanctuary, Putney, VT

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