Marketing

How to Get More Referrals

February 24, 2011

Referrals are the kind of prospective customers or guests small business owners love. They’re already primed for a great experience, they already trust you because their friend or colleague trusts you, and they booked or are thinking of booking with you on the recommendations of someone they know. Personal referrals can come in all shapes [...]

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How to Make Your B&B Successful

September 28, 2010

I recently interviewed the owners of Bear Lake Lodgings B&B in Seward, Dennis and Pat Perry, on why they feel their business has done so well, and what role their website has played in that success. A short disclaimer: Dennis and Pat are my dad and stepmom, and not only did I create the website [...]

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Successful B&B Blogs

September 22, 2010

We’ve just wrapped up a series on why blogging can be helpful for a B&B. In that same vein, here are a few B&B blogs that are informative and up to date, and might help you decide either on what to write about or, if you’re still on the fence, whether blogging might help you [...]

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Blogging for B&Bs, Part IV: Why a Blog Might Not Be Right for You

September 14, 2010

Welcome to Blogging for B&Bs, a series of posts exploring blogs and their uses and usefulness for B&Bs. In this series, we’re exploring what blogs are and how they can help you connect with your guests, coming up with ideas for blog posts, and writing the posts themselves. We’re also discussing when a blog might [...]

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Blogging for B&Bs, Part III: Tips for Writing Blog Posts

September 7, 2010

Welcome to Blogging for B&Bs, a series of posts exploring blogs and their uses and usefulness for B&Bs. In this series, we’re exploring what blogs are and how they can help you connect with your guests, coming up with ideas for blog posts, and writing the posts themselves. We’re also discussing when a blog might [...]

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Blogging for B&Bs, Part II: Blog Post Ideas

August 31, 2010

Welcome to Blogging for B&Bs, a series of posts exploring blogs and their uses and usefulness for B&Bs. In this series, we’re exploring what blogs are and how they can help you connect with your guests, coming up with ideas for blog posts, and writing the posts themselves. We’re also discussing when a blog might [...]

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Blogging for B&Bs, Part I: 4 Reasons to Start a Blog

August 23, 2010

Welcome to Blogging for B&Bs, a series of posts exploring blogs and their uses and usefulness for B&Bs. In this series, we’ll explore what blogs are and how they can help you connect with your guests, coming up with ideas for blog posts, and writing the posts themselves. We’ll also discuss when a blog might [...]

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How to Encourage Referrals

August 17, 2010

Referrals are a big part of any small business, but especially so for the lodging industry. Because of the huge number of options, sometimes it’s hard for people to decide on something they’ve never tried before or they’ve never heard anything about. Sometimes, a referral, whether personal or anonymous, can tip the scales in your [...]

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A Few Unconventional Marketing Ideas

July 29, 2010

There are some things everyone does to promote their B&B: joins the Chamber of Commerce, prints a brochure, hangs a sign out front. But there are plenty of other things to do that will generate interest and increase reservations at the same time. Create a video or slideshow and display it on your home page. [...]

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Be Remarkable

July 26, 2010

A few years ago, I read a book called Purple Cow, by Seth Godin, and what I learned from the book forever changed my thinking about marketing, and about business in general. In it, Godin emphasizes that, if you want your business to succeed, you have to be a purple cow. A purple cow gets [...]

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