promote Archives | Kristi Dement

Tag Archives: promote

How To Ask for a Link Request

Posted on July 8, 2014 by kdement Leave a comment

Do you wonder how to ask for a link request? I am going to sum up the main points in the awesome book published by Entrepreneur Press called Ultimate Guide to Link Building: Build Backlinks, Earn a Higher Search Engine Rank, Increase the Authority and Popularity of Your Site by Eric Ward and Garrett French.

Steps:

Look over the website you want to have your link on to make sure it is relevant
Do not put the words “link request” in the email subject line
Start the e-mail off addressing the website owner by name
Introduce yourself, your website, and why you would like to the link
Identify the exact URL on their site where you think the link is a fit
List the exact URL from your site that you want them to link to
Give a valid email address and respond to any email requests they send
Provide your phone number–something a spammer would not do
Follow any link request instructions they give
If a reciprocal link, confirm that you have linked to their site and provide the URL
Be attentive, professional, courteous, and to the point

This book also lists Link Building Strategies written by Jon Cooper of Point Blank SEO:

Start blogging on your website
Have internal links to other content on your website
List resources and outside links
Build relationships with others
Find niche-specific directories
Write guest posts or have guests write posts for your blog
Provide educational content
Write compelling testimonials
Provide useful lists–there is power in making lists!
Be interviewed or interview someone in your industry
Offer timely/seasonal content
Use humor
Provide printable resources
Host contests
Cover news first
Give helpful infographics
Host online webinars
Promote National Days and Events
Survey people and post results
Debunk popular myths
Comment on relevant blogs
Do question and answer blog post
Ask customers what they want to see more of
Connect with industry associations and organizations
Attend relevant conferences
Call people
Host local group meetings
Retweet Twitter tweets
Provide email signature listing website & ways to connect with you via social media
and much more!

There are always things you can do to draw bigger audiences to your website. By taking the steps to ask for link requests and implementing the link building strategies, you will be well on your way to developing more a popular website.

Readers, I welcome your responses to this post as well as other ideas related to the topic of link requests and link building. I read every comment and respond when appropriate. Thanks! Kristi

Posted in Associations and Ratings, Blog and Social Media, Conferences, Events, Promotion

10 Twitter Tips for B&B’s

Posted on June 24, 2014 by kdement 2 comments

Did you know that there are 255 million monthly active Twitter users? Did you know that 500 million tweets are sent each day? Most of us know that Twitter is a popular social media website.

Here are some quick tips so you can get the best out of using Twitter to promote your bed and breakfast inn:

1) Know your audience in order to target your message to the right people. You want to write to appeal to your specific market–not everyone. What kind of bed and breakfast guests would you like to attract?

Be pet friendly if you want guests with pets
Be couple friendly and require kids to be a minimum age
Promote being healthy by not allowing smoking on all grounds
Accommodate guests with allergies or restricted diets when you cook breakfasts
Reach out to those getting married or renewing their vows with ceremonies
Provide spa services to guests who like to be pampered
Offer extra amenities such as hot tubs or private balcony views

2) Regularly spend time listening to the needs and wants of your target market. What would ease their pain and make their lives better?

Need time to get away from it all
Want to relax with a loved one
Want to visit a local relative without inconveniencing them
Like to visit tourist spots in your area
Want personal touch of a B&B versus big hotel

3) Have strategies behind who you follow. You do not have to follow everyone. Be selective and show your audience what they like to see.

Travel tips (give them useful information)
Scenic pictures of your area (entice them to visit)
Baby animals (who does not like baby animals?)
Recipes (you may even offer a cooking class to your guests)
Local activities (show them what they can do in your area)

4) Have a consistent presence online. Tweet at least four to six times per day if possible.

5) Provide useful content based on your brands’ goals. Selling should not be the focus.

Tweet powerful quotes
Update readers about your area events
Share meaningful stories

6) Tweet with images. People are visual creatures and tweets with pictures are more than twice as likely to be retweeted. Images can convey more than words do.

Share pictures of the bedrooms in your bed and breakfast
Tweet pictures of your outdoor views including landscaping
Share pictures of your delightful breakfasts and goodies made
Share pictures of local community events including concerts and sports games

7) Be active on other social media channels and have a blog on your website. Blogs provide fresh content the search engines love. More online connections come from having a strong presence on other social media websites.

Facebook
Linked In
Pinterest

8) Use hashtags (#) so the reach of your tweets spreads to people searching for that term. Use trending hashtags (labeled “trends”) on the bottom left. Make sure the hashtags are relevant to the tweet and two hashtags is plenty.

Newsworthy events
Celebrities
Holidays (including national food holidays)
This day in history
Sports
Trending area activities

9) Always have a call to action. Know what you want them to do after they read your tweet.

Look at your website
Subscribe to your blog
Book a room
Schedule their event

10) Monitor your Twitter results with other websites. Some Twitter tools are available for free or to use on a free trial basis. Try them out to see which you prefer.

Buffer
Hootsuite
Social Bro
Tweetdeck

When you use this tips consistently, you will see a dramatic increase in your numbers:

More Twitter followers
More retweets
More blog subscriptions
More guests
And more income!

Posted in Blog and Social Media, Promotion

What Innkeepers Like Most

Posted on March 25, 2014 by kdement Leave a comment

I wanted to see if there were some common responses to the question I asked bed and breakfast innkeepers in an online Linked In group. The question was, “What do you like most about being an innkeeper?” Answers included:

Welcoming guests from all over the world
Meeting people from all walks of life
Showing hospitality by making others feel at home
Conversations that flow naturally with guests
Feeding our guests well
Being my own boss
Satisfaction from making others happy
Having guests return again and again and forming long-term bonds with them

So what do YOU like best about being owning a bed and breakfast? I can think of several responses, depending upon what activities you like to do at your B&B:

Greeting and speaking with guests
Cooking delicious breakfasts, desserts, and more
Hosting events such as weddings and group meetings
Tending to our beautiful garden
Renovating and restoring our home
Decorating the rooms
Designing several different packages for guests to choose from
Updating guests with a regular newsletter or blog
Using social media to promote our bed and breakfast

Everyday keep in mind what you love about being an innkeeper. Keep track of memorable moments with guests. Stay in touch with former guests and reach out to potential new guests. Join an innkeeping association for support from fellow innkeepers. Now it is easier than ever to keep in contact with others in our connected world.

Posted in Blog and Social Media, Food, Guests, Promotion

The Art of Pinning

Posted on March 14, 2014 by kdement Leave a comment

Pinterest is visual in nature so it works for visually oriented businesses like bed and breakfasts. People want to know what your inn looks like. Looking at your pins helps them to imagine themselves at your bed and breakfast.

Pictures:

Motivate them to plan a vacation to stay at your inn
Each picture is worth 1,000 words
Are more appealing and stronger than words
Pin only images with strong visual content
Brighter colors bring more joy
Feature just one idea or product in each pin
Use descriptive keywords you want to be known for
If you resize an image, make sure it is still clear and easy to see

Social media

Builds relationships with guests and potential guests
Raises the visibility of your bed and breakfast online
Gets you ranked higher on Google
Finds you business contacts like fellow innkeepers and associations

Remember:

Share your story of how you came to be bed and breakfast owners/innkeepers
Share information you are interested in and that your followers will find useful (such as travel tips)
Educate your audience on the advantages of staying at a bed and breakfast
Pin pictures of your bed and breakfast
Pin pictures of you amenities such as pool, garden, spa, etc.
Pin pictures of your community to give guests reasons to want to stay in your area

Etiquette or “Netiquette”:

If you were not the first to pin it, give credit to the original pinner.
Share and repin to show you are interested in other things outside your own B&B

Pinterest users become part of a larger community. When we promote other people’s pins they are more likely to follow us. That is one of my secrets to how I grew such a quick following on Pinterest. You can too!

Posted in Blog and Social Media, Guests, Promotion

Professional Associations

Posted on February 18, 2014 by kdement Leave a comment

AAA logo BBB Logo

Do you belong to a professional association? Many inns and bed and breakfasts are members of professional associations. There are international, national, regional, and local associations, all of which provide services to both their members and the travelling public. Many require their members to meet specific standards of quality, while others simply require a lodging establishment to pay dues. These associations also facilitate marketing of the individual B&Bs and provide a stamp of approval that the business in question is reputable.

While various local governments have regulations and inspect lodging establishments for health and safety issues, membership in a state or national bed and breakfast association can indicate a higher standard of hospitality. Associations sometimes review their members’ properties and tend to have additional standards of care. Associations may offer informative conferences.

In the US for example, each state has an innkeeping association (usually non-profit) that exists to promote the industry and tourism. Within those state associations, many city and regional bed and breakfast associations can be found. Many state, city and regional associations, have inspection criteria that often exceed government requirements for safety and cleanliness. We have talked about organizations like AAA, the Better Business Bureau, and the Professional Association of Innkeepers International in previous blog posts. People find comfort in staying at places that have earned high ratings. Think about your B&B’s marketing strategy.

Posted in Associations and Ratings

Yoga Retreats

Posted on February 13, 2014 by kdement Leave a comment

Does your bed and breakfast offer yoga retreats? The bed and breakfast owners who do, emphasize the peacefulness of their quiet location, the beauty of their scenic nature, and the transformation in body and mind that can come with yoga.

You can encourage guests of all experience levels to challenge themselves in your safe and comfortable setting. Highlight the benefits of their coming: a place for them to strengthen and relax their body, free themselves from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, and grow in creativity.

You may designate specific times of the year for these retreats. Some B&B owners offer weekend yoga retreats. You can put together a yoga retreat package for your guests.

If no one on staff is an expert yoga instructor, you could find a yoga professional in your local area who is willing to conduct these retreats and pay them a reasonable fee per participant.

Be sure to promote your yoga retreats on your website, in your blog, and through social media. You may be attracting a whole new clientele of guests to your inn.

Posted in Activities, Blog and Social Media, Events, Guests, Promotion

Frequent Stay and Referral Program

Posted on February 11, 2014 by kdement Leave a comment

Did you know that you can reward your guests for staying frequently and for referring their friends to you? Repeat business and referrals bring in money. As a bed and breakfast owner, you can put in place a program to encourage guests to come again and tell their friends about your B&B.

You can say, “The highest compliment you can give us is to return again as a guest and to refer us to others.” There are a variety of arrangements bed and breakfasts offer, such as:

When five of your referrals have booked with us, you get a free night’s stay.
Refer another couple who stays two nights, and you get $50 off your next visit.
With three referrals, you earn a free night in our standard room or 50% off one of our hot tub suites.

You may need to specify certain restrictions including:

When your friends make a reservation online, they must type your name as the referral.
Must show their receipts from previous stays.
Only when your first night’s stay is on a Sunday through a Thursday.
Excludes special events, holidays, and peak periods.
Not redeemable for cash.
Other restrictions may apply.
Expiration date (if any).

You can promote this frequent stay and referral program on your website, in your blog, and through social media. Make sure you mention this as your guests leave to remind them of this unique opportunity. You will enjoy seeing the familiar faces of your returning guests as well as meeting their friends!

Posted in Blog and Social Media, Guests, Promotion

Are You Media Friendly?

Posted on February 5, 2014 by kdement Leave a comment

Why not make it easy for a journalist or reporter to do a story on your bed and breakfast? Have a press kit on your website. Consider asking, “Are you a journalist working on a story about inns or bed and breakfasts? We would love to help you with your story or article.”

The press kit can include:

Media contact‘s name, phone number, e-mail address (owner, innkeeper, public relations person for your B&B)
The history of the bed and breakfast: location, year it was built, original owners, type of architecture, date it became a bed and breakfast, etc.
Information about the innkeepers/owners: where they are originally from, their career history, their hobbies, pets, kids, etc.
Awards you and your B&B have received: from bed and breakfast associations, cooking contests won, your AAA rating, your Better Business Bureau grade, etc.
Press coverage: list of and link to articles in newspapers, magazines, online attention
High resolution photos of the inside including the rooms as well as the outside of the bed and breakfast as well as the best breakfasts and other food you serve
Map of area and nearby attractions
Videos made about your B&B or ones that you have had filmed to promote your bed and breakfast
Amenities: private hot tub, fireplace, library, spa, garden, etc.
Current promotions: such as special packages and upcoming events like weddings
Online guest reviews: share positive guest testimonials
Your blog

Anything that you think will enhance your reputation as providing exceptional hospitality, this is your opportunity make it accessible for the press to report on it. Even curious potential guests will be impressed by it when they see it.

If you do not mind members of the press coming to your bed and breakfast to interview you and/or make a video, then be sure to state that on-site tours can be arranged. There is nothing better than free publicity!

Posted in Amenities, Associations and Ratings, Blog and Social Media, Food, Promotion

Is Your B&B Green?

Posted on February 4, 2014 by kdement Leave a comment

Carrying Green Cleaning Supplies Stock Photo Energy efficient light bulb Stock Photos Symbol of recycling Stock Photo

Would you like to know a way to possibly reduce your costs and be environmentally friendly? A “green” bed and breakfast has the goal of promoting the sustainability of the earth’s natural resources.

There are four main areas of green initiatives:

energy efficiency
conservation of water and other natural resources
waste reduction
education

Some practical applications of this include:

encouraging guests to re-use their towels and linens
using soap dispensers instead of individually wrapped bars of soap
low-flow shower heads and toilets
using green cleaning supplies with safe cleaning agents
replacing incandescent light bulbs with compact flourescent light bulbs
re-insulating your bed and breakfast
installing solar panels on the roof
having an energy efficient furnace
installing a rainwater collection system to redirect the water to your inn’s garden
composting everything possible
recycling and purchasing recycled products

You can proclaim your inn’s commitment to protecting the environment by implementing these practices. In the long run, this could save you money with lower energy bills. If you belong to a state bed and breakfast association, they may be able to endorse you as a green bed and breakfast if someone evaluates your green practices. You can promote to your guests that you are a green bed and breakfast.

Posted in Associations and Ratings, Gardening and Lawns, Guests

B&B Guests: Sight Seers

Posted on January 24, 2014 by kdement Leave a comment

If your bed and breakfast is near a major tourist attraction like the Grand Canyon or even a college campus, you will have guests who want to visit them. You can find out from local college campus when certain events, like Parents Weekend, are being held.

Knowing , for example, that Grand Canyon National Park may have some free dates of admission (or more importantly, the facts about the attractions near you) can help you plan and promote your bed and breakfast marketing.

Remember that your website, blog, and social media presence are a big part of getting the word out to potential guests and will lead to more booked rooms!

Posted in Activities, Events, Guests, Promotion

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