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The Art of Social Selling

Posted on October 14, 2014 by Kristi Dement 2 comments

I highly recommend Shannon Belew’s book called The Art of Social Selling: Finding and Engaging Customers on Twitter, Facebook, Linked In, and Other Social Networks. Belew says the power has shifted from the brand to the consumer. Marketing has become a two-way conversation with the customer. The art of social selling is based entirely on your ability to build relationships.

Did you know that over one BILLION people are active on social networks? Thus, it is extremely important that you know where your customers are hanging out.

Shannon Belew defines “social selling” as the identification, targeting, and reaching out to prospective and existing customers through social media channels and social communities in an effort to engage them in conversations that result in a potentially mutually beneficial relationship. This means being more social (listening and conversing about the customer’s needs) and less traditional selling. The heart of social selling is relationship building.

This book reveals Belew’s ten most important rules for online social interactions:

1) Be genuine: your social networking persona should be an extension of your real persona

2) Listen, listen, listen: to truly hear what the customer is saying so you can present a viable solution you must find and monitor conversations that relate to your prospective customer’s needs, concerns, and interests with the goal of remaining relevant to your customers

3) Be responsive: to customer-related complaints and concerns voiced across social media channels

4) Follow the leader: follow group guidelines, watch how members participate and interact with one another

5) Tailor the conversation: find common ground and share information relevant to your audience

6) Be helpful: offer educational opportunities, general support, and even inspiration

7) Identify the enter and exit signs: know if it is polite to enter the online interaction and make sure to exit gracefully

8) Maintain separation of professional and personal: make sure what you share is suitable for both audiences

9) Be consistent: give people a clear expectation of who you are and what your area of expertise is

10) Admit when you are wrong: be willing to apologize, it is a sign of strength and goodwill

Shannon Belew’s concept of “unselling“:

Unselling is a process that occurs over time
Requires consistent interaction with your prospects via social media
This establishes your credibility as a good resource
Identify and interact with industry influencers
Be a thought leader to build social influence
Embrace consultative sales in which you are developing conversations that educate and assist the prospect through the buying process
This opens the door to an increased amount of sharing
This increases the comfort level of prospects as well as puts you in the role of expert

Belew talks about word of mouth marketing. Social shoppers are not only influenced by their friends and family, but by perfect strangers, too. Encourage your happy and satisfied customers to provide online testimonials. Include your links on thank-you pages and emails. Respond to negative reviews quickly. Thank customers publicly for their positive reviews.

In this book, Shannon Belew cites a 2013 Technorati Report that stated that blogs are the third-most influential digital or online resource and the fifth most trusted resource on the internet. Blogs are great for sharing on social media. Plus, points made in a blog post can be posted or tweeted on social media. Later in the book, Belew gives specific tips about using each of the major social media channels. This is an incredible resource for business owners.

*Please note: I am not being compensated for this review. I just really love this book and think it will help others wanting to grow their business!

Posted in Blog and Social Media, Marketing, Promotion, Success

Morehead Manor Bed & Breakfast

Posted on October 1, 2014 by Kristi Dement Leave a comment

Morehead Manor Bed and Breakfast

Morehead Manor Bed & Breakfast is a historical B&B with modern amenities. The friendly and attentive owners and innkeepers Monica and David Edwards show true Southern hospitality. Guests rave about their gourmet breakfasts. They love being ambassadors to the city of Durham. When asked, they are delighted to give their guests whatever guidance they need depending upon their guests’ particular interests and reasons for visiting.

The Durham, NC area is a great location. It is conveniently close to the Raleigh-Durham International (RDU) Airport. Those living in, or visiting, Durham have access to a wide variety of things to do and see, including:

The Durham Performing Arts Center: home to a variety of performances including Broadway theater, music concerts, and comedy
Durham Athletics: Duke University sports, North Carolina Central University Sports, Hurricanes NHL Hockey, and more
Durham Shopping: The Streets at Southpoint, Brightleaf Shopping Square, Northgate Mall, Ninth Street Shopping District, and more
The Sarah P. Duke Gardens in Durham: started by Washington Duke and named in honor of his daughter Sarah, this has become a world famous attraction

The world renown medical facility, Duke University Hospital, has its home in Durham beside Duke University campus. Durham, known as The Tastiest Town in the South, shows its excellence in award-winning restaurants for fine dining and casual dining. Residents and tourists alike also flock to the great variety of food trucks satisfying their appetites.

Morehead Manor offers four different areas to their guests to stay:

In The Tiger Room, guests rest comfortably in a king-sized, wrought-iron, canopy bed that is surrounded by windows. This airy room that overlooks the beautiful rear garden. Read an adventure novel as you are nestled in the comfortable reading chair, wrapped in one of our plush robes, imagining all of the exciting places that the antique Louis Vitton trunk resting at the foot of the bed has visited.

The Magnolia Suite is the spacious original Master bedroom features a king-sized wooden canopy bed with lights in the headboard, perfect for romance or reading a good book. The sitting area in the main room is furnished with two high-back chairs near an electric firebox. A separate sitting area has a love seat/sleeper and a roll-top desk. The private bath features a tub and shower. This room can accommodate up to 3.

The Eagle’s Inn features two full-sized beds, spacious enough to accommodate up to 4 people, perfect for those guests visiting the local universities or travel companions that prefer having their own comfortable sleeping beds. The full bath features a deluxe 7-head shower. You can enjoy one of the room’s many novels in the reading recliner or even pen your own at the writing desk.

The Jasmine Room is comfortably appointed with a queen-sized bed. Relax in the reading recliner as you take in a book, the flames from the electric firebox, or just enjoy the views of the front garden. The large bathroom with tub and shower is perfect for relaxing. There is a desk available. Reserve this room and enjoy the complimentary homemade dessert and beverages as you unwind from the day.

Plan your visit to Morehead Manor Bed and Breakfast today!

Monica and Daniel Edwards
914 Vickers Ave
Durham, NC 27701
(919) 687-4366 | Toll Free: (888) 437-6333

Morehead Manor Bed and Breakfast’s blog`
Like them on Facebook
Join them on Google+
Connect with Monica on Linked In
Follow them on Pinterest
Follow them on Twitter

Posted in Events, Food, History

The Tao of Twitter (Part 4)

Posted on September 30, 2014 by Kristi Dement Leave a comment

This is the last part of a four-blog-post series highlighting useful information from the hot #1 bestselling book on Twitter: The Tao of Twitter by Mark W. Schaefer. One of Mark’s essential keys to Twitter success involves providing meaningful content.

His suggestions include:

Tweet about what interests you
Share what you are reading online
Link to your blog or other blogs with rich and relevant content
Link to your comments on other social media platforms
Leverage your other online content
Share something human like what you are grateful for
Tweet something non-work related
Tweet news related to your business or industry
Tweet your opinion on something in the news or something funny
Tweet in the moment
Tweet at peak times
Thoughtfully schedule tweets (Hootsuite, Tweetdeck, or Buffer can help you fan them out throughout the day)
Tweet regularly only if you have something of value to share
Sharing someone else’s tweet is a form of complimenting them and it puts you on their radar screen: put their content then via @personyouareRTing
Keep your tweets as short as possible to make them more shareable
Tweet exclusive content before it is released anywhere else
Build up the buzz about something before it comes
Link to interesting content such as blogs, podcasts, and videos

Schaeffer also discusses the value of using and making Twitter Lists:

Click the Me icon, then click Lists and it will show lists subscribed to and lists you are a member of
To create a list its name cannot exceed 25 characters
Name the list something that makes sense but also grabs people’s attention
Click gear icon drop down menu and select Add or remove from lists
You do not need to be a follower to a user to add that person to the list
You can edit and delete any list you make
You cannot add or remove people from your list, you must go to their profile page in order to add or remove them
You can follow lists without following individual users in the list
Share your lists on Twitter and other platforms
Include yourself in the lists with the help of Hootsuite (open your profile in a tweet that mentions you and click to Add to List)
Create lists that are helpful to your target audience

Innkeepers, what would be useful information to your target audience: guests who want to stay at your bed and breakfast inn?

List of travel organizations and media
List of groups providing recipes
List of attractions and resources in your particular geographic location
etc.

If you are looking for someone to tweet on behalf of your bed and breakfast, we are experienced in helping B&Bs gain more clients. We invite you to contact Bed and Breakfast Blogging with Kristi Dement for a free consultation. We provide professional blogging and social media services.

Posted in Blog and Social Media, Marketing, Promotion, Success

Fun Bed and Breakfast Retreats

Posted on September 24, 2014 by Kristi Dement Leave a comment

I went online to BnB Finder to search for bed and breakfasts and to my pleasant surprise, I found some fun bed and breakfast retreats. These retreats include a board game tournament, a night walk, private art classes, and a literary weekend. Typically, most bed and breakfasts do not offer these kinds of special retreats which makes these bed and breakfasts all the more attractive. Read on for more retreat ideas that you can apply to grow your own B&B business.

In Saugatuck, Michigan (near where I grew up in Holland, Michigan) at Sherwood Forest Bed and Breakfast they offer a Monopoly Tournament from November through April. If the entire B&B is booked, they promise to organize the “hippest” Monopoly Tournament ever played! The winner receives a complete set of Sherwood Forest Gear. Lunch will be catered. This offer may expire at the end of this year. Call for details at 800-838-1246. This reminds me of my Pinterest Board called Bed and Breakfast Games which features different board games and game rooms at various bed and breakfasts.

In the Saratoga Region of New York at Mariaville Lake Bed and Breakfast, they offer a Night Walk for a small extra fee. This B&B invites guests to take a walk, guided by the innkeeper, to experience the full night sky. Guests will use a night vision scope and will be amazed at what they can see such as beavers working hard at their famous beaver pond. Advance notice is required and subject to availability and weather conditions. The offer may expire at the end of this year. Contact the innkeeper for more details.

In the Hudson Valley Region of New York, at the Pine Bush House, they offer Stay and Paint private art classes with local artist Lana Privitera. Originally from Spain, Lana graduated from the Fine Arts School of Zaragoza, where she majored in Fashion Design and Art History. Lana has won numerous art awards. She is the current Art Curator for the Pine Bush Public Library. A sampling of her work can be found on her website. Currently, there are one day and two day Watercolor Workshops (four hours each) available and all tailored to suit individual needs, taste, and ability. Supplies loaned by the instructor, but guests have the opportunity to purchase. Guests receive one FREE double white mat and backing piece (plus an acetate sleeve to protect their “masterpiece”). A list of art material suppliers as well as recommended art books will be provided. Contact Lana Privitera at lanaprivitera@gmail.com or Barbara at barbara@pinebushhouse.com for detailed pricing! Discounts available if staying two or more nights. This opportunity is available at least through June 20, 2015.

In lovely Vermont, The Governor’s House in Hyde Park offers Jane Austen Weekends full of literary-inspired diversions. Quietly slip back into Regency England in a beautiful historic mansion. Take afternoon tea. Share your thoughts at a book discussion. Attend an informal talk over desserts. Test your knowledge at the quiz brunch and possibly take home a prize. Take a carriage ride or sleigh ride (depending upon the season). Join every activity or simply spend the weekend watching the movies. Try English country dancing. Dress in whichever century suits you. Jane Austen fans unite!

Examples of bed and breakfast retreats, special packages, and events include:

Innkeepers are only limited by their imagination. So get creative and think about what you have passion for. What interests, skills, experience, and talents do you have? Innkeepers do not have to be the instructors. In the Stay and Paint retreat example, the innkeeper has a professional artist and art curator coming to her inn. Arrangements can be made with the experts hosting the event if they are not the bed and breakfast owners or innkeepers.

If you are a bed and breakfast owner or innkeeper and have been successful with a particular retreat, package, excursion, or other event at your B&B, I would love to know about it. Write about your successes to Kristi Dement below. I promise to read every comment and reply when appropriate.

Posted in Activities, Events

Pinterest Strategy

Posted on March 18, 2014 by Kristi Dement 2 comments

While Pinterest is fun, it is important that businesses form a Pinterest strategy centered around the feedback they have received from other pinners.

Strategy:

Develop a strategy based on your analytics
Tailor your boards to the needs and interests of your followers (based on your Pinterest analytics)
Showcase your pins in an organized way that makes sense
Find out who is pinning what and why
Measure your impact and focus on boards performing the best
Create a variety of different boards that each target certain words
Cross-promote on other social media platforms (ex: Twitter, Facebook)
Include hash tags (#) in your board descriptions
Invite specific types of travelers into your bed and breakfast (ex: couples, business people, girlfriends, etc.)
Determine if you want to be pet-friendly, kid-friendly, or offer special events such as weddings or retreats
Look at how other B&B’s (with a large number of followers) use Pinterest

Pinterest can help virtually any business establish brand and get the word out. What you get out of Pinterest depends on what you put in it. In the process, guests will be able to peek into your personality, style, loves, and aspirations. Guests will feel like they know you before they arrive!

Posted in Blog and Social Media, Guests, Promotion

Verify Your Website To Pin Smarter

Posted on March 11, 2014 by Kristi Dement Leave a comment

Pinterest helps people discover things in a simple and visual way. Pinners might find something they love while browsing your boards, scrolling through a category you’re listed in or searching for your bed and breakfast directly. It is important to verify your website to pin smarter.

Pinterest offers Business sites to help brands and businesses who wish to use Pinterest to connect with their audience. In this blog post I will tell you exactly why you want to verify your bed and breakfast’s website for your Business Pinterest Profile. Without verifying your website, you will be missing some very important information!

First, to verify your website, visit your Settings page and click on the Verify Website button. When your website is verified, people will see a checkmark next to your domain in search results. They will also see the full website URL and checkmark on your profile.

The verification badge helps people identify high-quality sources of content and more easily find the business they want in search results. There you’ll find Pinterest tools and resources relevant to you, and see examples of how other businesses are using Pinterest.

Pinterest offers tips to businesses, including:

Pinning from various sources rather than one specific site.
Pinning from within Pinterest to engage with others (pinning is one of the most social activities on Pinterest and it’s how any user really builds his/her network of followers)
Creating at least a few boards that cover a broad range of interests, rather than maintaining a single board devoted to one topic.

For businesses, pinning can be a great way to highlight aspects of your brand that may not come to mind at first when people consider your brand. For example, not everyone knows:

B&B’s can have spas, salons, and shops
Bed and breakfasts can offer retreats and some perform weddings
All the wonderful amenities bed and breakfasts offer
About your wonderful hospitality and homemade cooking

Pinterest can also be a great tool to learn what your audience and potential guests like. Once your website is verified, you have access to Pinterest Analytics. This is the why I was talking about. This shows you which pins are most popular with pinners and see which pins are driving the most traﬃc to your site!

You can also see what boards your stuﬀ appears on, how the pins are described and what people pin along with your stuﬀ. All of these insights will help you make smarter choices about what you pin and even develop a pinning strategy. Watch out: pinning can be addictive!

Posted in Blog and Social Media, Guests, Promotion

Fresh Content Keeps Them Coming Back

Posted on January 14, 2014 by Kristi Dement Leave a comment

Did you know that by updating your website with fresh web content, you are encouraging potential bed and breakfast guests to keep coming back? As people get to know you and your bed and breakfast through the new content on your B&B’s blog, they will want to return to your website. More importantly, your bed and breakfast will be on their minds the next time they want to go on vacation.

Did you know that search engines love fresh content? In fact, the web gives preference to fresh content versus web content that has not changed. The web spiders have a reason to crawl your website to pick up on those additional keywords you are feeding them.

Just like a relationship can get stale unless things are changed up a bit, a website needs to continually be revised. This adds appeal to returning visitors. It will increase your search rankings so that you will be higher ranked on the results pages. The higher ranked you are in the search engine, the more likely your website will organically be on the first page of the search results–without you having to pay for ads!

No need to worry if you do not have a way with the written word, Kristi Dement and her team at Bed and Breakfast Blogging can do all the work when it comes to writing blogs and adding social media presence. We will be sure to write about your unique strengths and interests, so that your guests can get to know you and all about your bed and breakfast.

Posted in Blog and Social Media, Promotion