Tag Archives: people

The Tao of Twitter (Part 3)

tao of twitterIf you have not yet read the #1 bestselling book about Twitter by Mark W. Schaefer, called the Tao of Twitter, we highly recommend it.  We have shared how Twitter can help you get more business as well as explained Mark’s three essential components to achieving Tao:

  • Targeted connections
  • Meaningful content
  • Authentic helpfulness

We have gone in depth on Mark’s concept of providing authentic helpfulness. Now we will explore how to attract the right Twitter followers (targeted connections) to find your tribe.

 

  • Start following people, companies, and brands you already know using the search box
  • Look at Who To Follow (Twitter makes recommendations based on who you are already following)
  • Mine Twitter lists which are categorized by special interest or geographic location
  • Use Twellow an exhaustive directory of Twitter members by every category, industry, interest, and city
  • Add yourself to up to ten special-interest categories to make it easy for people to find your B&B
  • Search for related businesses by relevant hashtags
  • Look through other social media accounts
  • Go hyperlocal to find real time tweets within a few miles of where you are
  • Find by “prominence” at WeFollow a user-generated directory
  • Join Twitter chats–regularly scheduled online meetings based on special interests
  • #Discover to find friends, popular accounts, or activity
  • Add your Twitter handle to your business cards and email signature
  • Consistently tweet quality content to provide value
  • Make tweetable moments in presentations
  • Live tweet an industry event hashtag
  • Hold a contest to get new people to follow you and retweet your contest to other potential connections
  • Team up with another business, brand, or a media partner
  • Offer exclusive content, discounts, and insider access to your Twitter followers
  • Watch what and who your followers are talking about
  • Use advanced search for more in-depth searching
  • Use specialized search prompts “keyword” near: location

Bed and breakfast owners and innkeepers will be well on their way to building a relevant and targeted community. Let Bed and Breakfast Blogging write search-engine friendly blogs and give you an active presence on social media so your rooms are consistently booked.

25 Ways To Write Creative Blog Posts

If you are reading this, then I assume you are looking to be CREATIVE (and definitely not boring) when you write a blog post.  This way you will have plenty of admiring fans! 25 ways to write CREATIVE blog posts:

1. ADVICE– You have unique advice that only you can offer to your readers.  Once you understand who your audience is, then you can write like you are writing to a friend.  They will feel like they know you and you will develop a huge following.

2. CAUSE– Why not rally your readers behind a cause you support?  Let them know what you are doing to make a difference and how they can help. Give a call to action. Seriously, don’t leave that out.

3. COMMUNITY– Your community could be defined by your local area or it could be people who share a common interest or goal.  Reach out to “your peeps” and connect with them!

4. COMPARISON– Take two things and compare them.  Whether you compare two breakfast foods or two fun activities, the fun is in comparing and contrasting them. This could be educational, entertaining, or funny as well. Speaking of…

5. EDUCATIONAL– People like learning about things.  That is one reason why search engines are so popular.  Tell them something that not everyone knows, but you know because you are an expert at it.  Everyone is an expert at something.  Blog about what you know best.

6. ENTERTAINING– Everyone likes to laugh and have fun.  You could blog about entertainment that is coming to your community whether it is a music concert, sporting event, or theatrical production. Be sure to make it “entertaining” to read!  Since blogging is writing that is typically less formal than say a report, let your personality shine in the post.

7. EVENTS– People like finding out about events–ones that will happen and ones that already happened.  If you have the “inside scoop” on the latest, you can “tell all” in your blog!

8. FAQ– This common acronym is short for “frequently asked questions.”  Many websites have an FAQ page on them.  Blog about commonly asked questions.  Blog answers to familiar questions so you can refer your readers to when they ask them.  Saves you time in the process!

9. FAMILY– Some of your best material can come from your family members and others with whom you are close. As long as you make it generic enough that you don’t single out any one person or you know they won’t mind your sharing it, go ahead.  You know you want to!

10. GUIDE– A guide-type blog post could be a collection of tips about a specific topic. While similar to advice blog posts, they are different in that these tips can be applied by a variety of different people–not advice for one type of problem.  Example: Simple Tips to Get Clients To Pay on Time, Quick Ways to Find Just What You Want Online, etc.

11. HYPOTHETICAL– Ask your readers what they would do in a hypothetical situation. Maybe answer that question as well. These types of blog posts tend to get a lot of comments because people like to imagine, “What if….?” Sometimes I imagine, “What if I win a ton of money in the lottery and get to quit my day job?!”  I kind of have to buy a lottery ticket first. Oh well.

12. INSPIRATIONAL– Share something motivational with your readers.  Help them connect to you in a powerful way through your telling of someone overcoming a challenge and beating the odds.  Maybe that someone who overcame something big is you.  Don’t be afraid to share since it could encourage someone else!

13. INSTRUCTIONAL or “HOW TO”– Give instructions on how to do something that others want to know how to do, and suddenly you have a captive large audience.  You can be creative with your titles of these posts as well. Two examples: How To Teach Your Dog Fun New Tricks, How To Make Delicious Homemade Ice Cream, How To Make a Memorable Family Scrapbook, etc.

14. INTERVIEW– If you don’t have any famous celebrities you happen to know (most of us are in this boat), then you could always interview a person notable for what they do. A person who is accomplished in a career or sport or another area of life.  If you interview a person who has an inspiring story and then you have an “inspirational interview“! Wow, two different ways to write a blog post combined! You are an overachiever!

15. LISTS– People love lists.  Examples: 10 Ways You Can Change Your Spouse, 20 Best Party Appetizers, Top 40 Bestselling Books About Fitness, etc.  You get the idea and they will too!

16. MEMORIES– Often, we like to recall fond memories or retell funny situations.  We may even want to remember how we overcame a trauma for the sake of helping another person who finds themselves in the same emergency. When you blog about a memory, be sure to create a vivid picture in their minds of all the important details of your experience.

17. NEWS– Did you know that sometimes bloggers are the first to break a news story? There have been cases where a blogger has gotten in trouble for sharing some kinds of sensitive information.  Keep your day job and don’t blog about company trade secrets. Another word of advice is to keep your love life private so no one tries to sue you for disclosing personal details.  However, if you are in attendance at an exclusive event that you have permission to be blogging about, then by all means SHARE!

18. OPINIONS– If you loving sharing your opinions, then blogging is right up your alley!  As long as you are tactful and the topic is appropriate, it is alright to share what you think. You don’t have to have all positive comments from your readers.  In fact, it makes it more interesting when some of your readers do not agree with you.  Usually readers who do agree with you, will come to your defense when you are criticized by others.

19. PHOTOS– If you took a great picture or want to share several incredible pictures, then you may want to have a photo blog post.  When your text is all about what is in your photo(s), then you have a photo blog post.  Whether your pictures are of smiling people, grand buildings, gorgeous nature, or something entirely different, there are others who would love to learn about how you managed to capture the photos and the techniques you used in getting it to look the way it does.

20. PREDICTIONS– It is common at the end of the year (or the beginning of the new year) for people to come up with their predictions about some topic.  Examples: The Future of Technology, 10 Social Media Predictions, What is To Come in American Education, etc. Similar to the hypothetical “what if” posts, these are your thoughts as to what will come about in the next year (or whatever time frame you select) concerning a particular topic. Inquiring minds want to know!

21. PROBLEMS– Life would not be nearly as exciting if there were no glitches.  Inevitably, snags come along.  You spill chocolate ice cream on your brand new white dress shirt.  You get a ticket for speeding on your way to work early one morning.  Your problem post could be written to be a funny look at everyday life or it could be a solution post in which you address how to solve a particular problem with a specific idea, product, or service. People are always looking for solutions!

22. QUIZZES– Some people love taking quizzes for fun.  Why not write a blog post that is a quiz about something interesting?  Examples: 15 Questions to Discover the Vacation of Your Dreams, How Well Do You Know Yourself?, etc.  The point is to make your quiz blog post appealing enough to your audience, so that they want to take it.

23. REVIEW– Everybody loves reading reviews.  You could blog a book review, a restaurant critique, or a movie screening.  Reviews help other people who, for example, were thinking about reading the same book, dining at the same restaurant, or watching the same movie; decide if they want to based on your review.  When you write a review blog post, you have the power to influence your readers to take action or avoid it.  Don’t let the power go to your head!

24. SECRETS– This could mean quick shortcuts, little known facts, or juicy details.  Like news posts, people like finding out things they would not normally know had they not read your blog.  Same cautions apply!

25. STORIES– People love reading fascinating stories.  A story blog post captures the attention of your audience yet is brief enough to be the length of a blog post. Stories with important lessons for your readers earn you loyal readers.

Try one (or a combination of several) of these types of blog posts the next time you write! Don’t be afraid to get CREATIVE.  Most importantly, enjoy the process that blogging requires.  It always helps me to visualize my readers reading this.  Will they think this is funny?  Does that tell them everything they need to know?  etc.  Feel free to share your CREATIVE blog post ideas or to ask me a question related to this post.

B&B Social Media Success

Contagious: Why Things Catch On

B&B Social Media Success is the name of a Pin Board I have on the social media network called Pinterest.  I pinned the pins on that board for the sole purpose of helping bed and breakfast owners successfully use social media.  What I did not expect, and I was completely surprised about, was the response from those not even in the bed and breakfast industry.  I currently have over 1700 followers on that board alone!  What is crazy is that I did not start it more than a few months ago!

That is the power of numbers and how things can go viral fast.  I recommend the book, “Contagious: Why Things Catch On” by Jonah Berger.  Berger is the James G. Campbell Associate Professor of Marketing at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. He discusses six principles of “Contagiousness”:

  • Social currency: people desire to share cool things to look good in the process
  • Triggers: people talk about things cued in their environment
  • Emotion: when people have high arousal emotions (like excitement or anger) they are more likely to share it
  • Public: behavior that is made more public enables social influence
  • Practical Value: people share things to help others (save time, save money, become more healthy, etc.)
  • Story: people share memorable stories

So what can you do to have social media success and your bed and breakfast become “contagious”?  Kristi Dement of Bed and Breakfast Blogging is here to help!  Contact Kristi today so you can have social media success and more guests at your B&B!

What Innkeepers Like Most

what-innkeepers-like-most

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 to what innkeepers like most 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.

 

Image by Marcus Berg of Unique Angles Photography

The Art of Pinning

the-art-of-pinning

The art of pinning on Pinterest is visual in nature.  This works very well for visually oriented businesses like bed and breakfasts.  People want to know what your inn looks like and what your breakfasts look like.  Seeing your pins helps them to imagine themselves at your bed and breakfast inn.

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!

 

Image by Marcus Berg of Unique Angles Photography

When You Need to Unwind…

when-you-need-to-unwind

We all have had days where we just need to unwind.  For the bed and breakfast owner, it could be any of the following situations:

  • An unexpected expense (anything from needing a new roof to a new refrigerator)
  • Guests (most are great, but a few can be hard to deal with)
  • No time to yourself (you are always attending to everyone and everything else)
  • Not enough bookings (not earning enough)

Possible Solutions:

  • Fix repairs yourself or barter your rooms in exchange for something you need
  • Stick to your bed and breakfast policies even if it means turning away business
  • Hire an additional employee (housekeeper, chef, etc.) at your B&B
  • Hire inn-sitters or interim innkeepers
  • Add a blog with fresh content to bring more visitors to your website
  • Pay to be listed in popular bed and breakfast directories

There are always steps you can take to make the bed and breakfast way of life easier for you, the innkeeper.  Don’t forget about reaching out to your community and making affiliations with a local florists, restaurants, spas, chambers of commerce, and so on. Remember too that there are bed and breakfast associations in which you can become members. The more interaction with other people, the more likely you will have success!

 

Image by Marcus Berg of Unique Angles Photography

B&B Guests: Hobby Lovers

bb-guests-hobby-lovers

People who practice certain hobbies may be attracted to stay at your bed and breakfast. Common outdoor hobbies include photography and bird watching.  Other hobbies include scrapbooking and writing.

There may even be a local conference related to their hobby in your area.  This is a great opportunity for you to offer a special package to your enthused hobbyists.  Assure them that they will have the quiet they need and beautiful scenery they want when they stay at your bed and breakfast.  This is a win-win situation!

 

Image by Marcus Berg of Unique Angles Photography

B&B Guests: History Buffs

bb-guests-history-buffs

Some bed and breakfast guests visit because they want to tour historic buildings as well as monuments or local museums in your area.  You can take advantage of your prime location, and contact these places ahead of time to make arrangements for your guests to have tickets.

For example, in Asheville, North Carolina, the largest private mansion in the United States called the Biltmore Estate is located near a number of bed and breakfasts.  Many of these bed and breakfasts emphasize their close proximity and include tickets to the estate in a package they offer.

You may not have a huge estate in your area, but hopefully there is something historic that people tour in your local area.  If your bed and breakfast is historic, then play up your knowledge of its history and previous owners. Many people love getting a sense of history from learning about the past!

 

Image by Marcus Berg of Unique Angles Photography

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