9 Facebook Marketing Tips

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When our guests visit us, it is our overall impression that they have enjoyed their experience here. Most say they will return, though few ever do.
When DW and I visit a Bed and Breakfast (which we hate to do now that we own one) we may or may not enjoy the experience. If we enjoy it, it becomes a nice memory.
I do not want to become new best friends with the owners or follow their day to day exploits. I DO NOT CARE. I will not like them on Facebook and I will not friend them.
If Facebook is supposed to find us new guests, then it's a crappy model for getting the word out. I don't know anyone who looks for B&B accomodations on Facebook. I think a good website and and SEO are the best ways to get the word out about your B&B.
Maybe I'm just old. But I think trying to advertise on social media is a waste of time.
 
Well yes, you are old.
cry_smile.gif

This is the way it is today.
A website is not everything, and not near enough, not for most businesses. We need to engage, and get the word out there. If you are as full as you want to be, then fine, if you would like more guests, then do what you need to do. Not everyone is a destination, I have two rooms here now that are here due to social media, so I can tell you that is does work, works for us. But then I just blogged about moonshiners, so my point of reference may be my own. haha
 
we have a fan page and it has nothing about me and my life - its purpose is to tell people about local events and update them on things we are doing for example renovations and so on. Its about gently reminding people to come back and keeping you in their mind as a get away option.
 
When our guests visit us, it is our overall impression that they have enjoyed their experience here. Most say they will return, though few ever do.
When DW and I visit a Bed and Breakfast (which we hate to do now that we own one) we may or may not enjoy the experience. If we enjoy it, it becomes a nice memory.
I do not want to become new best friends with the owners or follow their day to day exploits. I DO NOT CARE. I will not like them on Facebook and I will not friend them.
If Facebook is supposed to find us new guests, then it's a crappy model for getting the word out. I don't know anyone who looks for B&B accomodations on Facebook. I think a good website and and SEO are the best ways to get the word out about your B&B.
Maybe I'm just old. But I think trying to advertise on social media is a waste of time..
Proud Texan said:
When our guests visit us, it is our overall impression that they have enjoyed their experience here. Most say they will return, though few ever do.
When DW and I visit a Bed and Breakfast (which we hate to do now that we own one) we may or may not enjoy the experience. If we enjoy it, it becomes a nice memory.
I do not want to become new best friends with the owners or follow their day to day exploits. I DO NOT CARE. I will not like them on Facebook and I will not friend them.
If Facebook is supposed to find us new guests, then it's a crappy model for getting the word out. I don't know anyone who looks for B&B accomodations on Facebook. I think a good website and and SEO are the best ways to get the word out about your B&B.
Maybe I'm just old. But I think trying to advertise on social media is a waste of time.
You are exactly the guest we get. But I still make time for the social side because it's available to me. 90% of the fans on my FB page are not guests and probably never will be guests. But, they share my photos and things to do with people who might be guests. And it doesn't hurt to promote the town I live in and the events going on.
Yes, it takes a conscious effort to do this every day. And, no, everyone doesn't have to do it to be successful. There are a lot of them that I just don't participate in because I don't understand how they work and I really don't have time for everything that comes down the pike. I also don't want each medium to be the same content and making up something different for every medium is a time suck.
I don't consider what I do on FB to be 'advertising'. I'm not really selling rooms, altho I will if we get a last minute cancel. I'm selling my area. Showing even local people stuff they didn't know was going on. Making connections with other businesses is my big focus. Providing a slice of life here is another.
 
While not for everyone, it is another source to share the word about your B&B and the area around you. I do not write of myself and very rarely of the B&B but mostly about things of interest around the area, sometimes things to see on the trip here from one way or another.
Most of those that have connected on FB have not stayed here, but I know they share the pictures and information and I just got one reservation that I know first hand that came from this method.
 
While not for everyone, it is another source to share the word about your B&B and the area around you. I do not write of myself and very rarely of the B&B but mostly about things of interest around the area, sometimes things to see on the trip here from one way or another.
Most of those that have connected on FB have not stayed here, but I know they share the pictures and information and I just got one reservation that I know first hand that came from this method..
copperhead said:
While not for everyone, it is another source to share the word about your B&B and the area around you. I do not write of myself and very rarely of the B&B but mostly about things of interest around the area, sometimes things to see on the trip here from one way or another.
Most of those that have connected on FB have not stayed here, but I know they share the pictures and information and I just got one reservation that I know first hand that came from this method.
I don't go on about myself, either. But some of the pix with the highest view rates are personal. Me, DH or the dog.
 
We've gotten a few new reservations from our FB page, I certainly don't consider it a source for new bookings. What I do see is 1st time guests hit our website first, then check-out the FB page. I can't really tell if they make their reservation first, then go to FB or whether from our website go to FB then make their reservation. The way I know this is that they tell me. I will mention something about the area or something we've done at the inn and they'll say "Oh yes, I saw that on FB!"
We get a lot of repeat guests because of our niche. Those are the ones that I really want to be able to interact with on FB. They're the ones that see on our FB page that a couple has just gotten engaged, or we're full with honeymooners, etc. It helps remind them that they had a great time here and hey, our anniversary is coming up....why don't we go back to XYZ b&b? After we put a new deck and slider door on our Cottage and posted the pics on FB, our bookings for the Cottage increased.
I share a little bit of myself on our FB page. Like Maddie, when it's a personal picture or story I've posted, we get the most response. These people are used to social media. They want to be part of our lives for some strange reason. I'm willing to share a little bit, but not much.
I didn't want to do FB and started it when I was kicking and screaming....now, a few years later, I see the value of it.
PT, I'm like you, I will rarely go back to the same place, but there are a lot of folks out there who want to find a place they like, know what to expect and will book over and over because it's simple, easy and hey, they might even like you!
 
These are all great tips. I feel good photos are a good way to retain and gain FB friends; more specifically quality over quantity. It's a great idea to photograph delicious recipes, or breathtaking inn views, or even images of upcoming attractions in your area. People are very visual, and wehn they see great pics cross their timeline, they will be reminded of how awesome your inn is. Another great tip that the article touched on is contests. Contests are a great way to keep your FB community interactive with your page- I suggest contests that involving sharing the contest on fb or twitter so that your online reach goes a little further and drives more traffic to your page...thus creating more reservations. I've see many innkeepers have great success with creative contests. Above all else, have fun with it and interact with those that take part in your contests.
 
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