Accolades

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mooseberry

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OK, accolades is probably misspelled, but you know what I mean.
I am still very new but have noticed many B&B's listing all sorts of accolates and magazine write-ups, etc...
How do you go about getting them? Do you contact the companies and ask them to come and see you or you just wait around for one to pop in your driveway?
How about Clubs, like AAA.....or travelguide books?
 
I found this publicity release for you on Bedandbreakfast.com if you are a member, you can view their press releases at any time.
Taken from www.bedandbreakfast.com
Alaska: Journalist on independent Alaska land/rail trip August 13-17 is seeking host hotels, restaurants, attractions and tours in Seward, Anchorage, Denali area, Fairbanks. Resulting stories will be published in large-circulation U.S. nsewspapers and magazines. Seeking information from hidden gems without the huge crowds. Email [email protected]. Mail media kits to 13203 W. Marble Drive, Sun City West, AZ 85375-4515.
Address: 13203 W. Marble Drive, Sun City West, AZ 85375-4515
Email: [email protected]
Deadline: Friday, August 01, 2008
 
You become your own PR/MARKETING company. Develop some press releases, have professional .print quality photos ready to go. Put a MEDIA section on your web site with these kinds of things so that if by chance a travel writer is looking for info it is right there where they need it. Then you start a promotion campaign of your own. Just opening a B & B and having a web site, is not marketing your property. It takes work!
 
I found this publicity release for you on Bedandbreakfast.com if you are a member, you can view their press releases at any time.
Taken from www.bedandbreakfast.com
Alaska: Journalist on independent Alaska land/rail trip August 13-17 is seeking host hotels, restaurants, attractions and tours in Seward, Anchorage, Denali area, Fairbanks. Resulting stories will be published in large-circulation U.S. nsewspapers and magazines. Seeking information from hidden gems without the huge crowds. Email [email protected]. Mail media kits to 13203 W. Marble Drive, Sun City West, AZ 85375-4515.
Address: 13203 W. Marble Drive, Sun City West, AZ 85375-4515
Email: [email protected]
Deadline: Friday, August 01, 2008.
Thanks, JBJ.
I emailed them, lets see what happens.
 
We were lucky. We got contacted by Rachael Ray because she was doing a story about winter getaways and she's been to this town. She liked our package deal and wrote about it. Our mention in Down East came because they were interviewing a friend of mine and when asked where in town she would stay she told them she would stay here.
Other than that, write up press releases when you do something new/big/special. A lot of state tourism offices will send out those press releases for you.
 
I watch for bandb.com press requests, I post many packages and specials, I have developed relationships with Tourism Division and their marketing people and have been willing to do a freebie whan they need it, developed relationships with not only my CVB but with others, developed a relationship with the lobby arm of the Tourism Industry in my State as someone who is willing to share info - that got me the consulting job in Kentucky, some of the "newsprint" niche market publications will give you editorial space with your ad (I write those articles in the third person), I approached a publisher at a marketing meeting asking about getting an article in his magazine and was told - write it and send it in and we will consider it. It was published - no pay, buti it was published. Sometimes it is being in the right place at the right time but it really comes down to as has been stated - working at it.
Having a good command of the language, grammar, and spelling (spell check misses a lot of things because on is a word but you meant one and the same with to and too etc.) are very important.
 
You become your own PR/MARKETING company. Develop some press releases, have professional .print quality photos ready to go. Put a MEDIA section on your web site with these kinds of things so that if by chance a travel writer is looking for info it is right there where they need it. Then you start a promotion campaign of your own. Just opening a B & B and having a web site, is not marketing your property. It takes work!.
Hi Catlady :)
Thanks for the reply.
I have done lots of advertising, from Rack cards to placing ads in travel magazines.
I was mainly wondering about the travel writers, how and where to find them.
Advertising does take lots of work and sometimes money. I have cancelled some since there was no return for my money.
My biggest succsess at the moment are google search and The Milepost travel guide http://milepost.com/ , the travellers bible, as many call it.
Some other publications will have to wait until later, since $$$ ran out.
 
You become your own PR/MARKETING company. Develop some press releases, have professional .print quality photos ready to go. Put a MEDIA section on your web site with these kinds of things so that if by chance a travel writer is looking for info it is right there where they need it. Then you start a promotion campaign of your own. Just opening a B & B and having a web site, is not marketing your property. It takes work!.
Hi Catlady :)
Thanks for the reply.
I have done lots of advertising, from Rack cards to placing ads in travel magazines.
I was mainly wondering about the travel writers, how and where to find them.
Advertising does take lots of work and sometimes money. I have cancelled some since there was no return for my money.
My biggest succsess at the moment are google search and The Milepost travel guide http://milepost.com/ , the travellers bible, as many call it.
Some other publications will have to wait until later, since $$$ ran out.
.
That is just it, the articles do not cost you money other than perhaps a room night or two. For instance, DH was glued to Speed Channel every Tursday night for 2-wheel Tuesday and I noticed they did segments on road rides. I sent an e-mail that I had this Inn-to-Inn Motorcycle package. For 3 room nights (all 3 rooms for 1 night), packed lunches for everyone, and a dinner and breakfast (I did the dinner that is sometimes part of the package to show off, it was not reqired). After asking permission first and told yes, I contacted the local Media. Newspaper showed up late - as we were having dinner. Chris Carr graciously left the table and did an quick interview and we set a place at the table for the reporter. We were mentioned in the local paper article. Just before breakfast the next morning the TV station showed up and Chris invited hime to breakfast (came and said I hope it is OK - heck yes!) so we were on the local TV news with it also.
If an ad is a requirement for editorial - do not do it. What I referred to earlier was I was going to place that ad anyway - the editorial was a bonus. That publiction had also published articles I wrote without having an ad.
Do an inventory of your local assests nd then look for publications on that subject - ei one member has trains running in front of her inn so she advertises in Rail Fan, but writers for that magazine have also stayed with her while writing articles about the area. I would be happy with just a couple sentences in an article - if it was favorable.
 
A travel mag. called me last weekend to ask about some things on my web site. She said I would be mentioned in the July issue.
I need to do more marketing.
 
You become your own PR/MARKETING company. Develop some press releases, have professional .print quality photos ready to go. Put a MEDIA section on your web site with these kinds of things so that if by chance a travel writer is looking for info it is right there where they need it. Then you start a promotion campaign of your own. Just opening a B & B and having a web site, is not marketing your property. It takes work!.
Hi Catlady :)
Thanks for the reply.
I have done lots of advertising, from Rack cards to placing ads in travel magazines.
I was mainly wondering about the travel writers, how and where to find them.
Advertising does take lots of work and sometimes money. I have cancelled some since there was no return for my money.
My biggest succsess at the moment are google search and The Milepost travel guide http://milepost.com/ , the travellers bible, as many call it.
Some other publications will have to wait until later, since $$$ ran out.
.
As others have already eluded to here. I am not talking paid advertisements. Write up some "canned" articles about your inn/ your region/ your special niche. If you have things ready to go, you can provide IMMEDIATELY when asked. Troll magazines and send them story ideas. Be proactive. If you have things such as articles and print quality photos ready to go at a minute's notice, you may beat someone else out who does not. It is just called being prepared.
 
Another thing...HGTV does shows on older buildings that a few of the innkeepers here have been on...If Walls Could Talk. Not sure if they are getting big business out of it, but if you are located somewhere that a show might be interested in, contact them. You can go to travel show websites and look for what stories they want to tell.
 
Another thing...HGTV does shows on older buildings that a few of the innkeepers here have been on...If Walls Could Talk. Not sure if they are getting big business out of it, but if you are located somewhere that a show might be interested in, contact them. You can go to travel show websites and look for what stories they want to tell..
I will see what I can find....We are not an old house, which I would looove to have, a nice victorian style...but here they are just not common. Either Frame or Log.
We do live on the Alaska Highway in Tok, which is called "The Alaskan Gateway". If you travel by road, Tok is the only way in or out, but not a destination.
Most of our business are trough travelers, Military, people moving in or out, etc...some have reservations for 3 days and I am thinking what are they doing here for 3 days? But mostly tourists in the summer, especially europeans.
I have not advertised in europe yet, but will check into it.
I am going to Germany in the fall , that will give me a good oppertunity .
 
I have an old Victorian I can sell you Mooseberry!.
Don't tempt me...
regular_smile.gif

I really think the Victorian style is just wonderful.
My other choice/plan is opening one in Hawaii, in about 5 years or so. I need to get away from those cold winters....
 
Another thing...HGTV does shows on older buildings that a few of the innkeepers here have been on...If Walls Could Talk. Not sure if they are getting big business out of it, but if you are located somewhere that a show might be interested in, contact them. You can go to travel show websites and look for what stories they want to tell..
I will see what I can find....We are not an old house, which I would looove to have, a nice victorian style...but here they are just not common. Either Frame or Log.
We do live on the Alaska Highway in Tok, which is called "The Alaskan Gateway". If you travel by road, Tok is the only way in or out, but not a destination.
Most of our business are trough travelers, Military, people moving in or out, etc...some have reservations for 3 days and I am thinking what are they doing here for 3 days? But mostly tourists in the summer, especially europeans.
I have not advertised in europe yet, but will check into it.
I am going to Germany in the fall , that will give me a good oppertunity .
.
As for advertising in Europe...if you don't have the money to advertise in print ads or the like, make some changes to your website to include phrases in different languages.
 
There is a big distinction between marketing and PR, which seems to be the wall you're running up against here. Marketing is pay to play, it's just advertising (which becoming less and less effective because almost no one looks at ads anymore but that's a whole 'nother story...)
PR is what you're thinking of, which is convincing reporters to write about your inn in a positive manor. It isn't easy, I've been in PR for ages and there are no guarantees. The best advice from above is to have photos and a writeup ready to go in case a reporter does contact you.
Find what is newsworthy about your inn. Newsworthy means it's something a newspaper would cover because it's new, not because it promotes your inn. For example, the Cave B&B that got a huge writeup in the NY Times two weeks ago is newsworthy, because truly, how many hotels are in caves? Few if any. Lizzie Borden gets written up constantly because it was the scene of a famous murder. You get the idea...
Targeting niche markets is also a good way, as mentioned above. If you live near a rock climbing area, like J-Tree, then climbing mags would be a good bet.
Don't go around randomly contacting reporters, they HATE this and you'll get blacklisted before you know it. If you really have something newsworthy, and you know the publication the reporter writes for covers this topic, you might send a well thought out email, but chances are slim. Blacklisting happens all the time, even to entire PR firms so be careful.
For individual inns, press releases are basically a waste of tiem and money. No reporters read unsolicited press releases anymore. If you have a group of inns, and have something newsworthy (like the wine camp B&Bs, or the LGBT Marriage B&Bs in Napa right now) a press release might be worth your time, but the key is knowing who and how to get it in front of them.
Good luck!
 
There is a big distinction between marketing and PR, which seems to be the wall you're running up against here. Marketing is pay to play, it's just advertising (which becoming less and less effective because almost no one looks at ads anymore but that's a whole 'nother story...)
PR is what you're thinking of, which is convincing reporters to write about your inn in a positive manor. It isn't easy, I've been in PR for ages and there are no guarantees. The best advice from above is to have photos and a writeup ready to go in case a reporter does contact you.
Find what is newsworthy about your inn. Newsworthy means it's something a newspaper would cover because it's new, not because it promotes your inn. For example, the Cave B&B that got a huge writeup in the NY Times two weeks ago is newsworthy, because truly, how many hotels are in caves? Few if any. Lizzie Borden gets written up constantly because it was the scene of a famous murder. You get the idea...
Targeting niche markets is also a good way, as mentioned above. If you live near a rock climbing area, like J-Tree, then climbing mags would be a good bet.
Don't go around randomly contacting reporters, they HATE this and you'll get blacklisted before you know it. If you really have something newsworthy, and you know the publication the reporter writes for covers this topic, you might send a well thought out email, but chances are slim. Blacklisting happens all the time, even to entire PR firms so be careful.
For individual inns, press releases are basically a waste of tiem and money. No reporters read unsolicited press releases anymore. If you have a group of inns, and have something newsworthy (like the wine camp B&Bs, or the LGBT Marriage B&Bs in Napa right now) a press release might be worth your time, but the key is knowing who and how to get it in front of them.
Good luck!.
You are correct. But if an inn has something newsworthy, an interesting story about them and the inn etc...it never hurts to have it written up and ready to go should the need arise. Having something like this along with a print quality photo/s in a MEDIA section on their website would provide someong "fishing" wthh something they could start with and then maybe contact the innkeeper.
For local papers, who don't have staff / time to do stories, may use them IF you have well done press release and photo. I know that works in here in our small town. Things would never get written up if locals didn't take the time to send it to them.
 
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