Facebook

[JunieBJones (JBJ)]

I have a personal FB page that I have used to find friends I'd lost touch with and so on. I just don't get the idea of using it as a networking place for a business. I understand FB is for the older (read: not tweenies) crowd, but how can it be useful from a biz standpoint if I want to read about a place but I have to "friend" them first and vice versa? It seems like an awful lot of work and not a very good ROI of my time.
I am sitting here shrugging my shoulders and rolling my eyes right now at this idea.. I guess that's my answer!.

I have a personal FB page that I have used to find friends I'd lost touch with and so on. I just don't get the idea of using it as a networking place for a business. I understand FB is for the older (read: not tweenies) crowd, but how can it be useful from a biz standpoint if I want to read about a place but I have to "friend" them first and vice versa? It seems like an awful lot of work and not a very good ROI of my time.
I am sitting here shrugging my shoulders and rolling my eyes right now at this idea.. I guess that's my answer!

Maybe the focus should then be LinkedIn instead. That is more for professionals and might garner more of the business traveler or professional on vacation.
.

I have a personal FB page that I have used to find friends I'd lost touch with and so on. I just don't get the idea of using it as a networking place for a business. I understand FB is for the older (read: not tweenies) crowd, but how can it be useful from a biz standpoint if I want to read about a place but I have to "friend" them first and vice versa? It seems like an awful lot of work and not a very good ROI of my time.
I am sitting here shrugging my shoulders and rolling my eyes right now at this idea.. I guess that's my answer!

Maybe the focus should then be LinkedIn instead. That is more for professionals and might garner more of the business traveler or professional on vacation.

tell me more how you could use LinkedIn, Dh is always finding old work mates that way - they find him and he has his I.M. on there and they pop up and he loves it. But it is a DH thing, so what's new? talk to you in 10 more years... I ask them how are they and what are they doing, where are they? He always answers "Don't know didn't ask"

 

[Morticia]

I have a personal FB page that I have used to find friends I'd lost touch with and so on. I just don't get the idea of using it as a networking place for a business. I understand FB is for the older (read: not tweenies) crowd, but how can it be useful from a biz standpoint if I want to read about a place but I have to "friend" them first and vice versa? It seems like an awful lot of work and not a very good ROI of my time.
I am sitting here shrugging my shoulders and rolling my eyes right now at this idea.. I guess that's my answer!.

I have a personal FB page that I have used to find friends I'd lost touch with and so on. I just don't get the idea of using it as a networking place for a business. I understand FB is for the older (read: not tweenies) crowd, but how can it be useful from a biz standpoint if I want to read about a place but I have to "friend" them first and vice versa? It seems like an awful lot of work and not a very good ROI of my time.
I am sitting here shrugging my shoulders and rolling my eyes right now at this idea.. I guess that's my answer!

Maybe the focus should then be LinkedIn instead. That is more for professionals and might garner more of the business traveler or professional on vacation.
.

I have a personal FB page that I have used to find friends I'd lost touch with and so on. I just don't get the idea of using it as a networking place for a business. I understand FB is for the older (read: not tweenies) crowd, but how can it be useful from a biz standpoint if I want to read about a place but I have to "friend" them first and vice versa? It seems like an awful lot of work and not a very good ROI of my time.
I am sitting here shrugging my shoulders and rolling my eyes right now at this idea.. I guess that's my answer!

Maybe the focus should then be LinkedIn instead. That is more for professionals and might garner more of the business traveler or professional on vacation.

tell me more how you could use LinkedIn, Dh is always finding old work mates that way - they find him and he has his I.M. on there and they pop up and he loves it. But it is a DH thing, so what's new? talk to you in 10 more years... I ask them how are they and what are they doing, where are they? He always answers "Don't know didn't ask"
.

I'm guessing the same way as using FB. I don't use any of them.

 

[1linda]

I am on FB. I like it.L am fairly new to it.
lt is a figure out as one goes along. I feel it has a use, but I have not got any sort of a plan.

 

[Morticia]

I am on FB. I like it.L am fairly new to it.
lt is a figure out as one goes along. I feel it has a use, but I have not got any sort of a plan..

I am on FB. I like it.L am fairly new to it.
lt is a figure out as one goes along. I feel it has a use, but I have not got any sort of a plan.

If I could just jump in here as a non-user and say something...if you are putting your business on any of these social networks, it had better be with a plan in place and best foot forward. If it's just yourself, jump in.
Your business needs to look good the minute it steps thru the door or you may get 'friends' you won't want later on. That's the reason for a plan. You don't want to get spammed by someone who wants to be your friend who has friends you don't want associated with your business.

 

[swirt]

Every single person I know young or old is on Facebook regularly. Although FB isn't the first place people turn to when they're searching for lodging, its vast user base is invaluble for word-of-mouth publicity. It's also useful for people when they're planning their vacations or just impulsively decide where to go.
It's not much work to get your inn on FB. Create a profile with as much info on the inn as you can. Then join pertinent groups and networks and post your inn there.
ETA: Make no mistake about it, facebook and blogs are NOT the same thing..

Sorry I am not on facebook and I NEVER WILL BE. I have no interest in it.
.

Sorry I am not on facebook and I NEVER WILL BE. I have no interest in it.

Facebook is a social networking site (extra emphasis on social) for people to connect with others. If your only contacts are your immediate family or the people in your small town, I can see how little of value it could be to you.
.

That's stretching it a little, don't you think? I have a lot of contacts with a lot of people both inside and outside my town but I don't use my facebook account for that. I communicate with my college nephew on facebook, many innkeeper and industry colleagues via email, family by phone and the people in my little town - I actually meet them on the street and in the restaurants and talk to them!! It's hardly like communication doesn't happen unless you're on facebook.
.

Jinxs Muirford, I owe you a beer. Same thoughts posted at the same time.

 

[Samster]

I have a personal FB page that I have used to find friends I'd lost touch with and so on. I just don't get the idea of using it as a networking place for a business. I understand FB is for the older (read: not tweenies) crowd, but how can it be useful from a biz standpoint if I want to read about a place but I have to "friend" them first and vice versa? It seems like an awful lot of work and not a very good ROI of my time.
I am sitting here shrugging my shoulders and rolling my eyes right now at this idea.. I guess that's my answer!.

I have a personal FB page that I have used to find friends I'd lost touch with and so on. I just don't get the idea of using it as a networking place for a business. I understand FB is for the older (read: not tweenies) crowd, but how can it be useful from a biz standpoint if I want to read about a place but I have to "friend" them first and vice versa? It seems like an awful lot of work and not a very good ROI of my time.
I am sitting here shrugging my shoulders and rolling my eyes right now at this idea.. I guess that's my answer!

Maybe the focus should then be LinkedIn instead. That is more for professionals and might garner more of the business traveler or professional on vacation.
.

I'm sorry....but pretty soon if we take all these online opportunities to network, we won't have any time to actually talk face-to-face and get together in person My preferred form of communication...

 

[1linda]

I am on FB. I like it.L am fairly new to it.
lt is a figure out as one goes along. I feel it has a use, but I have not got any sort of a plan..

I am on FB. I like it.L am fairly new to it.
lt is a figure out as one goes along. I feel it has a use, but I have not got any sort of a plan.

If I could just jump in here as a non-user and say something...if you are putting your business on any of these social networks, it had better be with a plan in place and best foot forward. If it's just yourself, jump in.
Your business needs to look good the minute it steps thru the door or you may get 'friends' you won't want later on. That's the reason for a plan. You don't want to get spammed by someone who wants to be your friend who has friends you don't want associated with your business.
.

I agree. That is why I have not done anything yet. I am too new to FB. No plan yet, will be before I leap.

 

[JunieBJones (JBJ)]

I have a personal FB page that I have used to find friends I'd lost touch with and so on. I just don't get the idea of using it as a networking place for a business. I understand FB is for the older (read: not tweenies) crowd, but how can it be useful from a biz standpoint if I want to read about a place but I have to "friend" them first and vice versa? It seems like an awful lot of work and not a very good ROI of my time.
I am sitting here shrugging my shoulders and rolling my eyes right now at this idea.. I guess that's my answer!.

I have a personal FB page that I have used to find friends I'd lost touch with and so on. I just don't get the idea of using it as a networking place for a business. I understand FB is for the older (read: not tweenies) crowd, but how can it be useful from a biz standpoint if I want to read about a place but I have to "friend" them first and vice versa? It seems like an awful lot of work and not a very good ROI of my time.
I am sitting here shrugging my shoulders and rolling my eyes right now at this idea.. I guess that's my answer!

Maybe the focus should then be LinkedIn instead. That is more for professionals and might garner more of the business traveler or professional on vacation.
.

I'm sorry....but pretty soon if we take all these online opportunities to network, we won't have any time to actually talk face-to-face and get together in person My preferred form of communication...
.

I'm sorry....but pretty soon if we take all these online opportunities to network, we won't have any time to actually talk face-to-face and get together in person My preferred form of communication...

Don't remind me. Unfortunately in this business we are isolated. I have to laugh every time I see one of those online dating ads on tv. "I run my own business" she says, I don't have time to meet anyone. ha
It is what is popular at the moment. It will be old news and replaced with something else in a year. (FB/Myspace)

 

[muirford]

Every single person I know young or old is on Facebook regularly. Although FB isn't the first place people turn to when they're searching for lodging, its vast user base is invaluble for word-of-mouth publicity. It's also useful for people when they're planning their vacations or just impulsively decide where to go.
It's not much work to get your inn on FB. Create a profile with as much info on the inn as you can. Then join pertinent groups and networks and post your inn there.
ETA: Make no mistake about it, facebook and blogs are NOT the same thing..

Sorry I am not on facebook and I NEVER WILL BE. I have no interest in it.
.

Sorry I am not on facebook and I NEVER WILL BE. I have no interest in it.

Facebook is a social networking site (extra emphasis on social) for people to connect with others. If your only contacts are your immediate family or the people in your small town, I can see how little of value it could be to you.
.

That's stretching it a little, don't you think? I have a lot of contacts with a lot of people both inside and outside my town but I don't use my facebook account for that. I communicate with my college nephew on facebook, many innkeeper and industry colleagues via email, family by phone and the people in my little town - I actually meet them on the street and in the restaurants and talk to them!! It's hardly like communication doesn't happen unless you're on facebook.
.

Jinxs Muirford, I owe you a beer. Same thoughts posted at the same time.
.

I always thought it was a Coke, atlhough I would probably enjoy a glass of Finger Lakes wine.

The main reason I set up an account on facebook was to communicate with my nephew and find out what he's doing. He allowed me as a friend but wouldn't allow my sister (his mother). He must think I won't narc on him...
I'm a big fan of the electronics age but I don't know how people keep up with everything. Blogs, Facebook, myspace, ebay, craigslist, twitter - you can spend all your time posting or online and not do anything else. My online friends are important but so are my offline ones!

 

[EmptyNest]

Every single person I know young or old is on Facebook regularly. Although FB isn't the first place people turn to when they're searching for lodging, its vast user base is invaluble for word-of-mouth publicity. It's also useful for people when they're planning their vacations or just impulsively decide where to go.
It's not much work to get your inn on FB. Create a profile with as much info on the inn as you can. Then join pertinent groups and networks and post your inn there.
ETA: Make no mistake about it, facebook and blogs are NOT the same thing..

Sorry I am not on facebook and I NEVER WILL BE. I have no interest in it.
.

Sorry I am not on facebook and I NEVER WILL BE. I have no interest in it.

Facebook is a social networking site (extra emphasis on social) for people to connect with others. If your only contacts are your immediate family or the people in your small town, I can see how little of value it could be to you.
.

You are correct. It has no value to me. I keep in contact with those I want to keep in touch with. I don't care about who is on Facebook. I've gone 60 years without it. I am the same person who thinks cell phones have become the ruination of our society too
Why sit across the table from someone talking to someone else??/ Or texting each other across the table???

 

[Samster]

Every single person I know young or old is on Facebook regularly. Although FB isn't the first place people turn to when they're searching for lodging, its vast user base is invaluble for word-of-mouth publicity. It's also useful for people when they're planning their vacations or just impulsively decide where to go.
It's not much work to get your inn on FB. Create a profile with as much info on the inn as you can. Then join pertinent groups and networks and post your inn there.
ETA: Make no mistake about it, facebook and blogs are NOT the same thing..

Sorry I am not on facebook and I NEVER WILL BE. I have no interest in it.
.

Sorry I am not on facebook and I NEVER WILL BE. I have no interest in it.

Facebook is a social networking site (extra emphasis on social) for people to connect with others. If your only contacts are your immediate family or the people in your small town, I can see how little of value it could be to you.
.

You are correct. It has no value to me. I keep in contact with those I want to keep in touch with. I don't care about who is on Facebook. I've gone 60 years without it. I am the same person who thinks cell phones have become the ruination of our society too
Why sit across the table from someone talking to someone else??/ Or texting each other across the table???
.

It's another opportunity to choose from as far as connecting with friends and family goes. Everyone to their own devices kind of thing.

I spend too much time just on this forum as it is

But like today, it's a clousy day, no guests, and I'm taking a rare opportunity to watch a favorite movie on HBO & am multi-tasking with my laptop. haha!

 

[Lisa]

Getting back to the business side of things, Facebook can offer a lot of value if you do it correctly.
The thing to remember is that it doesn't matter if YOU, use Facebook. Depending on who your clientele is, THEY'RE probably using Facebook. Which means by going in there and create a Group for your Inn or a Fan page, you give them a place to come together and talk about you. This increases word of mouth and it helps form a community around your Inn. This can be very powerful.
There are also advertising opportunities that I haven't played with too much. Because Facebook users enter in all sorts of information about themselves, ad targeting is amazing. You can have your ads shown to specific ages of people who live in a certain area and who list certain things as their interest. You basically tell them who your users are and they'll put ads in front of them.
Doesn't BnBstar.com have a Facebook application they use to attract users? That's pretty interesting stuff, I think.

 

[Penelope]

There are a couple of professionals within this industry that I was suprised to see on Facebook. I am trying to grasp the idea of people using a social networking outlet to find lodging. To me, that just doesn't add up. How does the friending part work? Do you have to "friend" anyone who wants to look at your profile?

 

[Tony]

Facebook isn't just about your personal profile like Myspace is. You can create a group centered around your inn that prospective guests can join and get more information from. It doesn't take the place of your website but it is another means of advertising and allows you to target a vast pool of people.
There are also such things as groups and networks for your area or topics of interest that you can join. After joining those groups, you simply post your group for your inn to it either through the post section or the message board.
I'm not sure why people think this is time-consuming and exhaustive work. Doing all this will take an hour at the most and require very little to no upkeep.

 

[JunieBJones (JBJ)]

Facebook isn't just about your personal profile like Myspace is. You can create a group centered around your inn that prospective guests can join and get more information from. It doesn't take the place of your website but it is another means of advertising and allows you to target a vast pool of people.
There are also such things as groups and networks for your area or topics of interest that you can join. After joining those groups, you simply post your group for your inn to it either through the post section or the message board.
I'm not sure why people think this is time-consuming and exhaustive work. Doing all this will take an hour at the most and require very little to no upkeep..

Facebook isn't just about your personal profile like Myspace is. You can create a group centered around your inn that prospective guests can join and get more information from. It doesn't take the place of your website but it is another means of advertising and allows you to target a vast pool of people.
There are also such things as groups and networks for your area or topics of interest that you can join. After joining those groups, you simply post your group for your inn to it either through the post section or the message board.
I'm not sure why people think this is time-consuming and exhaustive work. Doing all this will take an hour at the most and require very little to no upkeep.

Because no one understands it or how to do it. Let's give examples so we can understand.
Example: Say there is a writer's group in your valley. Join it. Promote your business through your FB page. It doesn't require you looking up old school chums and trying to sell your rooms to them. Are there any groups for innkeepers on FB? Whatever doesn't exist can be invented.

 

[EmptyNest]

Facebook isn't just about your personal profile like Myspace is. You can create a group centered around your inn that prospective guests can join and get more information from. It doesn't take the place of your website but it is another means of advertising and allows you to target a vast pool of people.
There are also such things as groups and networks for your area or topics of interest that you can join. After joining those groups, you simply post your group for your inn to it either through the post section or the message board.
I'm not sure why people think this is time-consuming and exhaustive work. Doing all this will take an hour at the most and require very little to no upkeep..

Are you an innkeeper??? If there is not payback, then even an hour creating the page is an hour that could be used elsewhere. Someone mentioned BNBStar.com having a facebook page. Well, I went to it and couldn't do a thing. I had to sign up for Facebook I assume before I can access it. Not worth it for me.
I would love to hear from an innkeeper who really uses it and can show how it has helped their innkeeping business. That is what we here are interested in.

 

[gillumhouse]

Facebook isn't just about your personal profile like Myspace is. You can create a group centered around your inn that prospective guests can join and get more information from. It doesn't take the place of your website but it is another means of advertising and allows you to target a vast pool of people.
There are also such things as groups and networks for your area or topics of interest that you can join. After joining those groups, you simply post your group for your inn to it either through the post section or the message board.
I'm not sure why people think this is time-consuming and exhaustive work. Doing all this will take an hour at the most and require very little to no upkeep..

There are also such things as groups and networks for your area or topics of interest that you can join. After joining those groups, you simply post your group for your inn to it either through the post section or the message board.
THIS is my problem with things like FB - it is like a pyramid scheme. If I post mt inn group, I am posting people who may not want to be posted. If I were to join a friends FB group it is my friend. I am not opting to join any other but if my friend posts the group...... Gee, I am part of it whether I want to be or not. Maybe that is why I have not joined any of the friends that have invited me so far - without even knowing that could be done. Wow, survival instincts kick in!

 

[Lisa]

Facebook isn't just about your personal profile like Myspace is. You can create a group centered around your inn that prospective guests can join and get more information from. It doesn't take the place of your website but it is another means of advertising and allows you to target a vast pool of people.
There are also such things as groups and networks for your area or topics of interest that you can join. After joining those groups, you simply post your group for your inn to it either through the post section or the message board.
I'm not sure why people think this is time-consuming and exhaustive work. Doing all this will take an hour at the most and require very little to no upkeep..

There are also such things as groups and networks for your area or topics of interest that you can join. After joining those groups, you simply post your group for your inn to it either through the post section or the message board.
THIS is my problem with things like FB - it is like a pyramid scheme. If I post mt inn group, I am posting people who may not want to be posted. If I were to join a friends FB group it is my friend. I am not opting to join any other but if my friend posts the group...... Gee, I am part of it whether I want to be or not. Maybe that is why I have not joined any of the friends that have invited me so far - without even knowing that could be done. Wow, survival instincts kick in!
.

Facebook actually allows for a high degree of targeting, meaning the people who see you are probably seeing you for a reason. It's very different from sites like MySpace where it's just a mash of clutter.
I like the whole social networking thing because I think it's where the Web is going. It's more about interacting with your customers where they hang on the Web. It's getting harder to bring them to your site now that there are so many sites out there, so you have to go to them.
I did a bit more research on the Facebook application that BnB uses and I still like the idea. Here's the press release on it:
http://www.free-press-release.com/news/200810/1222871943.html
Basically, that application lets people who are interested in B&Bs, look for them right on the site. They may see an ad or hear about someone else's vacation or see the application on a friends profile, and then immediately do a search when it's in their mind.
I don't know of any hard statistics for how successful this is, but there are more than 500 Facebook groups for Bed and Breakfasts -- all with members and communities. That has to be worth something for an inn who's forward thinking enough to go in there and interact with people.
It's sort of like finding a forum where B&B lovers hang out and then going in to talk to them. Some of them are going to check you out.

 

[JunieBJones (JBJ)]

I just wrote a blog article on a best selling book that just came out about our area. It is one of those dark histories that might actually entice folks to come visit. Like those who like to stay in haunted inns.
Anyway, I was getting the author's website url to toss on the article and lo and behold it gives a FB page on the book. I went there and there are those interested in the book/reviews and other information about it. So I can see how all of this is intertwined on the www.
So what should I do guys? Maybe go on there and promote the area a bit for those who go there to discuss the book? Perhaps. There are 31 members on this group so far. The book is new. I certainly want them HERE in this place to walk to a couple places listed in this historical novel. Fortunately the hotel burned down in the 60's so we are the best bet!

 

[Lisa]

I just wrote a blog article on a best selling book that just came out about our area. It is one of those dark histories that might actually entice folks to come visit. Like those who like to stay in haunted inns.
Anyway, I was getting the author's website url to toss on the article and lo and behold it gives a FB page on the book. I went there and there are those interested in the book/reviews and other information about it. So I can see how all of this is intertwined on the www.
So what should I do guys? Maybe go on there and promote the area a bit for those who go there to discuss the book? Perhaps. There are 31 members on this group so far. The book is new. I certainly want them HERE in this place to walk to a couple places listed in this historical novel. Fortunately the hotel burned down in the 60's so we are the best bet!.

My advice would be to join the community and introduce yourself. Don't 'promote', engage. You can't fake relationships and you're on their turf now. Let them know how you stumbled across the group and that you just wrote about this topic on your blog (imagine that! ). Invite them to check it out and particpate in other conversations that are not about what you're talking about. Be one of them.