Since you're starting 'new', building your business will take some time.
Our (started with two rooms) trajectory over 10 years:
Prior to opening, I examined how the local B&Bs were listed on the web. This was in 2005-2006 so a different world then. I googled the names of local inns and listed ours on every free directory I could find, for inns, for wonderful small towns, for kayak adventures, anything that made sense. Every one who would list for free I made the ask. I would probably not do this now.
First year we made the property taxes and more. Do it yourself website was added, I was careful with copywriting and take OK photos. I'm actually still using many of the photos.
Blog (that had been in place to two years prior) probably got us our first guests. I had been making posts about our area.
and online booking through Reznexus. At that time they had a return on investment guarantee of a certain percentage booked online overnight or the next period was free. Well, although they were impressive, the next year and a half turned out to be free.
We also opened not taking credit cards. First guests had to ask their friends for a check. We had credit card processing soon after. I bought the processing machine on ebay and went with the fellow many use here for service. My experience there not as good as others but better than I would have gotten on my own.
I started asking for reviews on TA right out of the gate. If they express joy, I make the ask as they are leaving. One in three do if I'm lucky I don't ask the grumpies, and remove the ask from the followup thank you email from grumpy guests. I am trying to amass enough positives so when the inevitable 'terrible' comes it won't totally kill our ranking. Many guests choose us from TA reviews.
Go ahead and tell them you're new. Pay attention to comments. Some are helpful. The suggestions that would involve completely remodeling the house - obviously not. You get a pass for being new and most everyone feels honored when their opinions are 1 - sought out and 2 - taken seriously.
Just from those things, business improved each year until a couple of static years 2009-2010 with the fall out after the Great Recession.
In 2011 we added the vacation rental and listed it on Air. Big jump in business because we are a rural area and could now take kids and dogs. Mostly people with dogs. If you take pets there is a screaming market for that. I also switched credit card processing to Square.
In 2012, (I think) a couple of members here pretty much forced me into a new website. Good thing they did, because DH had made the old one, was not the best copywriter, and we had words about it. We switched to online booking through Reservation Key at that time. Fits so well with the site and cost effective for a small inn.
Business grew faster after that. Not a sharp jump, but a steady one.
I got on Facebook in 2013 I think. I don't ask for friends or likes (other than a generic 'Like us on Facebook' on the website) so it will grow organically. No bookings from there as yet, but I am noticing just this past few months that my reach seems to have made quite a jump, so I will have to start posting more often there. We have friends who advertise their dinners there and it works well for them. Its free. Start using it now and I bet it will really help you once you reach a critical mass.
In 2014 we had a massive jump in business when a local kayak touring place added us to their elderhostel program. Since their guests are Sunday through Thursday, it didn't get in the way of other bookings. If you can partner with someone who does the (now Road Scholar) program it can be a very good thing.
Good thing we did not depend on them totally because they dropped the local B&Bs the next year for a larger establishment in town where are their program participants could stay together. Made more sense for them. That's the lumps.
But a funny thing happened in 2015. We got even more business than the prior year, even without the Road Scholar. I now call 2015 the critical mass year.
In 2016 I added our inn rooms to Air. Everyone else in the area had done so, so I followed suit. No discounts. Many say ours if their first 'real B&B'. they get professional inn experience, are favorably impressed and I ask them for TA reviews in addition to the Air reviews they will be asked by Air to make.
This year we added another vacation rental in a city 55 minutes away. I clean it, so it has really added to the work load, also the income. I also became an Air Superhost.
So this year, with still two inn rooms, plus two vacation rentals, we did our best year. Growth in the inn has been steady, I'm loath to say it but Air has been 40% of our business for the past two years. As others have noted they take 3%, so essentially the same as the credit card bite.
We offer our vacation rentals to long termers in the winter months. Pays for the heat, lights plus a bit for us. I don't have to clean every couple of days so holidays for me.
We went from pin money to real money in 7-8 years. I worked outside the home until this past spring also. We have another business so are not dependent on the inn.
Mileage varies, as they say, but we are doing better than I ever expected. This forum has been a constant for all those years. it is invaluable..