Using the words of your guests

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JBloggs

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Do you use any of the words of your guests in your marketing, ie from your guest books, TA or BandB.com, or any other review website? Do you put them in quotes on your rack cards or your website or your blog?
As the "experts" say how heavily travelers now rely on reviews and other guests experiences, I think it is a great idea to use the words of those who have gone before them. Omitting names or course.
I am adding a quote to the website and went into TA and actually found a number of great lines to use from past guests. It is actually kind of fun to try to think of the best one in a short sentence to share with the world. Think about it, add some to your marketing, USE THE FORCE LUKE!
 
Yes. I used to have them on the website, removed them and am now thinking about putting them back. I do have quotes on the rack card.
I have used first names and the state/country. Would not use last names. Initials and the state/country would work, too. Guests have actually commented positively on seeing THEIR guest book quotes show up online.
 
Do you guys think the rack cards work anymore? Is it worth the expense? Do you track them? ( Like give a discount if they show one). Just wondering.
 
Yes. I used to have them on the website, removed them and am now thinking about putting them back. I do have quotes on the rack card.
I have used first names and the state/country. Would not use last names. Initials and the state/country would work, too. Guests have actually commented positively on seeing THEIR guest book quotes show up online..
I need to go update it with some recent, yes, I have a comments page with quotes directly from the books upstairs using initials.
 
Do you guys think the rack cards work anymore? Is it worth the expense? Do you track them? ( Like give a discount if they show one). Just wondering..
Bob said:
Do you guys think the rack cards work anymore? Is it worth the expense? Do you track them? ( Like give a discount if they show one). Just wondering.
I got "such a deal" thru the CVB that I now have 4-color rack cards and my City has rack cards. It was a group print that shared the set-up costs and we got 10,000 for $375. Monday I was at Tourism Day at the Capitol handing out rack cards from my B & B, the City, rail-trail brochures from around the State as well as the locator brochure of all of them, and rack cards for other B & Bs - including Muirford's (gave some of hers to the assoc prez also for when she goes places). I also give them to the Welcome Centers around the State. (One reason I am remembered by Welcome Center personnel is that I actually BRING them brochures and rack cards (mine, rail-trails, B & Bs, B & B Assoc, city), it is something many do not think to do.)
 
Well I was thinking of using "our soft robes feel like you're wearing a puppy". They're my own words, but that just makes them even more important ;-)
 
Do you guys think the rack cards work anymore? Is it worth the expense? Do you track them? ( Like give a discount if they show one). Just wondering..
Bob said:
Do you guys think the rack cards work anymore? Is it worth the expense? Do you track them? ( Like give a discount if they show one). Just wondering.
  1. If you belong to a CVB then you need to have rack cards (for their display racks)
  2. And when someone inquires or buys a gift certificate I send a rack card with it.
  3. I have them on the front door when people stop buy and we are not here or unavailable for a tour.
  4. I also send them to our local businesses when I invite them to enjoy our place!
Those are the uses I find for them, where I am. Rack cards are very inexpensive on Vista print, you can order just 50 or 100 or 500, no need to buy bulk from a printer. When you need more, you go in and order more, 50 or 100, etc. Super easy.
Oh and one more... I recommended a forum inn to some guests, and sure I can send a link in an email that they will forget about or delete, but I asked the innkeeper to send them a rack card, so I am sure they will stick it up on their fridge or use as a bookmarker for a later visit! They were interested.
 
Do you guys think the rack cards work anymore? Is it worth the expense? Do you track them? ( Like give a discount if they show one). Just wondering..
Bob said:
Do you guys think the rack cards work anymore? Is it worth the expense? Do you track them? ( Like give a discount if they show one). Just wondering.
I have no idea. However, we have a lot of walk-in traffic that wants something in hand for planning purposes for their next trip. (This trip they are staying somewhere they don't quite like so they are gathering info.)
A few years ago we handed out several brochures to departing guests and lo and behold, guests later on in the year said they saw the brochure at a friend's mother's house and decided to stay with us.
We have them all over the place and we are not tracking them. No one has ever said (other than that couple), 'Hey we found your brochure at...'.
 
Do you guys think the rack cards work anymore? Is it worth the expense? Do you track them? ( Like give a discount if they show one). Just wondering..
BTW, the reason we did not put a discount on the rack cards is we have them sitting right on the check in desk. Would not want a full rprice guest to say they want the discount because it's staring them right in the face.
 
Do you guys think the rack cards work anymore? Is it worth the expense? Do you track them? ( Like give a discount if they show one). Just wondering..
BTW, the reason we did not put a discount on the rack cards is we have them sitting right on the check in desk. Would not want a full rprice guest to say they want the discount because it's staring them right in the face.
.
Madeleine said:
BTW, the reason we did not put a discount on the rack cards is we have them sitting right on the check in desk. Would not want a full rprice guest to say they want the discount because it's staring them right in the face.
I spent $500 to have an ad in a major brochure. In it there was a discount and I was fearful to have that brochure here from then on, same as you mentioned. People DID have it, after they stayed with us they wouldl find it in town and bring it to me. It was $15 off and the code. But they already got $10 off and I could not add the whole verbiage on there about all the rules and regs as it was a business card sized ad! So i won't do that again, and btw with it being at every visitor center in the state etc, it never brought us ANY business. So that was the last "money in the wind" print advertising I will ever do. I gave it a shot!
 
I think with the price on vista it is worth it. When I was at a friend's bb someone phoned for a brochure while I was there and she just said oh its all on the web site. well that's a sale lost as if they were internet people they would have looked their first before ringing. For whatever it costs for 25 which is what i order them in the sales I make because of them is a good return. I don't however put prices on.
 
Rack Card vs. Tri-fold Brochure: please discuss?.
Harborfields said:
Rack Card vs. Tri-fold Brochure: please discuss?
I would never spend the money on a trifold. We use rack cards but very little. Our system requires they book online, so they are computer literate. THe local businesses ask for our rack cards so we do it for them. And I do get an inquiry once or twice a year for one to be mailed.
RIki
 
Rack Card vs. Tri-fold Brochure: please discuss?.
Harborfields said:
Rack Card vs. Tri-fold Brochure: please discuss?
Glossy rack card. It forces you to be concise. No one wants to read a treatise. A couple of big photos. Bulleted list of high points. Address. Map. Website info. And, the biggie I didn't do...QR code. I'm going to have QR codes printed on labels and affix them to the blank space on the rack card.
I just got rid of my trifold. Old hat. Didn't stand out.
 
Rack Card vs. Tri-fold Brochure: please discuss?.
Harborfields said:
Rack Card vs. Tri-fold Brochure: please discuss?
Glossy rack card. It forces you to be concise. No one wants to read a treatise. A couple of big photos. Bulleted list of high points. Address. Map. Website info. And, the biggie I didn't do...QR code. I'm going to have QR codes printed on labels and affix them to the blank space on the rack card.
I just got rid of my trifold. Old hat. Didn't stand out.
.
Madeleine said:
Harborfields said:
Rack Card vs. Tri-fold Brochure: please discuss?
Glossy rack card. It forces you to be concise. No one wants to read a treatise. A couple of big photos. Bulleted list of high points. Address. Map. Website info. And, the biggie I didn't do...QR code. I'm going to have QR codes printed on labels and affix them to the blank space on the rack card.
I just got rid of my trifold. Old hat. Didn't stand out.
I opened a bag of dog treats for the pooch and there was a QR code on the front of the package, I handed it to her and said "Here scan this!"
In other news, I used DH's iPad and the same GOOGLE MAP I have on my monitor was viewable different on his, there was a phone # for him to just touch to call us (with our google listing). I said, Huh? Did they change it? I went back to my screen, nope, mine was the same old same old.
 
We have great luck putting our rack cards out front, where tourists walking by can look at them, taking one if they choose. Granted, we get a lot of tourists walking by so this works great for us. Every year we get several guests who say "I have been wanting to stay at this lovely B+B for years...I walk by at least 3 times a year!"
Rack cards are the the only print advertising we have, aside from our business cards that is. Everything else is on the web. This year we are spending our advertising $$ to update our site hoping that the update will get us through the next 5 years.
 
Rack Card vs. Tri-fold Brochure: please discuss?.
Rack card is the way to go. Tri fold a waste of money--who reads?????. Make your rack card as attractive as possible and have a QR code on it...and let it drive people to your website for all the details.
 
Rack Card vs. Tri-fold Brochure: please discuss?.
I actually have both. My tri-fold never get lost in the rack because they are pink with burgundy print. No photos but text with a 10% screen image of the B & B behind the text I probably will not reorder the tri-fold. I never printed the rates because brochures/rack cards out live rates.
I get requests for info about the City, the B & B, and rail-trails. The rack card tucks nicely into the envelope with the rest of the info. Still learning to be concise.
 
We have a "review" page on the website. Once a month I take a comment from one of the books and post it. It does get some views according to the analytics.
BBBBob
 
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