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Iris

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Please do not take the following as criticism. I am only wondering out loud:
With everything that I have read, so far, about successful blogging, I am surprised that so many members of this forum have blogs and don't work on them.
So clue me in, why are you not making regular entries into your blogs or have you given up the blogs altogether and they are just listed here because they are listed here?
It took me a couple of months but I now have regular followers who actually pass my link on to friends and family, thus growing my blog bit by bit and actually garnering quite a few reservations because of it. I get new reservations from unknown guests it is up to me to keep them coming back.
 
I blog intermitently when I have something to say. I blog about evnts here in the area. I did a blog about being full for MountainFest and posted the availability and phone number of the motel at the edge of town. I still get hits from that as construction workers must have found the blog post - I no longer am fielding calls from them either - saved me a LOT of phone calls at the time and now.
I get hits from people looking for things is the area and as long as that happens, I know people at least know I am here. That is why I blog.
 
Mine is not listed here and I blog regularly. Not daily however, I want the info to stay active for a few days.
 
I blog when I can but don't have the time to do so regularly. But I work Mon-Fri 8-5 and drive wine tours and work the B&B on weekends. When we get the other rooms up and I have my own health insurance (that is if I can find one to purchase that I don't think would drop me as soon as I got sick) then I'll be in our business 100% at which time I will be able to blog regularly.
RIki
 
I chose rather to do a monthly newsletter. It is automatically sent to previous guests but visitors can opt in on my web page. For me this works better because in the country things are s-s-s-s-low. I included news from here and all the area events from theater to music to rodeos.
There's just not enough happening around here to keep a blog fresh. It's promotion, pure and simple. If you're area can hold up to blog, have at it. Ours can't.
 
I blog when I can but don't have the time to do so regularly. But I work Mon-Fri 8-5 and drive wine tours and work the B&B on weekends. When we get the other rooms up and I have my own health insurance (that is if I can find one to purchase that I don't think would drop me as soon as I got sick) then I'll be in our business 100% at which time I will be able to blog regularly.
RIki.
egoodell said:
I blog when I can but don't have the time to do so regularly. But I work Mon-Fri 8-5 and drive wine tours and work the B&B on weekends. When we get the other rooms up and I have my own health insurance (that is if I can find one to purchase that I don't think would drop me as soon as I got sick) then I'll be in our business 100% at which time I will be able to blog regularly.
RIki
What we did was a business policy. No health questions, no previous conditions problems. It's a little more, but worth it if there are any health problems. We have a BC/BS business plan for 2 employees (myself & DH). DH is the one with health issues and we've been denied coverage as individuals.
 
I know I may be in the minority but we are as busy as we want to be so I don't need to add more work for myself by blogging. It may only bring inquires that would result in my referring to other B & B's because I can't accommodate their request.
 
I blog when I can but don't have the time to do so regularly. But I work Mon-Fri 8-5 and drive wine tours and work the B&B on weekends. When we get the other rooms up and I have my own health insurance (that is if I can find one to purchase that I don't think would drop me as soon as I got sick) then I'll be in our business 100% at which time I will be able to blog regularly.
RIki.
egoodell said:
I blog when I can but don't have the time to do so regularly. But I work Mon-Fri 8-5 and drive wine tours and work the B&B on weekends. When we get the other rooms up and I have my own health insurance (that is if I can find one to purchase that I don't think would drop me as soon as I got sick) then I'll be in our business 100% at which time I will be able to blog regularly.
RIki
What we did was a business policy. No health questions, no previous conditions problems. It's a little more, but worth it if there are any health problems. We have a BC/BS business plan for 2 employees (myself & DH). DH is the one with health issues and we've been denied coverage as individuals.
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Breakfast Diva said:
egoodell said:
I blog when I can but don't have the time to do so regularly. But I work Mon-Fri 8-5 and drive wine tours and work the B&B on weekends. When we get the other rooms up and I have my own health insurance (that is if I can find one to purchase that I don't think would drop me as soon as I got sick) then I'll be in our business 100% at which time I will be able to blog regularly.
RIki
What we did was a business policy. No health questions, no previous conditions problems. It's a little more, but worth it if there are any health problems. We have a BC/BS business plan for 2 employees (myself & DH). DH is the one with health issues and we've been denied coverage as individuals.
My problem is I don't trust health insurance companies. There are far too many cases where as soon as someone comes down with something the first thing the health insurance companies do is find a way to drop them. The last one I read about was a woman who was dropped when diagnosed with breast cancer. She almost died fighting for her coverage.
They look at all your paperwork and try to prove you lied about something so they can drop you. Their ads on tv make me sick when they claim they are "on your side". Sure.
When I was nursing my dad through terminal cancer they tried everything they could to not pay for something. Turns my stomach.
Riki
 
I've lost interest in the blog... I suppose I should delete it if I'm not going to write on it. Facebooking has the instant gratification I like... blogging takes time to build up a readership.
 
If our blog is on our website then doesn't that help with actvitity and brings our website upfront?
 
arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
If you don't LIKE blogging, then don't do it. Don't do it because others say to do it. If you don't like maintaining your website, don't do it. Do what you can, and what you are capable of doing. Hire an accountant, hire a landscaper, hire a decorator, a cook, a web desinger, whatever you need to do - and then do what you enjoy and get the most out of. :)
I just booked another cruise and schmooze package here thanks to promoting it on the blog. This is a part of the business I enjoy. I do not enjoy scrubbing crapola from toilets. :) I do not enjoy town hall meetings. Go for the gusto innkeepers! Do what ya love!
 
I chose rather to do a monthly newsletter. It is automatically sent to previous guests but visitors can opt in on my web page. For me this works better because in the country things are s-s-s-s-low. I included news from here and all the area events from theater to music to rodeos.
There's just not enough happening around here to keep a blog fresh. It's promotion, pure and simple. If you're area can hold up to blog, have at it. Ours can't..
Proud Texan said:
I chose rather to do a monthly newsletter. It is automatically sent to previous guests but visitors can opt in on my web page. For me this works better because in the country things are s-s-s-s-low. I included news from here and all the area events from theater to music to rodeos.
There's just not enough happening around here to keep a blog fresh. It's promotion, pure and simple. If you're area can hold up to blog, have at it. Ours can't.
I'd argue that if it is enough to put in a newsletter, then you might as well also post it as a blog entry. That way it baits another hook in the water. Even if you only add 4 hooks a year, in a few years time you have a much better chance of catching something. If you go though the trouble of writing all the content you might as well harness it for continued use as search engine fodder. As a newsletter only, its a one shot deal each time...if it was both a newsletter and web posts, then it keeps working for you long after the newsletter gets deleted or burried in an inbox.
 
If our blog is on our website then doesn't that help with actvitity and brings our website upfront?.
MTLLodge said:
If our blog is on our website then doesn't that help with actvitity and brings our website upfront?
The "activity raising website in search" theory is largely overhyped. For the most part it doesn't work like that. Consider each post as another baited hook in the water. That's a more accurate metaphor.
 
If our blog is on our website then doesn't that help with actvitity and brings our website upfront?.
MTLLodge said:
If our blog is on our website then doesn't that help with actvitity and brings our website upfront?
The "activity raising website in search" theory is largely overhyped. For the most part it doesn't work like that. Consider each post as another baited hook in the water. That's a more accurate metaphor.
.
The problem I see with some innkeeper blogs...besides being really out of date..is that for the most part, the don't put anything there worth reading. JB's is the most interesting one I think I have read. There are a few others here who do reasonably well but still not alot of substance to most.
 
Lack of time to blog is the only reason I haven't been doing it much lately. This is the first time I've been on this forum in 5 days & I'm doing other stuff at the same time. When I blog, I have to focus more as I drag in photos and look at local activities to post, etc., etc. I wish I had more time to blog. I'm also heavily involved in my community which eats up the free time I do have.
 
I chose rather to do a monthly newsletter. It is automatically sent to previous guests but visitors can opt in on my web page. For me this works better because in the country things are s-s-s-s-low. I included news from here and all the area events from theater to music to rodeos.
There's just not enough happening around here to keep a blog fresh. It's promotion, pure and simple. If you're area can hold up to blog, have at it. Ours can't..
Proud Texan said:
I chose rather to do a monthly newsletter. It is automatically sent to previous guests but visitors can opt in on my web page. For me this works better because in the country things are s-s-s-s-low. I included news from here and all the area events from theater to music to rodeos.
There's just not enough happening around here to keep a blog fresh. It's promotion, pure and simple. If you're area can hold up to blog, have at it. Ours can't.
I'd argue that if it is enough to put in a newsletter, then you might as well also post it as a blog entry. That way it baits another hook in the water. Even if you only add 4 hooks a year, in a few years time you have a much better chance of catching something. If you go though the trouble of writing all the content you might as well harness it for continued use as search engine fodder. As a newsletter only, its a one shot deal each time...if it was both a newsletter and web posts, then it keeps working for you long after the newsletter gets deleted or burried in an inbox.
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swirt said:
Proud Texan said:
There's just not enough happening around here to keep a blog fresh. [/h3]
I hear what you're saying, but my content is not written as an essay or narrative. It's just who, what, where, when. In a blog? Don't think it would be much of a blog.
 
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