While writing "How to Write an Effective Bed & Breakfast Blog Post" I started thinking about why innkeepers struggle with marketing. Lack of time, resources, and strategy are contributors. But I believe mindset may be the most significant factor holding an innkeeper back. Bed & breakfast owners often get excited and try to tackle all aspects of marketing at once. They inevitably grow frustrated at poor initial results and give up. It's a vicious cycle. Instead, I would like to propose a different mindset. One that leads to consistency and results:
The Bed & Breakfast Marketing Training Plan
Just like training for a marathon or adding a healthy habit, you will want to start with baby steps. Once you have integrated baby steps into your routine, move on to more sophisticated efforts.
15 Minutes a Day for 21 Days
Start with simple tasks. Post a photo to Instagram or write a short post on Facebook. These types of tasks only take a few minutes but provide big benefits. Think of them as laying the foundation for future success. Not sure where to start? Take a look at these resources:
- Innkeeper Resource: Social Media Strategy for Innkeepers
- Innkeeper Inspiration: A Epic List of Things to Post on Social Media
30 Minutes a Day for 21 Days
Once you feel comfortable with spending 15 minutes a day on marketing your property, ratchet it up to 30! Tackle more time consuming tasks like claiming your Google My Business listing, keyword research, or installing Google Analytics. At this point you may begin to see results like more traffic to your website, but not an increase in bookings. Stick with it! Motivate yourself by focusing on simple metrics. Increasing social media followers is a great stat to watch. Here are few resources to tackle for 30 minutes a day:
- Innkeeper Resource: 5 Simple Steps to Local search Success
- Beginner's Guide to Keyword Research
- The Absolute Beginner's Guide to Google Analytics
1 Hour a Day for 21 Days
By now you may be feeling much more comfortable with digital marketing. You have a better understanding of tactics and tools. Now it is time to commit a full hour each day to marketing your inn. I suggest brushing up on search engine optimization (SEO) basics, tackling on-page SEO, and writing your first blog post. Here are some posts to get your creative juices flowing:
- Innkeeper Resource: The Importance of Title tags & Meta Descriptions
- How to Write an Effective Bed & Breakfast Blog Post
- The Beginner's Guide to SEO
Marketing Your Bed & Breakfast, Inn, or Small Hotel Takes Time
Remember, marketing your property is a marathon, not a sprint. If you are willing to consistently commit over a long period of time you will see results. Now go get 'em!
Not sure what to do next? Get a free marketing evaluation from Odysys. We'll take a look at your website marketing efforts and give you advice on where to focus your efforts next.
