With so many B&B’s out there, you might feel overwhelmed when it comes to figuring out how to get your B&B on the top of people’s online searches.
We’ve got six tips to help get you right up there and on your new potential guest’s must-visit list:
Figure out social media: It might seem daunting, but you don’t have to become an influencer and spend all day on social media to make it work for you. If you aren’t already using Facebook and Instagram to promote your accommodation, do so immediately. It costs nothing and is an easily managed medium most people are familiar with. The golden rule? Post new updates fairly often, even if it is photos of a sunset view from your property, or a pretty picture of a sprig of lavender placed on pillows as a welcome gesture for guests who are checking in.
Take beautiful photos and let them work their magic: Visitors want to see what your B&B looks like from the outside, photos of the bedroom and bathroom they’ll be paying for, and any pictures of common areas like a sitting room or garden.
Bad photos are an instant turn off, so go ahead and hire a professional photographer to take a few good shots for you. If that’s not in your budget, online booking platform Jurni suggests reading up online for tips on how to stage rooms and take great photos yourself that will sell your property to potential customers.
There are loads of YouTube tutorials on how to style photos, addressing aspects like the best angles from which to shoot a bed or how to style a bathroom (hot tip: close the toilet lid!).
Create selfie zones and Instagrammable spots: Let your guests market your place for you by setting up spaces that invite them to take a photo. It could be anything from a feature wall with fab wallpaper, a serene spot in the garden, a striking entrance featuring a local artwork or sculpture or a collage of must-visit landmarks. Remember to remind guests to tag you on social media when they post their photos, so that you can like and share their posts on your B&B Facebook page or Instagram account.
Work with, not against nearby B&B: Reach out to other guesthouses in your area and form a network whereby you all promote each other. Truth is, you’ll benefit more from having them as an ally who refers people to you when they are fully booked, for example. Remember, friends will send you business, enemies won’t.
Promote your area: Be clever about using everything available to you to market your property. It’s not just your B&B or guesthouse that is important to a potential visitor – there’s a reason they’ve left their home to come and stay in your area, so leverage what’s going on in your vicinity. Is there a beautiful park close by, or a vibrant weekend market, hiking trail, shopping mall, restaurant strip, or conference centre? Think of what your guests would like to visit or see, and highlight it in your marketing efforts. And, if there is any big event happening in your area, such as a marathon, concert, or big bike ride, use that event’s hashtag (or hashtags that appeal to people who will be attending that event) and use it in a social media post displaying a pic of your property, saying how excited you are that the event is going to take place.
Partner up with attractions in your area: Look to form strategic partnerships and offer to promote nearby small businesses to your guests in return for a discount exclusive to your B&B, such as that guests staying with you will get a free coffee at a café if they have a fully paid breakfast there. If you stock a local supplier’s toiletries in your guest’s bathrooms, suggest placing a brochure about their products in guest’s rooms if they’ll give your guests a discount on certain products. Leverage the foot traffic your establishment provides to obtain benefits for your guests.
