How to Promote a Bed and Breakfast

Attracting guests to your bed and breakfast is an ongoing process, especially in the first few years as you struggle to get your name in the mainstream marketing. Estimate an average of 10 percent of your gross sales for marketing at first and at least 6 percent after you establish a clientèle base. Every dollar counts in your promotional efforts.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

1. Build credibility within the community. Out of town guests, looking for bed and breakfast accommodations, often contact the Chamber of Commerce. As a member, your establishment will be on the list of local inns.

2. Notify the neighbors. Distribute informational flyers to each home, offering a coupon for a percentage off the regular guest price when they book reservations for their visiting relatives and friends.

3. Prepare media kits with the details of your bed and breakfast; reservation information, rates, a pen and ink drawing, photos of guest rooms and local attractions. Use a professionally printed folder and include flyers, a brochure, a sample menu card and other pertinent information.

4. Distributes the media kits to your state's informational centers. On major roadways, just inside state borders, travel centers maintained by the state, offer visitors info about local attractions and accommodations.

5. Pay for professional listings in area guidebooks. The Chamber of Commerce usually prints a new one each year and sends one, upon request, to out-of-state potential guests. In addition, list your inn in the Yellow Pages.

6. Contact area businesses and distribute your media kit to the personnel director who deals with incoming relocations and transfers.

7. Maintain a website about your bed and breakfast. Your site should include the information in your media kid and feature an online reservation form. Consider adding a blog to your site to detail current news and promote your inn.

8. Mail promotional brochures to former guests, encouraging them to return on their next trip.

9. List your inn with a nationwide bed and breakfast reservation service. For a fee and a percentage of the reservation, these services promote your establishment. Request a comprehensive list from "The American Bed and Breakfast Association," P.O. Box 23486, Washington, DC 20008.