Marketing to B&B's

[Cate Hawkins]

Hi - I produce a digital travel guide which is specifically designed around individual B&B's Guest Houses and small Hotels and I have tried a few different ways to market the business, the best results being from cold calling then emailing information and then following up.

Just wanted some advice as to whether there is a better, more efficient way? Making a face to face appointment at the call stage is not really feasible but I am struggling to take it further after the initial interest. I did have some success with direct mail and then follow up but it is obviously really expensive and cold email was no good at all.

Longer term I want to use a Blog etc. that produces incoming leads but at the moment should I just continue to smile and dial?

Any advice really appreciated.
Cate

 

[Calvin Crane]

Yep - email is pants! Are you national? What is the one compelling reason you are better than xyz? getting a blog to produce leads will also be a long time in working. Unless you are in the niche. So locality could work for you.

 

[Cate Hawkins]

I am Cheltenham based and I have been concentrating initially in this area but just starting to branch out. I write and do the design of the Guide for a monthly subscription and people really seem to like it....I just find it really hard to cold call and then get them to commit.

 

[Calvin Crane]

Pm me a pdf link if you have it or other, I do like to see what other people are trying..via PM I will give you a couple of tricks so long as you don't publish them..

 

[saythisinstead.co.uk]

What's the benefit are you offering potential customers?

Does it stop them in their tracks and make them think 'We definitely want that'?

When you say 'People really seem to like it'........do they like it enough to buy it?

 

[webgeek]

If you've got their email, then put all the emails you get into laser targeted pay per click, so that the audience of just those email addresses see your ads. That reinforcement can help put them back onto your site to convert.

Also, you should be looking at remarketing/retargeting. Anyone who visits your website would be a candidate for seeing your paid ads to follow. That's particularly true if they hit certain key pages on your site.

In the unlikely event that you have their email, and the cookie is set showing they visited your site, then have several ads targeting them. They're hot prospects.

 

[AndrewJhnsn333]

Starting a blog is a great idea. However, you should prepare your content carefully. Analyse your competitors, choose interesting topics and relevant keywords, add infographics. A great post will earn traffic, so your main task is to add “call to action” and convert your blog readers into your clients.
I think social networks will also be a great tool for you to promote your business.

 

[The Byre]

Quite honestly, small and micro-businesses are inundated with spam emails, telephone calls and even formal letters trying to sell them something. It's absolutely every damn thing, from Saga to Yell, from bogus HR 'advisers' to advertising in calendars and magazines that don't exist. They want to lend you money, sell you insurance, finance your cars, wipe your bottom and make corporate videos of that happening. SEO? When do those idiots ever give up?

Doesn't anybody in Englandshire run a proper business any more? It seems the whole country is filled with fools who just sell nothing to other fools selling nothing!

 

[webgeek]

Heh 'proper' businesses can benefit from online marketing - well most of them anyway.