Bed and breakfast branding allows potential (and returning) guests to be reminded of what you have to offer. Your location, surroundings, and weather matter to those considering your accommodations.
B&B Inns can vary widely in their building and land sizes, number of rooms, on-site amenities (such as a spa or restaurant), and local attractions. Furthermore, the interests & activity preferences of the guests they typically host varies.
The key to success is to reach your ideal audience. The bed and breakfast guests who can most appreciate what your inn offers.
Ways To Attract New (& Returning) Guests:
- Stand out from your competition (show why you are the best accommodations in your area for what you offer)
- Communicate a clear message to your ideal guests (ex: they deserve a vacation getaway)
- Attract their attention visually (with images, pictures, quotes, and testimonials)
- Compel them to come (“because time goes by so fast, spend special moments here with your loved ones”)
- Maintain a reputation for superior hospitality by consistently exceeding the expectations of your guests throughout their stay (checking in, guest services, amenities, breakfast, and so on)
How To Distinguish Your Inn from The Competition:
Bed and breakfasts can distinguish themselves in a variety of ways including their name, logo, and slogan. Curb appeal, interior décor, & amenities also influence guest perceptions. Moreover, the inn’s quality of their photography, website, blog, and social media. Video has become increasingly important. Furthermore, guest stories and testimonials as well as email marketing also make a difference.
Bed & Breakfast Branding Questions to Ask:
In the process of bed and breakfast branding, it helps to think about questions like the following:
- Do you have a fascinating story to tell (the innkeeper and/or the property)?
- What adjectives do your guests use to describe your brand?
- Do you know your core values?
- What benefits do my guests receive by staying at the inn?
- What compliments do I consistently hear or read from my guests?
- How am I different from my competitors and how do guests experience that difference?
- What is my greater purpose as a B&B owner/innkeeper/host?
It is more important than ever to reassure guests of your commitment to their wellbeing. It is best to share the details about the safety measures you have in place to protect your guests, during their stay, to the best of your ability.
In closing, share and show reasons why potential guests should come experience what it’s like to be a guest at your place of hospitality. Do you have questions about bed and breakfast branding? Are you looking to buy or sell a B&B inn? Contactexperienced, licensed realtor (as well as a former innkeeper) Rob Sales of B&B Consulting.