7 Bed & Breakfast Marketing Trends for 2021
For those of us in the hospitality industry, 2020 will be remembered as a unique year. While 2021 may look similar, it just may turn out better for your bed and breakfast with some enhanced marketing trends.
So, how can you weather the continued storm of the COVID pandemic and grow your business? You can do it with a strong marketing strategy that includes digital online marketing options and non-traditional packaging options. (tweet this)
In this article, we look at seven bed and breakfast marketing trends for 2021.
#1: Creative Packages
Many businesses have had to get creative to stay in business during the pandemic. One unique marketing trend is the work-from-hotel bed and breakfast package.
Since many office workers are now working remotely, they are also yearning for a change of scenery. This is where you come in. Consider offering packages for remote employees to stay for a day or even a week.
Make sure you have strong Wi-Fi available as well has guest rooms with desks and/or tables that can accommodate work-from-bed-and-breakfast employees.
These remote workers will enjoy being pampered by your bed and breakfast as well as all the good food you will serve them. Freed from the chains of their office, they can enjoy what your bed and breakfast has to offer while working for a short while with a different view.
#2: Local Customers
Travel is restricted in many parts of the country, and many of your potential lodgers are reticent to travel.
This is why another bed and breakfast marketing trend has property owners looking to the locals.
Potential customers in your area still want to take a vacation. What that term means in 2021 will most likely be vastly different then the traditional meaning.
You can cater to those locals who want to take a vacation by marketing your bed and breakfast to local residents. Offer them a complete experience. For example, provide breakfast, lunch, and dinner so guests don’t have to leave.
Consider offering live entertainment outside on your patio, workout areas, and free movie channels. Get creative and find ways to appeal to the locals in your community.
#3: Social Media Engagement
With more people at home, social media is more popular than ever. If you aren’t active on any social media platforms, there’s never been a better time.
You want to put a strong social media strategy in place. Your goal is to engage potential clients. You also want to put a strong emphasis on engagement and relationship building and not so much on your follower count.
The best rule of thumb on social media is to keep your promotional content to no more than 30%. Less is better.
Engage your potential lodgers with video content, beautiful imagery, and ideas of things to do in your area.
You can also leverage user-generated content. For example, see if others are posting pictures or videos from your bed and breakfast. Then ask them if you can re-post the material on your own social media platform.
Finally, consider adding in some social media advertising to really get the message out about how wonderful your bed and breakfast is.
#4: A Robust Website
When was the last time you looked at your website and refreshed it? Is it fast and mobile-friendly? Is it easy to navigate? Can users easily book a room?
These are things to consider in your 2021 marketing. The bed and breakfast marketing trend is a robust website that actively converts your potential guests.
Take a look at your website and see where you can improve. Do you need to redesign it, or can you identify areas for improvement?
The main goal of your website is to garner leads and increase conversions (aka bookings to your bed and breakfast).
You also want to focus on search engine optimization, regular content creative, performance, and the overall user experience.
#5: Personalization
Another bed and breakfast marketing trend for 2021 is personalization. Today’s guests expect you to personalize their experience. This starts on your website and in your social media and extends all they way through their stay.
Your guests expect you to cater to them based on their preferences. This is not only true for new customers but repeat customers as well.
The purpose of personalization is to offer an exceptional customer experience. This is done through engaging with current and potential customers as individuals.
For example, if someone was looking at a particular room on your website, you might target you reading campaigns showing them that same room.
You want to deliver individualized content on your website, in your digital advertising, and in your email marketing. You can collect this information through your software.
Personalization helps you build and solidify a personal relationship with customers which in turns helps you increase your business while encouraging guests to be repeat visitors.
#6: Re-Imagined Events
While the cancellations of events such as weddings, family reunions, proms, conferences, and more will most likely continue in 2021, you can reach these potential guests with another bed and breakfast marketing trend.
This trend encourages property owners to adapt by creating unique packages for small groups of people.
For example, you can offer a package for small wedding parties. Offer a package for the bride and groom and their immediate families. This might include an outdoor ceremony, wedding cake, overnight stay for a couple nights, and food.
#7: Video Marketing
Your potential guests are online, and they are consuming video at a rapid pace. This is why you need to harness the power of video marketing trends for your bed and breakfast.
You would use these videos on your website, in your email marketing, and on your social media channels including Facebook, Facebook Live, Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube, and more.
Create promotional videos, virtual tours, customer testimonials, recipes, snapshots of the area, and more to engage with your potential and current guests.
Final Thoughts
Harness the power of your bed and breakfast marketing in 2021 to weather the COVID pandemic and come out solid on the other side of it.
You can do this by following some of these bed and breakfast marketing trends, getting creative, and designing a comprehensive strategy for encouraging guests in a safe manner.
Adding the right creative strategy and these marketing trends can help propel your bed and breakfast to success in 2021.
We are your hotel’s digital advertising specialists. Whether it’s a new website, search engine marketing, social media marketing or website design, we are here to help. Contact us today to start a conversation about your hotel’s digital advertising needs.
Images: Victoria Lea and Julian Hochgesang on Unsplash
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