Most bed and breakfast owners know how important social media is, especially if they want to increase their direct bookings and not pay hefty commissions to OTA's.
In reality, there so many B&B's who have not posted on their Bed and Breakfast Facebook pages for months (and in some cases, years).
It is not surprising considering how busy you are, looking after your guests and making sure that your bed and breakfast is clean and tidy.
Not only that, but trying to work out what to post on your social media pages every day is a daunting and frustrating experience.
It seems so easy at first. You post faithfully every day, but once you have posted a photograph of all of your bedrooms and guest areas, what else can you write about? It isn't easy and you can soon find yourself overwhelmed.
To make things easy for busy bed and breakfast owners I created a cheat sheet with 110 content ideas to show you what you can post on your B&B social media pages, like Facebook and Instagram.
These post suggestions can be used on Facebook. instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.
I suggest that you save every post, so that if you make a post on Facebook, you can re-use that post on one of the other channels at a later date. Don't post the same content on all of the channels on the same day. This time saving tip means that you can get more engagement from each of the channels (if you had people who followed you on Facebook AND Instagram, they would not want to be bombarded with the same post at the same time.
BEFORE WE GET TO THE 110 POST IDEAS, HERE ARE MY TOP TIPS FOR POSTING ON SOCIAL MEDIA, THAT WILL HELP YOU GET THE MOST FROM YOUR POSTS
I really want you to have amazing results, so please take these tips on board and you will be thrilled when you attract more followers and 'Likes' every week.
1. You MUST post daily.
There is no good posting for a few days then stopping. You need to be consistent. Your followers will get used to seeing you post on a daily basis. Facebook and the other social media channels will see that you are getting engagement and will reward you by showing your post to more and more people every week.
These post suggestions will make it much easier for you.
2. You need to post a VARIETY of different posts.
There is no point in just posting "Book a room at my B&B' every day. It will soon become boring for your followers and they will just unfollow you.
I have given you 110 different post ideas (with full explanation for each one in this blog post). This makes things interesting not just for your followers but for you too. It will really help your bed and breakfast in just a short while. Russell House got their first direct booking within just 9 short days of posting daily.
3. PLAN your post content. Don't just wing it each day.
The best way to ensure that you are posting wide variety of interesting and engaging posts is to use a social media content planner. This is what I use for Russell House posts.
Without a planner it is easy to lose track of what you have posted and you will end up falling in to the trap of posting the same stuff every day.
I have created a Social Media Content Planner for Bed and Breakfast Owners that gives your fresh, interesting post ideas for every day of the month.
As a busy bed and breakfast owner, this is a lifesaver for you. It literally just takes 3 minutes per day to follow my suggestion for each day of the month. Then you can just get back to running your Bed and Breakfast while your Facebook page just grows and gets more engagement every day.
If you want to make life easier and just concentrate on your B&B, you will love the content planner. You can read more about it here.
110 Social Media Post Ideas For Your Bed and Breakfast
Let's get started with the list and start generating post ideas for your bed and breakfast.
You will notice that I have broken the list down into 11 sections so that you can post a wide variety of posts and mix up your content.
The sections are:
- Photographs
- Videos
- General Bed and Breakfast News and Tips
- Ask a Question
- Get Personal
- Timely Topics
- Uplifting
- Favourite Things
- Daily Hashtags
- Share The Love
- Promote Your Business
Photographs
Photographs are essential on social media and help you to promote your bed and breakfast. But what kind of photos should you post? This section will give you some ideas.
- Before and After
Everyone loves a good transformation. Your before and after photos can be as simple as tidying up a room after a guest leaves or cleaning your name sign.
The transformation you share can be personal or related to your business.
You could share before and after photos of your website redesign or your revamped branding. If you have had refurbishment, share a before and after pic. The list is endless.
2. Screenshot Post
For a screenshot post, you just take a screenshot of text you want to highlight and post it to social media as an image.
It might be something related to an event in your area or even be a fab review from one of your guests. It is a quick and easy way to create an effective post.
3. Caption Request
Caption posts are always popular because they are entertaining and an excellent way to spark engagement. Simply share an interesting photo and ask your followers to comment with their funniest or most creative caption.
4. Behind The Scenes
Give your audience a glimpse of what happens behind the scenes of your bed and breakfast and share a photo or video of you hard at work.
5. Changeable Letter Sign
These photos are fun to create and the possibilities are endless.
First, jump on Amazon and get a changeable letter sign or lightbox.
Then, put a funny saying or inspirational quote on the sign and take a photo. Depending on your B&B, they can be great way to put a smile on your guests faces first thing on a morning when they come down for breakfast.
6. Sneak Peak
Give your audience a sneak peek of what you’re working on. It might be a new menu, an event, a planned refurbishment or even just baking a cake for your guests afternoon tea. Create a sense of excitement for what’s to come!
7. Make A Statement
Do you have a t-shirt, coffee mug, or other item with a fun quote or saying on it? Take a photo of it and share it on social media. Make a statement posts are easy to create and they promote positive vibes and lots of “likes.”
8. Flat or Styled Image
Creating a flat lay image is as simple as arranging items on a flat surface and taking a photograph of them straight from above.
The flat lay is huge on Instagram and you can flat lay anything. Our favourite way, is to take a photograph of a freshly made dining table or a breakfast. These sorts of posts are very shareable and are so popular.
Videos
It is not just your followers who love to watch videos on social media. Facebook and the other channels love them too. They really help engagement and Facebook will make sure that all of your followers will get to see your videos. You don't need a fancy studio. You have everything you need on your smartphone.
9. Room Tours
To increase direct bookings, you need the edge. Guests want immersive information before they book. They want to feel well informed before taking the plunge, so, because there is so much competition out there, bed and breakfast owners need to think of new ways to present their B&B. And what better way to transport your guest straight to your hotel than with panoramic 360 views of your rooms and spaces.
360 imaging allows guests to see your bedrooms from all angles, as if they’re standing there with you. It’s the perfect way to step up your game and invite guests into your world. They are not hard to create. You can even get apps on your phone that will create them very easily.
10. Amenities Tour
As above, you can really show off all the amenties at your B&B with 360 imaging videos. According to Google, browsers are 130% more likely to make a booking based on a virtual tour. As 360 photos are far more immersive and engaging than a flat image, guests are more likely to stay on your website for longer and make a booking. Place potential guest at the centre of the experience by capturing a panoramic photo using your phone. You can do this for free using Facebook’s 360 feature.
11. Dining Tour
One of the joys of any guest staying at your bed and breakfast is not having to make their own breakfast and to have an indulgent breakfast experience. Show them a video of what it is like to enjoy a typical meal at your bed and breakfast.
12. Bed and Breakfast Events
If your bed and breakfast hosts events, then do tell your followers about it. Russell House has hosted two classical musical events in their drawing room with incredible results. Peter and Stephen also open their gardens twice a year for the National Garden Scheme. It allows people to get a glimpse of your bed and breakfast and has even resulted in bookings, not just from people visiting the event but also by referrals to friends and family from local people in the village who attended the event.
13. Clip of Special Event
Whist not actually having the reception at Russell House, several brides have stayed at here the night before the wedding. It provides a marvellous photo opportunity for you to put on social media. Tag the bride and groom and news of your bed and breakfast will soon spread.
14. Bed and Breakfast Inside News
Send weekly updates and news about your bed and breakfast in your newsletter. (What!! You don’t have a newsletter? Contact me immediately and I will help you.) A mailing list is vital for your business. (Psst. Have you signed up to MY newsletter? You should as I give away my proven sales tips and marketing strategies every Monday, Wednesday and Friday).
15. Chef Demonstation
Do you have a chef who is praised for creating amazing breakfasts or other meals at your bed and breakfast? Are YOU the ‘chef’? Perhaps you can make the perfect poached egg that looks like a plump little cushion. If so, why not show us mere mortals how you do it (please tell me if you make this video, as I would desperately like to be able to make a perfect poached egg).
16. Guest Testimonials
If you are lucky enough to have a guest who is happy to post a video testimonial telling people how great their stay was, then you really need to share this video so that everybody can see it. It will not only persuade other potential guests to book with you, but might encourage even more video testimonials. You can’t get a better promotional tool than that.
17. Wildlife Video (or photo)
Nothing captures the idea that your bed and breakfast offers an escape from the big city and working lifestyle quite like a photo of wildlife or even bees on the flowers in your garden. You might have deer visiting, or a pheasant that regularly makes an appearance. It might be something that you start to take for granted, but to a potential guest, it emphasises how idyllic your bed and breakfast is and they will look forward to coming to stay.
General Bed and Breakfast News and Tips
It is surprising where you can find inspiration for your social media posts. Here are just a few....but I think that you will be able to think of a whole lot more once you see the list.
18. Industry Article
Share an educational or informative article related to the bed and breakfast industry or of your locality. For example in November 2019 it was barter week and some B&B's were offering free nights accommodation in return for DIY work and skills. You can read the article here. You could playfully ask what skills people have if they were able to stay at your place. As well as on Facebook, this post idea works particularly well for LinkedIn and Twitter.
19. Answer a FAQ
Answer a question you tend to get asked a lot.
If a few people have asked the question, more than likely there are more potential guests who will benefit from the answer.
20. Award Winner
Share an award or accolade you or your business has received. Peter uses this to great effect by sharing his experience on Come Dine With Me and the fact that Russell House has been featured in a Sunday Times article (see their media page) . Whatever it is, use these kinds of things to your advantage and share them with your guests and followers.
21. How-to Video
Share a video detailing the steps on how to do something very specific that appeals to your guests. It can be something as simple as getting a tight corner on the bed sheets or creating one of your signature dishes or flower displays.
22. Industry Fact
Share a fun fact about the bed and breakfast industry or something related to your local town or city. For example, you could share a quote from a magazine article or press cutting (Always reference the original source).
23. Infographic
Share an infographic with helpful tips or information for your guests.
They tend to rack up more engagement and shares than other images and are great for putting on image sites like Pinterest.
24. Time-saving Tip/Travel Tip
Share a tip that will help your audience be more efficient and save time. For example, it might be a tip showing how to pack particular items of clothing so that they can be hung in the wardrobe immediately on arrival, crease-free. Or you might share a local walk that you think your guests might enjoy with some tips on where to stop for a drink along the way.
Ask A Question
Social media is called that for a reason. It is meant to be a place where people can socialise and engage with each other. They don't want to be bombarded with posts that are selling all of the time. Asking a question is a great way to engage with your followers and potential guests...and increase the number of likes and comments that you will get.
25. Take A Poll
Test new ideas with your audience by posting a poll.
For example, you might be deciding on new bedding and get some feedback from your followers. . You could list 4 or 5 options for your audience to choose from. It is very easy to do as Facebook has a polling feature you can use when making a status update and Instagram has a polling feature within Stories.
26. Request Feedback
What facilities could make your bed and breakfast better?
Asking your audience for direct feedback on some of your ideas is a great way to gain valuable insight on what improvements to make, and which services and facilities you should add to your bed and breakfast business.
27. Ask For Predictions
Ask your followers to share their predictions about a trend within your industry or a current event. Do they think that Airbnb will eventually kill off the traditional Bed and Breakfasts?
28. This or That
In our experience, “this or that” questions generate the most engagement. They are simple to answer and tend to invoke a lot of passion. The key to this or that questions is to keep them simple.
You don’t need a long introduction, simply list two items and let the debate unfold. A few examples are: “Continental or Full English?”, “What wakes you up in the morning? Tea or Coffee”? “A good book or a night on the town?”
29. Would You Rather.....
Watch your engagement skyrocket when you present your audience with a “would you rather” question. For example, “Would you rather have a beach holiday or city break?”
30. If You Could...
“If you could” questions are a lot of fun and you can get really creative with what you ask. For example, “If you could go on holiday with anybody, alive or dead, who would you choose?”
31. What's Your Favourite...?
Everyone loves to weigh in on their favourite things.
Get your followers commenting with simple questions like “What’s your favourite restaurant” or “What’s your all-time favourite movie”?
32. Fill In The Blank
Fill in the blank questions simply ask your audience to fill in the blank to a statement you provide. These questions are easy to tailor to your unique business and generate engagement.
For example, you could post “Fill in the blank: the thing I never leave behind when I travel is __________.”
It is amazing how many people can't bear (pun intended) the thought of leaving their teddy bear behind.
Get Personal
As a host, it is easy to get to know your guests and make them feel comfortable. You can do this on social media by sharing some things about you so that they feel like they know you before they have even stepped foot in your bed and breakfast.
33. Fun Fact About Your Business
Share a fun fact about you, or your bed and breakfast history, that not everyone knows and allows your audience to get to know you better.
It is even better if you have a photo to back it up.
34. Hobby Or Passion
Share a photo or video of you engaging in one of your hobbies or favourite activities. I know. I know. You are probably shouting at me saying that you are so busy that you ‘don’t have time for hobbies”. In that case, you could share a photo of your employees taking a break or having fun together. You want you post to look relaxed and happy.
35. Family Time
More than likely, your family is the most important part of your life so share that with your audience. Let people know that your bed and breakfast is a happy home.
36. Cute Kid or Pets
I dare you to find someone who doesn’t smile at a cute baby photo or laugh at a funny cat video. If you have kids or pets, brighten your followers day with a photo or video of something cute or funny they recently did. We posted a wonderful picture of Hector, our resident Westie and he has a huge amount of followers and fans.
You won't believe how many comments and compliments we received when we posted this picture of Hector
37. Explore Your City
If you’re out and about exploring your city, town, village or local area, she share it! Tag your city or locality in the photo to get more reach and followers. It is a great way to show guests what they can expect to see when they arrive.
38. Book You Are Reading or Recommend
Let your audience in on what you’re currently reading or learning.
Whether it’s a fiction novel, a nonfiction self-help book, an educational resource or online course, your audience wants to know what you’re reading or listening to in your free time.
You get bonus points if you include key takeaways that you particularly liked and share a link for your followers so that they can get their own copy.
39. Relaxation Time
Not only do your followers want to learn all about your bed and breakfast business, but they also want to know how and where you unwind when (and if) you get time off.
Not to mention, seeing a photo of you relaxing by a fire or drinking wine in front of the TV inspires your audience to also make time to relax.
40. Bucket List
Everybody has, or should have a bucket list. Share something on your bucket list that you would love to do someday! Or, you could share a photo or video of you achieving a bucket list item.
Timely Topics
Stay fresh and relevant on social media by posting things that are happening that particular day, week or month. Here is a list to inspire you:
41. Bank Holidays and Religious Holidays
Bank holidays and religious holidays like Christmas and Easter are easy to plan for, but be mindful of your target audience. If the majority of your followers live in the UK, stick with UK holidays, but if you also have a lot of international visitors, don’t forget to mention holidays relevant to them too.
A quick Google search will direct you to resources with the dates of holidays recognized by a particular country or religion. Here is a handy site to know about: Awareness Days
TIP: My Bed and Breakfast Owners Social Media Content Planner has all of the key Awareness days entered for each month.
The calendar contains daily social media post ideas planned out for you, including holidays and national days that are perfect to celebrate on social media.
42. National Day/Week/Month
For example, World Mental Health Day, World Book Day, or even UK Sausage Week, you can find a day to celebrate or acknowledge. It is easy to Google world and UK awareness days and events that you can post about. Here is a great awareness days site.
43. Special Event
Are you hosting or attending a special event? Headed to a big hospitality conference? Competing in your first-ever 5K race? Make a post about it and tag the location and the event (if possible) to get more engagement and followers!
44. Industry News or Update
Share something new that’s happening within the bed and breakfast industry. You could share an article or offer your opinion.
For example, do you think that Channels 4’s Four In A Bed is a good representation of your business?
45. Trending Topic or News Event
Is there a major news event everyone is talking about?
Share your thoughts on it or share an article with an interesting perspective. Just be careful not to get into any heated political debates or religious news events that are unrelated to your niche. You do not want to alienate or offend any of your potential or existing guests.
Luckily, you don’t have to get involved in polarizing topics to take advantage of trending news. Remember the white and gold or blue and black dress debacle? Be creative and take advantage of trending topics and hashtags to engage and grow your audience.
46. Viral Video
Jump on YouTube and see what videos are trending. Make sure to include a teaser in your description that entices your audience to watch the video. Remember, the point of this is to entertain your followers, not to cause any offence or cause a war of words on your social media page.
47. Area Events Near Property
There are always events happening in Flore where Russell House is based, as well as in the surrounding areas that might be handy for potential guests to know about. I am sure that it is the same for your area. Make sure you inform potential visitors in your social media posts.
Uplifting
Just as you want people to feel happy and relaxed in your bed and breakfast, you can do exactly the same on your Facebook and social media pages. Here are a list of my favourite ideas to make your potential guests and followers feel happy:
48. Inspiration/Motivational Quote
Inspiring and motivational quotes tend to get a lot of likes and shares on social media. You can create beautifully styled quotes using a design tool like Canva.com or phone apps. I will be including a list of my favourites and how to use Canva.
TIP: My 'Bed and Breakfast Social Media Planner' will save you hours of time researching quotes and designing images. I include stunning, professionally designed quotes that you can customise with your bed and breakfast logo.
49. Origin Story
Starting a bed and breakfast business is no easy task.
Motivate and inspire your audience by sharing the story about how you started your business. What or who inspired you to create your business and become a bed and breakfast owner? This is a great way to show that good hosting and hospitality is very important to you.
50. Share A Personal Win
Share a recent win or success in your bed and breakfast business or personal life. Did you get exciting news? Did you achieve a certain goal? Did your child or partner receive a special award or win an important sporting event? Don’t be shy. Your followers would love to see you sharing these kinds of posts. When Peter appeared on local radio and was featured in The Sunday Times article, his guests and followers were thrilled to share in his excitement. It made them feel part of the family and his success.
51. Overcome An Obstacle
Share a recent disappointment or “failure” in your bed and breakfast business or personal life and how you overcame it. Just remember to keep the post uplifting and motivational and focus more on perseverance and lessons learned and less on the obstacle itself.
52. Helpful Routines
Running a successful bed and breakfast is hard work!! What is your secret? Do you have a morning ritual or nightly routine to help you stay energized, focused, healthy or positive? If so, share it with your followers! People are always looking for ideas and inspiration on how to make small improvements to their lives.
53. Inspiring Person
We all have people that we admire or are inspired by. Share a story about someone you admire or find inspiring. This could be someone you know personally or even a celebrity you’ve never met. Share how they have impacted your life or talk about the lessons you’ve learned from them. Don’t forget to tag them in the post!
54. Spread Joy
There are so many divisions in the UK at the moment (I won’t mention the ‘B’ word. Clue: it’s not ‘Bed’ or ‘Breakfast’) and people are really fed up. A quick scroll through social media is often filled with negative posts and news. You need to counteract that and be a source of joy and laughter with a funny meme, joke, or story. Show that your bed and breakfast is a happy place to escape from all of the woes of the world.
55. Balance Tip
Because we live and work in our place of work, there has to be a balance between work and play or we would go mad. Share a helpful tip with your audience on how you manage stress and balance work-life responsibilities.
56. Staff Raising Funds For Charity
If you and your staff take the initiative to participate in fundraisers for a cause (fun runs, local fetes etc), spread the word with your followers! The organizing charity will also benefit from the increased visibility and it will create a lot of goodwill for you and your bed and breakfast.
Favourite things
We all have favourite things and like to share our recommendations with others. If you share yours, your followers will share theirs too:
57. Favourite Book
What’s your favourite book related to your industry or which book would you choose to relax with? Include the link for your audience to access or buy it and include a few takeaways or lessons you learned.
58. Favourite Podcast
What’s your favourite podcast? Share what you love about the host or the episodes and include the link for your audience to listen to it. (Personally I am an Archers fan and love to keep up with every episode).
59. Favourite YouTube Channel
What’s your favorite YouTube channel? Your followers might enjoy it too. Talk about why you like it and the value provided by the channel and include a link for your audience to access and subscribe to the channel themselves.
60. Favourite Tool or Resource
Is there a tool or resource you can’t live without to do your job or run your bed and breakfast? Share it with your audience. One bed and breakfast owner (I won’t mention any names to spare her blushes) posted a pic of her favourite toilet brush.
61. Favourite Product or Service
Share a product or service you love and your guests will benefit from.
62. Favourite Guilty Pleasure
Share something that you enjoy doing that could be seen as indulgent or unhealthy. For example, savouring a glass of wine while you cook dinner, lounging in the bath while your partner handles the breakfast routine, or watching Homes Under The Hammer when you really should be working.
Daily Hashtags
These kind of posts are popular for a reason. they are the easiest of all the posts to make if you ever get stuck for inspiration on any particular day.
63. #SundayFunday
How are you spending your Sunday? Share it on social media and use #SundayFunday somewhere in your status update. If you are working, and you most likely are on a weekend, post some fun things that your guests could be doing in your local area on a Sunday.
64. #MotivationMonday or #MondayBlues
Share a motivational quote, story, or video and use the #MotivationMonday hashtag in your update. Or if your guests left on Sunday after spending a wonderful weekend with you, you could commiserate with them using the MondayBlues hashtag.
65. #TuesdayVibes #TravelTuesday
The great thing about this hashtag is you can apply it to virtually anything you post on a Tuesday. Show how wonderful and happy your bed and breakfast is, even on a Tuesday.
Are you working out for a walk, snuggling your dog, or getting caught up with your laundry? Take a photo and share it with #TuesdayVibes in the post.
66. #WednesdayWisdom or #WeddingWednesday
Share a little wisdom or sage advice with your audience using #WednesdayWisdom. You can share a quote, a story, or even a funny anecdote that provides some light-hearted wisdom.
67. #TBT (Throwback Thursday)
Throwback Thursday is one of the oldest and most widely used daily hashtags. Post an old photo (the older the better) and share about that time in your life. If other people are in the photo be sure to tag them!
68. #FridayNight or #FlashbackFriday
Friday night is for fun and relaxing (it is for your guests, if not for you).
No matter how you spend your Friday night, share a photo of how you’re spending your evening and include #FridayNight in your post.
69. #SaturdayMorning
Give your audience a glimpse at how you’re spending your Saturday morning at your bed and breakfast. Share a photo or video and include #SaturdayMorning in your post.
Share the love
It should never just be ALL about you and your bed and breakfast. Let others shine too. Here are some tips on how you can do it:
70. Share Gratitude
Do you have an a wonderful guest, social media follower, employee or partner? Give them a shout out and share why you’re grateful for them.
71. Fan Photos
Take a look at your followers and their social profiles. You’ll be amazed at the wonderful content they share. Find a gorgeous, funny, or inspiring photo and share it with your audience. Just be sure to ask them first and give them credit and tag them in the photo.
72. A Cause You Support
Do you have a favourite charity or cause you support? Share it with your audience and tell a story about why that cause is important to you.
Invite your followers to join you in supporting the cause and tag the charity in the post.
73. Mention A Follower
Do you have a follower or special guest who engages regularly with your content? Give them a shout out using an @mention and thank them.
They will feel so special and be grateful for the social media attention.
74. Thank Your Followers
A simple thank you goes such a long way. Don’t forget to thank you audience and guests from time-to-time and share your genuine appreciation.
75. Eating Out Tips
If you are like most bed and breakfast establishments, you won’t serve evening meals. But even if you do, this is an opportunity to show your followers that you are part of a broader community and showcase restaurants that you like to eat at or recommend. It is not only helpful for your guests but it also provides goodwill to the restaurants and pubs that you are recommending. You can be sure that they will want to return the favour.
76. Staff Profile Photo
Your team are the backbone of any bed and breakfast establishment. Show how much you appreciate them by showing a member of your staff happily hard at work.
Promote yourself
While you don't want to be sending the same old sales message every day on social media, you will still want to promote your business regularly. After all, that is why people are following your bed and breakfast business page. Here are a variety of ways that you can create promotional posts that are engaging and allow you to show off your bed and breakfast in the best light,
77. Repurpose Old Content
Dust off an old blog post and update the images and headline – then share it with your audience. This will show your guests (and Google) that your site is now stale and static but is loved and updated regularly. Don't be afraid to repost old posts. You will probably have got a lot of more followers since you originally posted it and they will not have seen it.
78. Free Download or Resource
List building is so important for any bed and breakfast business, so share a checklist, cheat sheet or other printable your audience can download for free from your website in exchange for their email address. For example, we offer a downloadable brochure that we put together showcasing attractions and things to do in our local area. Drive traffic to your website and watch the subscribers pour in!
79. Popular Product or Service
Tell a story about your most requested room or service.
What makes it so great? What are customers saying about it?
80. Testimonial
Share a quote or video from a satisfied guest. This helps build your credibility and provides your audience social proof why your bed and breakfast is so wonderful. Some B&B owners are reluctant to do this and think that it is 'bragging'. Don't be modest. You will be amazed when you see people posting 'well deserved' messages in your post.
81. Promote Your Newsletter
Every bed and breakfast establishment should have some kind of newsletter. It allows you to build a mailing list and keep in contact with past guests ...and new. Let your audience know what special information or offers your newsletter subscribers get and encourage your audience to subscribe.
82. Promote Your Other Social Profiles
Do you have other social media channels where you’re sharing different content – such as Pinterest, Twitter or Instagram? If that’s the case, let your audience know what new gems they’ll discover by connecting with you on your other channels.
83. Run a Contest/Giveaway
Encourage your audience to share your content with others or create a specific post on social media.
For example, you could ask followers and past guests to post pictures of themselves at your property or from a location while staying at your bed and breakfast. You track the photos by creating a special hashtag. For example, whoever has the most posts with #TheBedAndBreakfastOwnersClub wins a months free membership.
84. Promote A Sale
If you’re running a special offer make sure to promote it on social media.
You don’t need an excuse to run offers, but it can help to run them around holidays. Direct and to the point, these posts should be clear about what’s in it for the customer. They should also create a sense of urgency — this price is not the regular price, but a very special offer.
85. Promote A Launch
Are you launching a new service? Don’t forget to promote it.
Plus, promotional posts can be much more frequent when you’re in the middle of a launch so this post idea actually counts as multiple posts.
Just remember to provide lots of non-promotional value before and after a launch to avoid burning out your audience and sickening them off. An example of the offer could be a special package where guests get two nights and the entrance to one major attraction in your area. Or, as in Peter’s case, he has a fleet of classic cars and will be creating a new package chauffeuring guests to Althorp which is only a few miles away from us. The offer can be whatever you want, but it should be a time limited offer that will encourage to book when they see your special offer.
86. Celebrate A Milestone
Is it your business anniversary? Have you hosted a 1,000 guests? Have you served your millionth breakfast? Did you hit 10,000 followers? Whatever milestone you’ve hit (big or small), celebrate it on social media and share it with your audience.
87. Feature Your Team
If you have employees who help make your business great, share them with the world! Profile an employee or member of your team and share why they add value to your business and to your guests’ lives.
If you don’t have employees yet, but you’re looking to grow, share a job opening.
88. Reintroduce Yourself
As your audience grows on social media, it’s important to occasionally reintroduce yourself and your bed and breakfast. Share your core values, your strengths, and your hospitality experience or just offer up some fun facts to help your audience get to know you or your bed and breakfast better.
89. Property Pic
Don’t be shy about posting photos of your bed and breakfast. You can create seasonal pics. It will look very different in the winter than it does in the summer. For example, at Russell House, there is a Virginia creeper that covers the entire front of the house in the spring, summer and autumn. During that time it changes colour from vibrant lime green, to deep summer green then a vibrant red in the autumn. It is constantly changing and looks stunning. In winter, all of the leaves drop off and it is bare until Spring again. It never looks the same twice. Another tip is to pick out some specific items or feature in your bed and breakfast and take close ups to add interest. We do this to great effect and you can get dozens of variations of pictures just from one room.
90. Facts About Property or Destination
Every bed and breakfast has a fascinating history, as does the area surrounding it. You can post endless facts about your bed and breakfast property as well as interesting facts about your town, village or city.
91. Area Attractions and Dining
As mentioned earlier, let your guests know what your local area has to offer as regards attractions and places to eat. It will add to the overall experience if they manage to find somewhere special to eat as well as staying at your B&B.
92. Positive Media About Destination
If you see something in the news or press that shows your local area in a good light, be sure to share the article and tell your followers about it. The more good feedback you have about your locality and area the better.
93. Ideas For Day Trips In Your Area
Show your guests and followers just how much you’re interested in making their stay as rich and enjoyable as possible by offering ideas on what to do during the day. Provide a list of places that they can visit and share links on your social media page.
94. Discount or Promotional Deal
Sites like Booking.com are very quick to hi-hack potential bookings by making guests go through their site to book your room, meaning that they get a commission for doing so. To cut out unnecessary costs, try and encourage potential guests from booking via you direct. One way is promote exclusive offers or deals on social media for any guests that books direct with you (later check out time, a bottle of wine etc).
95. Share A Recipe
Is your bed and breakfast known for something special? You might receive gushing compliments about your breakfasts. If so, tell everybody. Make it something distinct to your bed and breakfast or its culture and the followers who make it will feel a deeper connection (which they can tell their friends about) to your property. For example, when new guests arrive, Peter always serves delicious homemade cake and tea and coffee in the drawing room. He is particularly well known for his Bara Brith (he even got praise from a Welsh guest on how good it was). I am trying to persuade him to share his special recipe. It is to die for. I will let you know as soon as I can get him to share it. (update: November 2019. I finally got him to share the recipe so I will be post it here for you all to see very soon).
96. Give A Weather Report
This helps inform guests what kind of weather to expect when they arrive and makes it easier for them to know what to pack, especially if they arriving from the continent).
97. Local Holiday Tradition
Here in Flore, Fireworks night is a special event in our village. There is a large procession from the local scout hut which makes it's way through the village. Eventually they reach the bonfire. Everybody in the village gets involved and visitors from miles around come and join in the festivities. Perhaps you have something similar in your village or town?
98. Vote For Us
Has your bed and breakfast or one of your members of staff been nominated for an award? If so, encourage your followers and guests to vote for you. The award could help bring in valuable business, so it is worth promoting and encouraging people to vote. Don’t do it half-heartedly. Your followers will be rooting for you, so you need to make sure you truly are one of the front-runners by generating interest in the campaign.
99. Reading Recommendations
As you know, a lot of guests like to read while they are relaxing at your B&B. Perhaps you can recommend a good book for them to read. You could recommend a book that is related to your village, town or city. This will help the guests to have a special connection with your Bed and Breakfast.
100. Follower-Only Flash Sale
Run a 1-day flash sale offer ONLY for your bed and breakfast social media followers. This rewards your followers and gives them a great incentive to keep following you and engaging with your content. Be careful not to contravene any rules and regulations from your OTA's.
Guest Generated Content
The BEST kind of content that get lots of engagement are guest generated posts. Here is an example of the kind of posts that your guests might create:
101. Guest Reviews
It is always wonderful and encouraging when a guest leaves you a glowing review on social media. You should never be shy about celebrating and sharing these reviews across all of your social media channels.
102. Guest Pictures
Don’t forget to share and like any posts from guests posting pics of themselves enjoying time at your bed and breakfast or local attraction.
103. Guest Stories
As you know, there are fascinating reasons why some guests have chosen your particular bed and breakfast to stay. If any of your guests have an interesting story to tell on their social media, such as a reunion, share their story and be part of their special day.
104. Guest Special Events
Share if your bed and breakfast hosting a wedding, a reunion, anniversary or Mother’s Day event.
105. Submit Holiday Pics
Guests are always posting their holiday photos on social media. Acknowledge and ‘like’ any photos they share while staying with you.
106. Name Our New...
These kinds of posts are very popular as they get your followers personally involved with some of the decisions in your bed and breakfast. You could ask them to name your new menu dish, drink, bedroom suite or mascot etc.
107. Ideas For New Menu Items
Again, let your guests and followers be part of the decision making process by asking for their opinions on new menu items (for example: a vegan breakfast or types of teas etc).
108. Best Selfie At Bed and Breakfast
In the age of Instagram and other social media platforms, your bed and breakfast will no doubt be posted hundreds of times by guests taking selfies and tagging your bed and breakfast in the photos. As well as ‘liking’ and sharing the photo, you could actively encourage guests to take and post selfies of themselves at your bed and breakfast by offering them some kind of promotional gift or incentive.
109. Check-Ins
One of the first things that some people do when they arrive at a destination is ‘Check in’ on Facebook. This means that when someone checks in, they're recommending your bed and breakfast to hundreds of their friends. This easily makes Facebook check-ins the most powerful way to encourage word-of-mouth referrals. The check-in experience doesn't end after the initial post. Facebook also highlights photos of friends who've been there, reviews they've made, other relevant locations nearby, and even photos from your Facebook page. Facebook also gives you the chance to promote an offer, like a new customer discount or merchandise sale. There are so many opportunities for your bed and breakfast business when guests ‘Check In’. I’ll be sharing them inside the Bed and Breakfast Owners Club.
110. Favourite Food or Drink At Your B&B
As well as Peter's Bara Brith loaf, people also love the Kedgeree served at Russell House. One of the French guests even returned with some of his friends just so that they could taste the Kedgeree for themselves. If your guests are equally enthusiastic about a particular food or drink at your bed and breakfast, encourage them to share it on social media. You want your bed and breakfast to be known for something very special.
Start Planning Your Social Media Content and Watch Your Direct Booking Go Up Every Month
Phew! Now you know EXACTLY what kind of posts you should be making on your bed and breakfast social media accounts.
There is definitely a science about it. Remember that you need to mix your posts up and have a variety of promotional and general posts...but in the right proportions. Too many promotional posts and people will start to unfollow you, but if your posts are too general you won't get any direct bookings.
For greater success, plan out your posts in advance. I recommend following the 80/20 rule.
Only 20% of your posts should be promoting your bed and breakfast. The rest of your posts needs to be content that interests and engages with your followers so that they can interact with your posts.
A content planner already done for you....created especially for busy bed and breakfast owners....
I created this monthly content planner for bed and breakfast owners who want to:
- Increase comments and likes on their B&B social media pages
- Attract more followers (resulting in more direct bookings)
- Not waste time thinking about what to post each day (you have got a busy B&B to run)
- Boost traffic to your bed and breakfast website
