ARTICLE:
Pathway to Tech Paradise: Part III
Finding
new ways to Market!
So you've thought of every way possible
to make your inn and rooms more attractive.
You've been advertising last minute
specials and weekend getaways. In this
economy, properties know it will take
a bit more ingenuity to keep heads in
their beds! When you've learned and
implemented all the basic marketing
strategies - what next?
Possibilities
are never ending. In this month's article
- we're going to explore a few less
conventional, but very effective affiliate
marketing tactics. You may have implemented
similar marketing plans in offering
weekend packages that include services
and/or products from your locale. Don't
limit yourself to partnering with vendors
next door. Since many B&Bs have
an Internet presence - what about your
neighbors on the World Wide Web?
Partner
with your online neighbors!
In
this week's Budget Travel issue - Vicki
Harbin writes about the latest incentive
for booking a room at a Candlewood Suite
hotel. In return for booking a 3 night
stay - they are offering a $50 Amazon.com
gift certificate. "Candlewood last
offered this promotion with Amazon last
fall, now it's back." Which means
- it must have worked the first time
they ran it! Think about the possibilities
of offering incentives to book a more
expensive room, or extend a stay.
Give Away Incentives! (Not your rooms)
Do you have any items at your property
that your guest just love! Whether it's
a certain kind of coffee, soap or towels
- you could offer a gift certificate
for one of these items as an incentive
to book the rooms or reservations you
need to sell. Are these items available
for purchase on a web site - perhaps
you can arrange some cross marketing
as well!
Affiliate Marketing
Whether selling your own unique gift
items, or reselling items that relate
directly to your inn and locale - don't
be shy to sell more than rooms on your
web site! Let's say there's a great
book about the history of quilt making
available for sale on Amazon.com. If
you offer a direct link for buying this
book to your web site, Amazon.com will
pay you for any "clicks" from
your web site to theirs! Just click
on the "Join Associates" link
on www.amazon.com to learn more about
it. If you are re-selling other items,
such as robes, towels and other specialty
items - you may be able to reap benefits
from providing leads to those vendors.
If they are items your guest want -
and they remind them of YOUR property
and web site - you can't lose on any
of these deals.
