Proven marketing strategies for Bed & Breakfast businesses.
Marketing channels that work for bed & breakfast businesses
- Online travel agencies: Booking.com, Airbnb, and Expedia are where travelers who have never heard of you actually search, and for a small property they function as paid discovery — the aim is converting those first-time OTA guests into direct bookers for every future stay.
- A direct booking website with a rate incentive: Commission savings fund a small perk — a better rate, late checkout, a welcome basket — that gives guests a concrete reason to book direct next time, and every card key sleeve and confirmation email should say so.
- TripAdvisor and Google reviews: B&B guests read reviews more carefully than hotel guests because they are trusting a stranger's home, and detailed reviews mentioning the breakfast and the hosts by name are what tip an undecided browser.
- Local tourism boards and destination sites: Your destination's visitor bureau, wine trail, or fall-foliage guide sends travelers who chose the region first and lodging second — precisely the guests a characterful inn wins over a chain hotel.
- Email list of past guests: People return to the same weekend-getaway region for years, and a seasonal note with a photo of the garden or the new suite reaches guests who already love the place at the moment they are planning again.
Seasonality
Peak season depends on the destination — foliage, summer lake weather, festival calendars — but nearly every B&B faces a deep off-season trough. Fill it with packages that create a reason to travel: romance weekends, murder-mystery dinners, workshop retreats, and midweek rates aimed at remote workers who can stay Sunday through Thursday.