Twitter for Bed and Breakfasts 3.0

Here is the third installment of my exploration of the world of Twitter (the “Twitterverse”). My Twitter ID is @InnConsultant. Follow me if you like what I am saying.

In Part I and Part II, I discussed how I first got into Social Media, and how I got hooked on it. I found it a really good way to get good returns marketing small businesses like Bed and Breakfast Inns. It truly compliments all of the time and effort that you put into having a really good blog, by providing effective advertising for all of your new blog posts. Here are my thoughts after a few months on Twitter.

First, as I stated in earlier posts, there is a real etiquette to Twitter. People will stop following you if your tweets are just ho hum! This is an information sharing concept, so if all you are doing is trying to sell, sell, sell, they will turn you off. What people want to know is who you are and what you really think about things. In other words, why are you “interesting” enough to follow? At the present time, I am amazed to find that I have over 230 really diverse people who follow me, and I am following more than that. I am not really trying to drum up followers now, they seem to just find me. Most of them are interested in travel and hospitality, which of course is what I am all about. So I seem to be getting people to follow me that share my interests. And that is the whole purpose of this effort.

So, I don’t try to sell anything to anyone. I am also very careful about my on-line reputation, so I don’t rant and rave (even when I feel like doing so!). I comment frequently about other people’s tweets, either retweeting (“RT”) or replying (“@” ____). Sometimes, I send someone a private message (“DM”) where what I have to say is either personal or not something of interest to the world of followers. What I try to do is to share information about things that I am interested in and provoke thoughtful conversations about those things. What I am really doing is trying to show people who I am and why they should listen to what I am saying. I am learning about other people who I follow and who both share my interests and are interesting people. One thing is for sure. I have come to really admire some of the people that I have “met” on Twitter, without really ever seeing or hearing them. What an amazing thing!

Another interesting thing is the local nature of Twitter. Following people in your community or state is a good way to build up a reputation or persona on Twitter. This translates into a whole new world of networking, especially in the on-line community of people who are practicing Social Media on a daily basis as part of their jobs. I have found a whole group of people twittering away in and around Portland, Maine, who are great sharers of information about social media and how it works best.

Now the business part of the equation. People who are interested in who you are also are interested in what you do. Your followers want to know what differentiates what you do from what others do, and why that makes you interesting? So if you have the best Bed and Breakfast Inn in the World, Country, State or even just your local city or town, you can show people (like your guests or prospective guests) why they should come to stay at your Inn as opposed to going elsewhere. Now how do you do this?

Like all marketing advice, the main idea of differentiation is to tell who you are clearly and convincingly, and what makes you different than all of the others. The tough part in Twitter is that you only have 140 characters to provoke an image to the readers (i.e. the World). While this requires some thought, not all images need big and long trains of words. A quick pop about those amazing thick and tangy, fresh Maine blueberry pancakes you served at breakfast may be enough to tweet a great image to your followers. If you have fantastic restaurants and wine nearby, tell people about the great meal you had there (i.e. what you had not just that it was good). Tell them about all of the festivals and doings in your local area, so that they get a feel about why they should come. Convey a thought image in just a few words. This is quite different that just announcing a reduction in price to try to get people to come. What is happening is that you are describing what your Inn is all about, and why they should come to see you as the Innkeeper. You are really invoking a feeling in the reader. If they get the sense that you are a good and interesting person, then that is most of the battle right there.

So, give it a try. We keep hearing about all of the success stories of Inns on Twitter. If you don’t believe me yet, try following @HoptonHouseBnb. Karen Thorne, from Shropshire, UK, is probably the most Social Media savvy Innkeeper I have ever seen (or is that “heard”). Look at what she does on Twitter, and you will find a perfect role model for your Tweets. What are you waiting for?

Twitter for Bed and Breakfasts 2.0

Here is Part II of my exploration of the world of Twitter. I have been tweeting now for about two weeks, and have about 120 people actually following what I am saying on this incredible social media. It amazes me how fast this has grown for me from a peek at a new marketing channel to a full blown way to spread the word about what we do at Quantum Hospitality. More important, I have found so many really interesting people in the Twitterverse to follow. They are writing short notes (140 characters only) about anything and everything of interest to them. Here are my continuing observations about this exploding device.

In last weeks blog article, I described in general how Twitter works, but the simplicity of sending out very short messages belies the fact that a tremendous amount of information is being spiraled around the Internet in this fashion. By using one of many free services to shorten URLs, Tweeters are including references to blog articles and other websites within their Tweets. Once received, each person, if the information is deemed worthy, can then “Retweet” this information to his or her list of followers with a comment. It is this Retweet phenomenon which is the essence of viral marketing. It keeps the message circulating, growing and growing the number of people who ultimately see it. Just think of the possibilities. Imagine your Special Package description gets Tweeted to your friends (presumably your guests) who then spread the word to all their friends, who then send it to all of their friends, and so on. . . . This is the essence of the concept of Repeats and Referral, the two most important kinds of guests and prospective guests a Bed and Breakfast can have. In essence, the marketing potential of Twitter is endless.

Now, does it work? First, there is an etiquette happening as well. If all that you talk about on Twitter is your business, your Twitter followers (i.e. your “friends”) will likely stop listening to what you say. This is a social media after all! They want to know you as a person as well as a business. Here is where all your Innkeeper hospitality comes into play. You can spend a good deal of time on Twitter talking about what is going on at the Inn. It can be as simple as a description of that fabulous breakfast that you just fed to your guests, a description of one of your best guest rooms, or a short note about what is happening in your neck of the woods this weekend. Pictures work great on Twitter, with a Flicr account and a shortened URL, you can include great photos in your Tweets. Again the marketing potential is limitless. The key is to convey the wonderful ambiance of your Inn in 140 characters. That is the Zen of it all.

So the overall answer to the question “does it work?” is a resounding yes! What amazes me is that there are so many bed and breakfasts out there, but only a relative few have caught on to Twitter. This is a missed opportunity. Right now, it appears that the overwhelming number of people on the Twitter channel are people who are into social media as a business. The bloggers and web developers are all there. Also, you will find every form of self help and technical gurus there, as well as some really smart people who just want to learn about the anything and everything of it all. These people are basically your guests or prospective guests.

So what is the first step after signing up for Twitter? You need to get a following that wants to hear your messages. What better way than to put out the word to your guest list that you are now on Twitter. Put the Twitter link on your website, and send an email notice to your guest list with your Twitter ID. Ask them to follow you. Make sure you have the link in all your marketing pieces and newsletters. Set a goal to get a good number of your guest list into following you on Twitter.

Once you have guests following you on Twitter, you can then have a look at who they are following and who is following them. You can elect to follow anyone who is interesting to you (i.e. a potential guest). If you follow someone, they get an email from Twitter advising them that you are now following them. Usually, they will look you up on Twitter, and if it interests them, they can elect to follow you back. This is the social networking feature of Twitter, and it allows you to expand your friends and make new ones. Many, many Tweople have thousands and thousands of followers on Twitter. It is word of mouth at its highest level.

So my advice is “what are you waiting for?” Get going and Twitter on. . . .