Industry experts are constantly emphasising the importance of implementing new distribution and marketing strategies at your B&B, but there’s still something to be said for word-of-mouth referrals. Word-of-mouth marketing may be different than it was a few decades ago, but in many respects, it is one of the most powerful tools you have at your disposal.
Word-of-mouth has long been one of the most powerful marketing channels for those in the hospitality industry. Its name derives from the fact that guests would literally spread the word orally about the experience they’d had at a property. Hotel operators once worked under the assumption that a guest who was pleased would share their experience with at least 10 different friends and family members, who may then share with 10 friends or family members of theirs. The impact could be exponential.
Today, word-of-mouth not only refers to spoken referrals by guests, but by any type of feedback from a traveller. For example, a guest who leaves a five-star review on TripAdvisor is offering a word-of-mouth referral, as is another guest who shares a photo of the delicious breakfast they had at your property on Instagram. Word-of-mouth in today’s world is largely digital, and because of that, it can be far more influential. Just one online user has the potential to reach hundreds or thousands of people.
Here’s a few innovative techniques for using word-of-mouth marketing to boost your bookings:
Word-of-mouth marketing is one promotional technique that you can almost always rely on, but you should frequently evaluate how you use word-of-mouth to drive bookings at your property.
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