How To Promote Your Bed and Breakfast Using #Hashtags *

Social media is an incredible free resource for you to use to promote your bed & breakfast.  Let that first sentence sink in….  In the not too distant past, marketers could only dream about having so incredible available.  You do, and the best part is it’s FREE for you.

If you’re not utilizing social media to promote your bed & breakfast, you’re missing a huge opportunity.  Social med allows you to interact with your guests and to engage your target audience.  Ut’s an easy way to improve your business visibility.

Factually, 76% of social media users post their vacation photos and 52% of travelers say that their friends’ social media travel posts inspired their own trips.  It’s clear that having a presence on the popular social networking sites is critical.

Are you using Instagram, Twitter or Facebook?  If so, you’re going to want to perfect the art of the hashtag, because it’s a critical part of the social networking experience.

What is a hashtag?

A hashtag is one of the most important ways of communicating on social media.  A hashtag begins with a hash sign (#) and includes a two- or three-word phrase that can be made into a searchable link.

Why is that so important?  If you chose the hashtag #travel it becomes a link.  Now, anyone who clicks on #travel will be able to see all posts, photos and videos that use that same hashtag.

Here’s how the #travel hashtag looks on Twitter:

Now let’s look at some basic hashtag rules you need to follow

Create your own hashtag

It’s important for your bed & breakfast to have it’s your own unique hashtag.  Ask your guests to use your hashtag when they are staying at your bed & breakfast.

If they would post a photo of their room or bed & breakfast, you want them to use your bed & breakfast hashtag to increase your visibility.

Avoid overusing hashtags

More isn’t better when it comes to hashtags.  If you use too many #hashtags, users are likely to think that you are spamming instead of simply trying to improve your online exposure.

Two or three hashtags is okay, but using more than 10 is not.

Keep your hashtag short

Your hashtag should be no more than three words long.  Using more words makes it too difficult for people to remember and use in their posts.

Never use spaces or punctuation.  Spaces break up the hashtag, and will make it less effective.

Sometimes, if you are using multiple words for your hashtag, using uppercase letters can break up your phrase and make it readable.  A good example, you could do #TravelFlorida instead of #travelflorida.

What types of hashtags could you use to promote your bed & breakfast:

Generic travel hashtags

Using simple, generic hashtags, such as #bedandbreakfast or #locallodging can improve your exposure across the entire industry.

Your guests will likely use these hashtags as well, they are common and might allow them to engage with other travelers.

Personalized hashtags

Always use your unique business hashtags in your social media posts, this helps anyone searching for your property easily find all of the information they need about it.

It’s all a great idea to incorporate hashtags from local visitor centers or travel bureaus that promote your local region, such as #PureMichigan or #VisitWales.

This connects you with travelers that are in the region, and other local businesses.

If you want more tips on how you can create an engaging online presence for your business, follow the IAA Bed and Breakfast Blog and our Facebook Page.  

The IAA Bed & Breakfast Association helps new customers find your business.  You can start enjoying the benefits today for free by either claiming your business listing on our site or you can create your new business listing.