So now where do we advertise?

[alex grigg]

At long last our chambres d'hote is ready (we watched too many of those lifestyle changing tv shows in the UK) ...but there's an art gallery to build next! So after one year, one unexpected baby and one hell of a ride it's time to pay the fonciere etc etc etc! We've got an old wine warehose house opposite a lake in Saint Jean D'Angely (Chrente Maritime)

But where do we advertise - online??? And which directories...? And which mags??? We're chatting up the tourist office, estate agents and bar owners ( oh, what a misery!) - and all our new friends here, and in the UK of course.

But so far all we've done is the google searches and, possibly like you had, a list of 50ish sites to worry about. What's worth paying for? What's not? How much?

YIKES

HELP!!!!

Nicolene and Alex Grigg

[Miki]

Nicolene and Alex,

Not sure whether it is still on here but there was a post that gave some great tips on who to advertise with. For my part, as ever, I would say go with GdF, they may well be looking for something you describe (the art galley as well and owned by the patrons). I sent a few a list members on here of where to advertise but never kept it myself sorry, I wonder if one of them might still be able to give you a few names.

It is a long and weary road to get the advertising right and the best of luck to you with it all. The art agllery will certainly give you a help , it si something the /French in particular, will like to see and stay at.

[alex grigg]

Thanks Miki - great!

I wonder if there is a way LFers can put together an overall summery of advertising results for all to share? - cost per booking by different paid for sources and number of bookings for free ones? I will try and think of a way too...

cheers

baby awakes...

Nicolene

[letrangere]

You've no doubt got competition from established B&Bs but you have one advantage, the art gallery connection.  So why not concentrate on that?  Have you considered advertising in periodicals aimed at arty types, painters, etc.  Don't know how many rooms you have but have you thought of painting holiday breaks?  Royal Academy magazine used to have a French B&B regularly advertising similar.  No idea though what the mag's circulation is or rates.  Just a thought.  M

[mascamps.com]

I wonder if there is a way LFers can put together an overall summery of advertising results for all to share? - cost per booking by different paid for sources and number of bookings for free ones? I will try and think of a way too...

Yes, but the problem is that competition would get in the way. Would you want to tell the guy next door who the best places to list with were?

For free, don't forget www.ourinns.org which lists the places of most of the regular contributors to this forum. Even better, it gets bookings or so I'm told.

As far as paid-for listings go, my personal preference is for the commission based sites as it seems to me that their interests are more aligned with your own ie no sales, no commission, lots of sales, lots of commission. As they're effectively free 'til you get a booking, you can list with more of them too. They do work out more expensive but when I add up one of mine and it comes to 1000€ a year I don't mind (too much) as that means 200 bookings and 9000€ income.

Go for GdF too: as Miki says it usually fills you up. Snag is that you're too late now for next years brochure (the cut-off date for in-print advertising is around June the year before).

 

Arnold

 

[mascamps.com]

Don't forget your own website. Ours brings in 20-30% of our total income.

On the brochure front, remember that a rough rule of thumb of marketing is that you get a 1% return ie you'd need to give out 100 brochures to get one booking. I remember one B&B a few years back who sent a brochure by post for every enquiry they received which cost them 5€ each (brochure, envelope, stamp, etc.) ie 500€ out to get one booking.

 

Arnold