Zip code discount?

[JunieBJones (JBJ)]

I had a door magnet set - professional looking not cheezy, for two years. That was a great introduction to alot of people here. Use it esp when you go to events in town. You don't have to wear it all the time.
I stopped using it when we turned the gift shop into a guest room as I didn't want people turning up for the gift shop as it was also on the door magnet. I have since had a new set made up and they look great! Chocolate background with white lettering and artsy design all over the edges.
VISTA PRINT the best price easiest way to design something. Pop in your Inn details and then it will set it up in 50 diff designs. Since our inn name and URL are lengthy, it eliminated half or 3/4 of them or I would have to make the lettering very small.

 

[gillumhouse]

That would be a total waste of time for me - I have only had one room that was in a zip code within 20 miles of here. Most of our guests are from waaaaaaaaay out of State..

That would be a total waste of time for me - I have only had one room that was in a zip code within 20 miles of here. Most of our guests are from waaaaaaaaay out of State.

After your official one year anniversary now you can join the "marketing local is a waste of time and resources club" aye. You can chase the wind to get a room or two but overall it is not worth the time. Locals know you are there, it is internet all the way! For which I am thankful.
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Actually they may NOT know you are there. I live in a city with a pop of about 2500 (over 2000 is a city), have been here as a B & B 13 years in July, have been written up in local papers many, many times and I STILL hear - "I didn't know we had a B & B in ...."
Last year the Blueprint Community Team put out a newspaper supplement about our city and my B & B was above the fold, front page of section 2. That produced 3 room nights ans a dinner from locals (one dinner and room night was a birthday for his wife).
What I tell locals is "if the phone rings, it is NOT for you."
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Actually they may NOT know you are there. I live in a city with a pop of about 2500 (over 2000 is a city), have been here as a B & B 13 years in July, have been written up in local papers many, many times and I STILL hear - "I didn't know we had a B & B in ...."
Last year the Blueprint Community Team put out a newspaper supplement about our city and my B & B was above the fold, front page of section 2. That produced 3 room nights ans a dinner from locals (one dinner and room night was a birthday for his wife).
What I tell locals is "if the phone rings, it is NOT for you."

K you are proving my point. Ignorance is what I am saying about locals typically. If they are B&B people at all or would refer you THEY KNOW YOU ARE THERE. Otherwise forgetabout them. I mean do what you do, when you are involved in a community everyone in the know knows who you are and where you are! If not, get involved!
Contact the local photogs and florists for recommendations for wedding nights. Word of mouth is the best bet and of course having a sign out front that locals drive past helps. But we have a sign out front and back and if I am at the bank or store they say to me "Oh is that still a bed and breakfast? I thought it closed" NO we are open as a B&B 17 years now. We get calls for donations twice a day every day from locals, they ALL know we are here and open.
If I get a call locally and I offer them a HUGE discount and they complain we are too expensive and go to the flea bag hotel which charges more - but they can pack 4 to a room!
.

Yes, being involved does get me known. Several locals have sent family to me. Our first paying guests were the son & his wife of a lady from the church I attend. He came back several imes while Mama was alive. Another lady paid for her B-i-L to stay here and one girl sent family here several times.
I have recently been able to educate the cashiers at the grocery about us and they are now starting to tell people we are here when out-of-towners ask about accommodations.

 

[gillumhouse]

As someone just reminded me PUT A MAGNET ON YOUR CAR AND EVERYONE WILL KNOW YOU HAVE A B&B IN TOWN! VISTA Print has them for a great price..

I have Vista Print signs on my car. The 2 large size were under $30 with the upload charge of my logo and the shipping for the 2 signs. They are too small to be read as you drive down the highway, BUT are great for while you are parked. I have had conversations with people while traveling because of them. I have my toll-free number as the largest thing on the sign and it is white with burgundy (my color) print.
While in Charleston a Delegate told me, I knew you were here because I saw your car in the parking garage. I was also paged at the grocery by the lady who hit my car - because of the signs.

 

[gillumhouse]

Here is mine

 

[Willowpondgj]

We tried a county resident discount last year and had it up for a long time, not one bite! It was a steep discount on our big rooms, up to 30% off. It was even on the VCB site. That just proved to us that the majority of our business, probably 99%, was coming from outside our local area. Our current webstats support this.
We tend to only get locals looking for weddings and GC's for friends and fam coming to visit (usually those are calls around the holidays).

 

[JunieBJones (JBJ)]

We tried a county resident discount last year and had it up for a long time, not one bite! It was a steep discount on our big rooms, up to 30% off. It was even on the VCB site. That just proved to us that the majority of our business, probably 99%, was coming from outside our local area. Our current webstats support this.
We tend to only get locals looking for weddings and GC's for friends and fam coming to visit (usually those are calls around the holidays)..

We tried a county resident discount last year and had it up for a long time, not one bite! It was a steep discount on our big rooms, up to 30% off. It was even on the VCB site. That just proved to us that the majority of our business, probably 99%, was coming from outside our local area. Our current webstats support this.
We tend to only get locals looking for weddings and GC's for friends and fam coming to visit (usually those are calls around the holidays).

We did the same, the RED card. Never even had one bite. I am on it again for this year, as it is no cost to be in the prgm and they try to market it for us.

 

[JunieBJones (JBJ)]

K matches your car perfectly!
My old one had the line drawing on it and more info. I decided to make it super simple this time. This was only $13 on vista print. The reason for the url was two-fold = people could remember it easier than a phone number and I want them to see the website for the photos and info.
We also own the .com of our url when someone else didn't renew it in another state a couple years ago we snatched it up, but we built everything on the .net so that is what I use. Now they have BB in their url.

 

[hawley]

I have had very little local business. My rates are under $100 for 1 bedroom and at $100 for the 2 bedroom. Locals think that is too high. All my business is from the internet.
The only local adversising I do is I had the best shop in town that does all the fancy stuff on vehicles do lettering on my van windows. The lettering is on both side back windows of the van and the rear window of the van.
B&B name
URL
phone number
This is in white lettering.

 

[Samster]

I have had very little local business. My rates are under $100 for 1 bedroom and at $100 for the 2 bedroom. Locals think that is too high. All my business is from the internet.
The only local adversising I do is I had the best shop in town that does all the fancy stuff on vehicles do lettering on my van windows. The lettering is on both side back windows of the van and the rear window of the van.
B&B name
URL
phone number
This is in white lettering..

My friend with a dog training business has the car decals and gets some business from it. She has a big SUV and the decals are really nice but LARGE
I'll try the magnets with my next batch from VistaPrint - this time I ordered all kinds of stuff, $200 worth which only cost $60 with free priority shipping. Score! As JBJ would say....

 

[JunieBJones (JBJ)]

As someone just reminded me PUT A MAGNET ON YOUR CAR AND EVERYONE WILL KNOW YOU HAVE A B&B IN TOWN! VISTA Print has them for a great price..

I have Vista Print signs on my car. The 2 large size were under $30 with the upload charge of my logo and the shipping for the 2 signs. They are too small to be read as you drive down the highway, BUT are great for while you are parked. I have had conversations with people while traveling because of them. I have my toll-free number as the largest thing on the sign and it is white with burgundy (my color) print.
While in Charleston a Delegate told me, I knew you were here because I saw your car in the parking garage. I was also paged at the grocery by the lady who hit my car - because of the signs.
.

I have Vista Print signs on my car. The 2 large size were under $30 with the upload charge of my logo and the shipping for the 2 signs. They are too small to be read as you drive down the highway, BUT are great for while you are parked. I have had conversations with people while traveling because of them. I have my toll-free number as the largest thing on the sign and it is white with burgundy (my color) print.
While in Charleston a Delegate told me, I knew you were here because I saw your car in the parking garage. I was also paged at the grocery by the lady who hit my car - because of the signs.

I will attempt to post a pic of the magnetic sign here. The more you put on it the less it is read - so I went for the URL which as mentioned I had to chop the www off to fit w/out shrinking it down too small.
(it was removed and not by me, but tiny pic...oh well)