The Boost Hospitality Podcast is back for another season, and this time, I am interviewing the people who are making a difference in the Hospitality Industry. This episode I spoke to different hospitality owners who I found through The Hospitality Community! I asked these industry leaders two questions: 1.) What are their favourite social media channels? and 2.) What is the one bit of hospitality advice they would give to someone opening a business
Hospitality Advice from Faye Edwards
The first person I spoke to is Faye Edwards, owner of Tresarran self-catering cottages in Cornwall. Find her website here. She told me that Facebook is her favourite social media platform simply because she gets 50% of her bookings directly from Facebook. When asked about one bit of advice she wishes she had known before starting her business, she responded by recommending that hospitalities know what they're getting into when they advertise as dog-friendly. When she initially started her business, she renovated all the cottages, but she would have done that differently if she had known what welcoming dogs would entail.
Hospitality Advice from Julia Cox
Julia Cox from South Lodge B&B on the Eastern side of Milton Keynes was the second hospitality owner who will give us hospitality advice. Find her website here. She also stated that Facebook is the favourite social media platform for boosting occupancy interest and direct bookings because it is very visual, and you can also get a lot of information out there. She says she wishes she had known the importance of collecting customer information when she started her business. These days, she says, you don't get information from OTAs. Had she known, she would have started collecting emails earlier on.
Hospitality Advice from Sherrie Priestly
The third hospitality owner I spoke to was Sherrie Priestley, who has owned Woodside Villa in Whitby for over 10 years. She said that one bit of advice she wished she had known 10 years ago was that customers wouldn't always happen upon you in real life. Now, customers find you online, not on foot. Woodside Villa did sign up with OTAs, but there is far more to learn than just signing up. You need to look after your customers before and after the stay, pay attention to reviews, and find customers out of season.
Hospitality Advice from Trevor Thompson
The final hospitality owner that I spoke with was Trevor  Thompson, who owns Le Moulin Volarie in France. Find his website here. He said that Facebook was his favourite social media platform for vacation rental marketing because that's the one he is the most comfortable with. When asked about one bit of advice he had wished he has known before starting his business, he said he'd advise people to utilise social media to a greater extent. He wishes he'd started a blog to promote his business right away.
To download this episode go to our iTunes page.
The Boost Hospitality Podcast is now in season 3
Over the past two seasons, I helped hospitality owners all over the world learn how to improve direct bookings. I also taught them to market themselves digitally.Â
You don't have time for a lengthy podcast. That is why every Boostly episode is under 30 minutes long. You can listen to whilst preparing breakfast or changing over the bedrooms in the morning.Â
Each episode has been designed to give you practical advice that you can immediately implement into your business.Â
If you would like more, then visit www.boostly.co.uk/email and grab my free email guide on how you can boost your direct bookings in 5 simple steps
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