This social media plan was created for a college course and was not provided to the company.
The Old Schoolhouse of Isle LaMotte is a gorgeous bed and breakfast located in Vermont. In order to gain more exposure, they are planning on using two or three social networks. Facebook is definitely one of their best options, but I think Instagram would also be very beneficial. If they would like to take on three social networks, I think YouTube or Yelp could work for their business as well.
I think that they could use Instagram to post photos of the schoolhouse and the surrounding land, as well as reposting customers’ pictures from during their stay. In a location as pretty as this, pictures are by far the best way to communicate their message and get more guests to stay at the schoolhouse. Various photos and videos could be posted, both to people’s timelines and to the story for the B & B. Pictures could include the bedrooms, guests eating breakfast, the garden, the chickens, the bike trails and even photos of different areas that guests can easily visit during their stay. If Carole has limited time to devote to social media, she could plan posts for Instagram and have them automatically posted to Facebook. She could post additional things to Facebook as needed so that her profiles are not exactly the same. Almost all of Instagram’s users are under 35, so this could attract young adults of both sexes to stay at the hotel. This could attract travel accounts, nature accounts, family accounts, and more since the schoolhouse appeals to so many different people, as well as individuals who have an interest in travel, biking, nature and more.
YouTube could be used to reach a slightly wider range of viewers, because people ages 18-49 watch YouTube more than cable. They could make a tour video showing the schoolhouse grounds, similar to the one they have on their website, but it should include videos instead of just pictures, and should be more interesting than their current video. It should also include videos of guests giving their testimonies. They could also make videos that focus on specific features of the schoolhouse, such as the garden, giving a full house tour, providing the history of the building and more. They could also follow a guest throughout their stay in Vermont as they bike on the trails, visit the nearby towns and shops, and experience nature.
If they do not want to take on YouTube as a social network, perhaps they could work on building a successful Yelp business profile. Yelp users are more balanced between users that are ages 18-34 and 35-54. They could ask each guest to leave a review on their page in exchange for something like a free night, or being able to access additional amenities. So many people use Yelp to search for places to go, that having a page that makes them look good could really increase the amount of customers that they get.
In addition to Facebook, I think that Instagram and either YouTube or Yelp would be the best social networks for this business to expand to. As a bed and breakfast in a very scenic area of Vermont, The Old Schoolhouse of Isle LaMotte has a lot to offer its guests, so using visual networks would be best for the business. They need to attract customers by showing the unique rooms and the beautiful scenery that is nearby. Using this strategy should help increase the business of the schoolhouse.
