Make the most of BedPosts: Newsletters

Follow this series of newsletters sent to all BedPosts forum members which explain how to use BedPosts to best effect. Use the navigation on the left to view current and past instalments.

Instalment 1: an overview

dated 28th July 2015

Since BedPosts was founded on 2nd April 2007 the range of its services and its complexity has increased hugely. Therefore there is a need to keep members, particularly new ones, up-to-speed. This is the first in a series of newsletters to be sent on a regular basis to that end.

BedPosts advertising website

BedPosts.uk advertising website

The websites

BedPosts has two websites:

  1. BedPosts.uk is a directory of bed-and-breakfasts, hotels, guest houses, self catering cottages/apartments & inns. Its pages are designed to be found in search engine (Google) organic search. It faces Joe Public and brings bookings to the BedPosts members who advertise
  2. BedPosts.org.uk faces accommodation-providers, BedPosts members and BedPosts Business Club members. It carries all the pages outlining the various services that members can utilise. Most importantly it also carries the forums wherein the 1000+ members can converse with one another on hundreds of different topics.

Note that BedPosts.org.uk currently has no "home" page because this was re-directed to BedPosts.uk on the launch of the latter website to give it a "leg up" in search engine rankings. www.bedposts.org.uk/about/about.htm has therefore become the "home" page carrying the navigation to all BedPosts products and services.

BedPosts on Facebook

Social media

BedPosts is using social media to promote itself and its members. These are designed to engage with Joe Public with the assistance of all BedPosts members.

  1. Facebook: please go to this page, like it, and add comments and photos as you see fitfacebook.com/BedPosts
  2. Twitter: please join the growing band of followers: twitter.com/bedposts

BedPosts Conference & Training

  1. Conference: Each year in either January or February BedPosts organises a conference [business] plus breakaway [fun] in difference parts of the country. Events have been staged in Oxford [2012], Stratford-upon-Avon [2013], York [2014] and Warwick [2015]. The dates and venue of the 2016 event will be announced soon.
  2. Training: There was a recent webinar on using social media and it is to be hoped training using online means will be repeated.

Membership

BedPosts Badge
  1. Basic membership: For free, accommodation providers have use of the forums, advertising on BedPosts.uk together with THOR basic availability calendar, and supplier discounts.
  2. BedPosts Business Club: this has been formed to provide enhanced member benefits at an
    BedPosts Badge
    annual subscription of £50. Benefits currently include:

    • Customers reviews scheme with comments appearing on both BedPosts and members' own websites
    • BeDS (book direct and save scheme)
    • Preferential advert positioning with BeDS scheme
    • BedSits (have someone to sit in your house when you're away)

Two important buttons on BedPosts.org.uk website

When logged into BedPosts at www.bedposts.org.uk/community/ you'll see two coloured buttons:

View new content
  1. Green View New Content: this provides easy links to what members are talking about on the forums. This is particularly useful if you do not set up topic email alerts or subscribe to the BedPosts daily bulletin on the right side of the community page.
  2. View new content
  3. Red Control Panel: this provides access to free advertising & availability calendar plus Business Club products

Login

Go to www.bedposts.org.uk/community/ to login, converse on forums, advertise etc. NB: If you do not log out after a session you stay logged in until your next session - even after computer re-start. Write to admin@bedposts.org.uk about any difficulty.

Next issue: How to advertise on BedPosts.uk if you are not already doing so.