Olson’s Observations

Note: I like history (that is an understatement) so the first three paragraphs are a little background on Galena, IL. I think it sets up the blogging story nicely but if you just want to hear about blogging head to the fourth paragraph and start reading there.

It was my birthday this past Thursday and I was lucky enough to be given a number of gifts one of which was a surprise weekend trip to Galena, IL from my better half. Galena is a sleepy little town of 3,500 nestled in the top left corner of Illinois very close to both the Wisconsin and Iowa borders as well as the mightly Mississippi River. While the town is sleepy now it wasn’t always this way.

In the mid-1800s Galena was bustling and was probably the busiest town in Illinois. As one sign put it, Galena was booming while Chicago was still a swamp village. The town’s prosperity was due in no small way to the Galena River which was a large steamboat port and the mines. A lot of trade was done on the banks of the Galena River which, at the time, was over 300 feet wide. Over time the silt from the mining in Galena choked the river and the town began its decent.

Today Galena is a town driven by tourism. It has a quaint main street and many historical buildings to tour (over 80% of the town is on the National Historic Register) so for a history nut like me it is a perfect weekend getaway. One of the famous buildings in Galena is the post Civil War home of U. S. Grant which is a real historical treat. There is also a mid-1800s mansion that was built by a man named Stillman that is now a B&B. This is where Laura and I stayed.

Now, on to the blogging (those of you who skipped the first three paragraphs - you missed a real treat). The Stillman Inn is a great place and this is due in no small way to its owners. Dave and Bernadine are a real treat. They have a way of making you feel at home and more like a friend staying for the weekend than a paying guest. Upon check-in Laura and I spent some time chatting with Dave and we learned that this was a second career for him. He had spent 25+ years building up a successful contracting/remodeling business before becoming an innkeeper.

Dave also talked about his website and what they had done to make it better and attract more people to it. Of course that’s when I burst out about blogs and feeds. I can’t help it! So, I took a few minutes to explain the concept to Dave and then it hit me: Dave and Bernadine should be writing a blog.

When you stay at a B&B the experience is much more personal than that of a hotel. After all, you are staying at someone’s house and you eat breakfast with the other guests and the owners. Needless to say, this means that a lot of the success of a B&B comes from the personality of the owner(s).

Dave happens to have a great personality as does Bernadine but if you were to head to their website you may not pick up on that. Essentially all B&B websites look the same. You can get room rates, see pictures and awards and view contact information but you can’t get a feel for the place or the owners. A blog would allow the addition of personality to the site though which would be great for The Stillman Inn.

I started telling Dave that I thought a blog would make a lot of sense for The Stillman Inn. It would allow both Bernadine and himself to show off their personalities along with the inn and the town of Galena causing more people to stay with them. Also, the other 50+ B&B’s in Galena (yup - that’s a lot for such a small town) probably didn’t have one so they would be able to differentiate themselves. I then mentioned that we could get one going in five minutes and he didn’t need to know any code. Being a savvy businessman Dave “got it” immediately and then next morning after breakfast we got The Stillman Inn a blog.

I think the value proposition behind a blog is pretty clear for the Stillman Inn:

1. Personality of the innkeepers is key for the success of any B&B’s and now Dave and Bernadine can easily showcase theirs.
2. The blog can be a great source of info about Galena which cold increase bookings. People already know and trust Dave and Bernadine through their research on Galena so why not stay with them?
3. The blog can be referenced to folks who book rooms ahead so they can learn more about the innkeepers and the town before their stay.
4. The feed can act as a way to keep in touch with interested parties and prior guests allowing Dave and Bernadine to extend special offers to them.
5. People interested in coming to Galena can strike up a conversation with Dave and Bernadine through the blog’s comments which could lead to more booked rooms
6. The cost is virtually $0

Hopefully Dave and Bernadine will keep up their blog. I believe that it can help them drive business to their inn and it will prove meaningful to their business. Their example is a good example of what business blogging is all about. Sure, innkeepers need a good personality to have a good business but a good personality is a huge asset in any business.

People work with people they like and blogging can be a way to allow people to learn about you as a person and decide if they want to do business with you. So, get out there and blog. It’ll help you grow your business and, hey, you may even find that it’s a lot of fun too!