The travel section of the AJC is helpful, but generally I like to travel to more exotic locations so I don't know much about Georgia travel resources.

Yes a lot of people do read the travel section on the AJC. I know I do almost every day. I also am a big TA fan.

Yeah, but TA doesn't like you promoting your business in the forums. You could definitely list your business in the Hotels and Accommodations section but otherwise you'd have to buy ad space.

My main idea of writing in the forum was not to promote my business in Trip Advisor but to ask Atlanta residents their opinion of where would be the best place to spend my advertising budget... where do THEY look for things to do? Online? Magazines? Newspaper? etc.

For trips close to home, I search the internet and use TA. When I search the internet I search for GA mountains, kids, hiking, swimming. I would put $$$ into getting hits for you website. I do look at local magazines, but when it comes time to plan the trip I don't always remember where those magazines are.

I would buy space here and at VRBO.com --- I would do some targeted advertising in Atlanta magazine and the AJC during the summer months for the fall season. And it is so obvious when people have there friends write good reviews for them in this forum, but it may work, it gets you noticed (for better or worse).

And you may want to find some kind of interactive way of advertising in Blue Ridge so that the people there will see it during the travel season. Why ? Because for whatever reason, I have noticed that Georgians tend to have their "favorite" mountain town that they visit every single fall and they are loyal to that town, whether it be Helen, Blue Ridge, Dahlonaga, Ellijay, Dillard, or wherever. So it would make sense to get your product in front of those people while they are there (billboard / flyers/ kiosk at a festival)-- and there may be an informal network between the hotels/motels to steer guest towards a particular property(s) when their property is full. Better yet -- talk to B&B owners in other towns to see what has worked for them (I doubt the B&Bs in Blue Ridge would give golden advice to a competitor -- but i guess you could try)

fewer people read newspapers these days those that do are older and could afford to stay at your place.. try to see if the AJC will do a story on your B and B ... Southern Living Mag. has many readers but lots of ads for places.... I'd have a great website with lots of photos and information and link it to as many other sites about the South, North Ga, etc. as I could..I would make sure that I got some great reviews here on Travel Advisor.. good luck

with so many cabins available in the blue ridge area i'd have to first factor in the size of the b and b audience before i went too far with the business plan. blue ridge is already saturated with cabins as is ellijay and the entire area, but like davy crockett used to say ...be sure you are right then go ahead. good luck~

I refer to to a local magazine called "Points North" on occasion for travel ideas. It caters to mainly people in the Northern suburbs of Atlanta. I have seen it for free at the library and in front of restaurants. They usually highlight different places in the southsast in each issue and as well as places farther away such as the Carribean or Europe. Another magazine with good travel guides to the southeast is Southern Living magazine.