Why Restaurants Should Get on Board with Social Media
Social-media marketing can drive traffic and sales in addition to building brand awareness and loyalty.
By Allison Perlik, Senior Editor -- Restaurants & Institutions, June 1, 2009
Stories abound of enterprising restaurateurs finding new customers by posting promotions on Twitter or garnering thousands of fans on Facebook. Understandably, however, not all foodservice operators are convinced that social-media tools such as these are a viable way to boost business.
But try this on for size: Nearly one-third of Americans use social-media Web sites and tools at least twice a week, according to the 2008 Business in Social Media Study from Cone, a Boston-based marketing and branding consultancy. Additionally, more than half of social-media users say they feel a stronger connection with the companies and brands they can interact with online—and feel better served by them.
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“Web 2.0 is all about going to where your customers are, because they’re not just going to come to your dot-com site and spend time,” says Van Vandegrift, president and emerging-media consultant with Matrixx Pictures, a Santa Monica, Calif., production company whose clients include Austin, Texas-based Schlotzsky’s Deli.
The real opportunity of social media, for foodservice operators and any other business looking to connect with its audience, lies in reaching consumers where they’re already interacting: microblogs (such as Twitter), social-networking sites (such as Facebook) and sites for sharing videos, photos and opinions.
Not only do these tech-based avenues offer a forum for one-on-one conversations between brands and consumers, but also they give customers the chance to choose how they want to receive information from the company, says Crosby Noricks, a social-media strategist with Red Door Interactive in San Diego. The Internet-presence-management firm’s clients include locally based buffet chain Sweet Tomatoes/Souplantation.
Given its low cost of use compared with traditional marketing vehicles such as print, television and radio, social-media marketing can be a good fit for foodservice operations of all sizes, whether the goal is to drive traffic and sales or strengthen brand awareness and loyalty.
“For smaller chains like us, it’s an easy and inexpensive way to reach our customers,” says Stacey Kane, director of marketing for California Tortilla, a 37-unit fast-casual chain based in Rockville, Md., that builds buzz—and sales—with Twitter- and Facebook-driven promotions such as Secret Password Day (see “Follow the Leaders” on page 37 for details). “And it’s a way to reach people instantaneously. There’s no big backup on producing artwork or a radio spot. You have the idea and you can send it out.”
Read on:
Social-Media Marketing for Restaurants: 10 Tips
Restaurants and Social Media: Real-World Examples
How to Handle Online Restaurant Reviews
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