Saturday, March 27, 2010 at 10:12AMWhy Restaurants Must Embrace Social Media Marketing
Social media marketing can no longer be dismissed as a novel concept for restaurant internet marketing for brands and their specific locations. Potential restaurant guests use social media marketing companies like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube ever day, hour, even minute to interact with friends, family, colleagues, friends of friends, and more.
When it comes to restaurants, social media is quickly becoming known as an inexpensive marketing tool, especially valuable to smaller concepts and franchise groups that can reach large audiences without incurring heavy marketing expenses. Beyond restaurant marketing, however, there are diverse ways in which online users relate to the restaurant industry using social media marketing services. Below are a few reasons consumers interact well with restaurants in the social media arena.
According to a brief from Technomic, approximately three-quarters (73%) of consumers indicate they used social media in the previous 30 days, per a November 2009 online survey of 500 consumers. Of those consumers who used it, 30% report that they use social media websites to find, “friend” or follow restaurants. These percentages will likely have increased substantially as the popularity of social media has increased.
Why do consumers follow restaurants on social media sites? Those consumers who use social media to follow restaurants primarily do so to learn about special deals; to find out about promotional deals (53%) and to get coupons (51%). More than a third of consumers indicate they follow restaurants to find out about new menu items (36%), and another quarter do so to learn about new restaurant locations (24%).
As these platforms continue to gain momentum, expect social media to play an increasingly important role in other areas of restaurant operations as well, including restaurant reviews and reservations. It’s time for restaurant operators who have not already done so to embrace social media and discover how it can help to develop relationships and build business.
If you are unsure how to use Facebook or Twitter as a marketing tool, read this article. Then “friend” independent restaurants or bakeries on Facebook, and follow the tweets of chefs, food vendors and restaurants on Twitter. You’ll gather ideas about how to keep your audiences hooked, and pick up examples you can use when you get your own social media efforts going. You may also want to consider employing the services of a social media marketing firm.
Brian Bruce is an Executive Restaurant Recruiter with Premier Solutions in Oklahoma City and Blogger. Author of multiple articles published on many websites and several industry trade publications, he has been cited in multiple news stories as an authority in Executive Restaurant Recruiting. He can be reached at 877-948-4001, by email at HeadHunterBrian@gmail.com , or on his blog at HeadHunterBrian.com .
Reader Comments (10)
Hi Brian, you are absolutely right. Restaurants cannot ignore the need for a social media strategy any longer. I think the greatest resource restaurants, and businesses in general, are gaining from social media is a platform for direct interaction with your guests. Social media is a great way to listen and monitor what is saying about your brand online. You have the ability to hear what people love or dislike about your restaurant/business & use these ideas to better your brand.
Well said, Emerald. Thank you for your comments!
Great report you have provided. Retention and frequency can be impacted as a restaurant connects with more than a generic advertising. The new social media tools can help a restaurant extend more unique personal invitations. Thanks for this one. Good stuff. @coachrestaurant
Much appreciated, Michael. You always have some good information on your blog as well.
Your article is very timely and highly accurate. Restaurants and just about anyone with a consumer brand need to reach out to their customers, promote their ideas, ideals, products, services, etc. Advertising used to include three main avenues: print, radio and TV. The internet has changed that and social media which filters through PDA's and thus is a "billboard" that is with you all of the time must be factored into all advertising has taken it one giant step further. While it is good to try to handle these forms of communication yourself and to understand them, it is best to use a professional to maximize your efforts and scientifically track the results.
Thanks for your input, Rich!
I agree 100% with what you have written, but is there a reason you have chosen to gloss over location based games like Foursquare and Gowalla?
You should checkout SinglePlatform. We are a social media and marketing platform specifically for restaurants and bars, and we are already working with thousands of restaurants across the country.
Please feel free to contact me anytime, I would love to discuss more later.
Hi Josh, no glossing here. Just speaking to the platforms I'm more familiar with.
I have seen several Facebook pages of our local restaurants here. They use it to inform their "fans" of promotions, new dish offerings, and other latest developments. Some would even give away gift certificates to fans who would leave a feedback--positive or not, on their Facebook wall.
Darwin Jones
http://www.mylittlerockjobs.com
Darwin, that can certainly be effective if done right.