Social media for food and beverages industry

How to promote your Restaurant, Bar or Lounge through Social Media-- Prepared By Apollo Irungbam

• Create Brand Awareness• Drive Traffic Footfall

Keep up with the trends…

How restaurants and bars can be successful in using social media

Keep up with the trends…

Facebook and Twitter to promote your business is old news. Everyone is doing that.

Use Instagram (photos), Vine (videos), Zomato (Listening), Swarm (Location) and Trip advisor (Reviews)

Add google place listing and be found on search engine

Identify your customer’s niche…

Where do your customers hang out online?

You don’t want to waste time on Twitter if your customers use Instagram. Have your waiters ak customers about their favourite platforms.

Be consistent and cross promote..

Make sure to have the same message across all your social media pages.

Keep the same designs and information, so you don’t confuse customers. Run a contest on Instagram, but promote it on Facebook and Twitter as well.

Get everyone involved and excited

Let them know what is happening and how they can help you.

Get your staff to share your posts on their personal pages to help you spread the word. Or profiling your chef, a short video of live cooking or the bar tender juggling the bottles

Initiate ongoing dialogue

Ask fans/followers to share their favourite memory of being at your place or to vote on a signature cocktail, for example.

Get your fans excited about the event and contest through gratification or recognition

Encourage participation

Encourage customers who are at the store to participate in your online activity

For example, run an event themed trivia contest with coveted prizes such as a backstage pass or a limo service. Promote the trivia contest on social media, have your staff pick talk it up and feature it on your chalkboard. Encourage customers to take part in the contest while they are at your store

Create a sense of mystery

Run a “mystery” campaign to pique curiosity.

For example, ask customers to guess what’s new on the menu by giving a few hints such as special ingredients or country of origin.

Reach out to friends of fans

Run a contest that challenges social media fans and followers to capture their dining experience at your place.

For example, you can award prizes in a variety of categories such as best birthday celebration or spiciest bachelorette dinner.

A negative review on social media could lose a hospitality business approx. 30 customers

Which Social Media do people use most often to share food pictures? Top 3 for Females

26.15% Facebook23.08% Instagram12.82% Twitter

Top 3 for Males15.9% Twitter9.7% Facebook6.15% Instagram

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

Pinterest Instagram Tumblr Twitter Facebook I don’t post

Instagram was the top network for posting food photos for 18-20 year olds

Facebook was the top network for posting food photos for 30 – 39 year olds

Twitter was the top network for posting food photos 40 -49 year olds

Instagram was the top network for liking/commenting on photos for 21-29 year olds

Those over 40 preferred to comment on food images via Twitter

Platform Architecture

For content distribution, engagement and promotion

For broadcasting, influencer marketing and promotion

For visual engagement, promotion, inspiration

For location based marketing and footfall

For customer review sites

Influence the Influencers

Influencers: An influencer is an individual group of individuals who influences the opinions of other customers or potential customers

Seek out your demographics online

Remain objective when looking for influencers

Utilize social review websites to your advantage

Find out who bloggers are in your area and run a bloggers outreach program

How do we identify and engage the influencers online?

Leverage your niche

Show them your restaurants offers something unique such as friendly and fast service, quality menu items or a focus on fresh food resource. Leverage your niche offerings

Personalization

Target specific online groups for a limited time of period

Create an exclusive event for a limited number of guests

Bridge a connection between your business and your customers through stories

Post humour/funny story(related to your restaurant)

Integrate online/offline

Your print ads can include social media links and when a user visits the page they can unlock some coupons or deals

Likewise a Radio-Twitter campaign can run. RJ asking a question and users responding by tweets

Or an offline event such as new outlet launch can be shared online. All offline media coverage can also be posted online

Live Webcast

An live video of the chef making a particular item can be live webcasted

The chef can give out tips, recipes etc. in the video

The recorded video can be used for other social media channels

Crowd-source

Crowd source ideas and information from the users/customers.

Ask them what they would like to include in the menu?

Or when a new item is launch invite them to suggest the name of the new dish.

Food Reviews

Invite guests, bloggers, your most active fans on Facebook, Twitter for a food review event specially run for them. Let them be the brand advocates and write about you.

Leverage Instagram

Now we know that people love to share food pics online. Encourage users to share your food pics and hashtags. Give rewards and gratification for taking the action

Use lots of photos of your food –being in food industry, and food is a very visual thing

Thank people with positive feedback but do not ignore negative comments [they are more important]

Think social/local/mobile and think like a publisher

BEST PRACTICES

Create effective offers, know what will excite your customers. Involve customers – could be naming of a new item or offers

Always list your business with local directories

Lets Connect:@Introvertissue on TwitterAe.linkedin.com/in/apollosingh