| The National Restaurant Association hosted a | | | | orders at home, they can create commercials to |
| panel in May 2010 during which several speakers | | | | post on YouTube. Ninja! 4food also has TV |
| said they were using social media to 'increase | | | | screens in their stores with connections to |
| loyalty, enhance the reputation of their business, | | | | Foursquare to tie it all together. You can check |
| and increase the bottom line". How? By building | | | | out a recent story in the Wall Street Journal for |
| relationships, engaging with customers, | | | | more on the innovative marketing ideas being |
| supplementing their traditional media efforts, and | | | | employed by this new restaurant chain. |
| getting people talking/starting conversations. | | | | Many eateries are creating Twitter accounts to |
| Sounds like what most people are doing with | | | | encourage interaction with customers. I like the |
| social media, so what specific things are | | | | immediacy and ability to localize followers that |
| restaurants doing? The activities run the gamut | | | | Twitter provides. What do you suppose will |
| from bare minimum activity (creating a Facebook | | | | happen if they tweet about a new line of menu |
| fan page) to more intensive integration (Pizza Hut | | | | items they are thinking about adding? Would that |
| created an iPhone application which they credit | | | | real-time feedback be helpful? What if they have |
| with over $1 million in sales). | | | | a minor catastrophe, (their refrigerator goes on |
| One thing that some restaurants are doing to | | | | the blink or their distributor accidentally delivers |
| incorporate social media elements is modifying | | | | double what they ordered) and they tweet about |
| their websites to become more interactive sites | | | | a special they are having on calamari (one of my |
| that are updated regularly. While some eateries | | | | fave foods) to keep the food from spoiling? |
| are starting blogs or incorporating blogs into their | | | | For any social media tactic to work you have to |
| main sites, some are doing things as simple as | | | | be willing to start a conversation with folks and |
| updating their websites regularly with new and | | | | not just start spamming people with your sales |
| valuable content, i.e., a recipe of the week from | | | | messages. If you leap into social media talking only |
| one of their chefs. If web visitors can easily | | | | about your deals, coupons, etc. people will turn |
| comment on the recipe, ask the chef questions | | | | you off. Answer questions, participate in |
| about preparation and let their friends know they | | | | conversations that interest you, establish |
| tried it and what their results were, you can see | | | | relationships. Listen to what people are talking |
| how a richer, deeper conversation can take place | | | | about, find out what they are interested in and |
| than someone simply visiting a website to view | | | | then help meet the needs that you discover. And |
| what amounts to an online brochure. | | | | sometimes what they need is food! But if you are |
| One restaurant in New York, 4food, is letting | | | | providing entertaining and valuable information |
| customers place orders using their iPads. The | | | | 80% of the time and targeted promotions 20% |
| customers can even personalize their orders | | | | of the time you are likely to get a better |
| giving their items a name and posting them to | | | | response. |
| Facebook or Twitter. If the customers place their | | | | I hope you are planning a POWERFUL day! |