| Do Restaurant Marketing Strategies Such as | | | | and are extremely effective and affordable. The |
| Social Mobile Really Work? Restaurant marketing | | | | best of breed cell phone pager systems offer an |
| strategies that really work are a top priorties | | | | integrated mobile marketing platform that makes |
| these days. The restaurant industry has | | | | it easier to prompt guests to join your mobile |
| experienced the steepest decline in traffic in the | | | | loyalty program. To learn more about cell phone |
| last three decades. Fine dining restaurants are | | | | text pagers read the article " The Iconic |
| feeling the effects of greatly reduced receipts | | | | Restaurant Coaster Pager Evolves into the |
| and this segment in particular has contracted | | | | Restaurant Cell Phone Pager" |
| significantly in the number of open restaurants. Full | | | | The explosion of iPhones and Droid phones |
| service and casual dining restaurants are | | | | (smart phones) have made access to your |
| experiencing flat sales. Fast food chains are seeing | | | | restaurant's social networking site on the fly even |
| flat to marginal sales trends, none of which looks | | | | easier. Social networking sites have mobile |
| to improve in 2010 with an unemployment rate of | | | | versions of their site which makes it easy for |
| over 9%. Cost retrenchment only goes so far | | | | your guests to interact with your page. The |
| and customer acquisition is a necessity. "What's | | | | emerging trend is mobile website, which will |
| required is a sound marketing strategy that you | | | | continue to grow and restaurants should consider |
| can afford" according to Ben Wheeler, a | | | | developing a mobile website as well. Overall, ABI |
| restaurant advertising and social mobile strategist | | | | Research data indicates that about 25% of US |
| with Socious Mobile, " and that's the balancing act." | | | | consumers accessed the internet via mobile |
| Most restaurants in today's economic climate | | | | phone at least once per day in February 2010. |
| can't afford prime time commercials, major print | | | | Mobile sites are becoming increasingly important |
| advertising campaign. Radio, although cost | | | | for restaurants now that many guests are using |
| effective, alone may not be enough. Many | | | | iPhone apps such as Zagat's mobile or Yelp! mobile |
| restaurants have either thought about it or toyed | | | | to find your restaurant. Guests get frustrated |
| with setting up a Facebook account. Some have | | | | when they find an unwieldy web pages they can't |
| been successful but many have not because | | | | navigate easily on their phone. Developing a mobile |
| social media campaigns requires a well thought out | | | | website isn't terribly expensive and can be very |
| strategy and a dedicated focus to optimize the | | | | beneficial. |
| channel. "Setting up a Facebook page with your | | | | Successful restaurant social network marketing |
| logo and this week's specials isn't going to do it." | | | | campaigns are based on loyalty enhancing, |
| according to Mr. Wheeler. So what is Social Mobile | | | | real-time updates that engage your guests and |
| marketing? Social media marketing refers to the | | | | puts your restaurant top of mind. An effective |
| explosive trend in "common communities" online | | | | web site and mobile marketing campaign should |
| where friends, business associates and families | | | | also be utilized and integrated into your marketing |
| network and share their lives. The biggest being | | | | program. Any traditional media channels being |
| Facebook with more than 400 million active users, | | | | used should always promote your social media |
| 50% are active users that log on daily with an | | | | accounts and mobile loyalty campaign call to |
| average of 130 friends in their network, according | | | | action. The value proposition of both social media |
| to Facebook.Although Facebook is the most | | | | marketing and mobile marketing campaigns is the |
| popular, other sites we recommend developing | | | | ability to capture and retain customers beyond |
| strategies for include LinkedIn, a professional | | | | the limited duration of your print or radio |
| networking site and MeetUp.com, a site were | | | | campaign. You now have customers as either |
| people with shared interest meet on line to | | | | "fans" or their cell phone number as a "subscriber" |
| arrange to meet in person usually as a group | | | | or Mobile VIPs. |
| activity. | | | | Social mobile strategies are the best way to |
| "Mobile" in social mobile refers to mobile | | | | assure ROI from any marketing campaign you |
| marketing, the most direct method of marketing | | | | execute. Both offer great metrics. Remember, |
| to your customers is by far right to their cell | | | | social and mobile campaigns require weekly if not |
| phone. Over 200 million American's have a mobile | | | | daily interaction by you and your staff. The |
| phone and over 60% text message. Social | | | | fresher the content, particularly for social media |
| networking sites like Facebook and Twitter have | | | | campaigns, the more engaged your customers will |
| mobile status alert features where subscribers | | | | be. Mobile marketing campaigns are the most |
| can get their updates sent right to their phone via | | | | effective direct marketing strategy and the key |
| text. Similar to email marketing campaign but | | | | to success is to offer valuable incentives to your |
| more direct, mobile marketing can be very | | | | guests in turn for their cell phone number. |
| effective by sending text coupons to a | | | | Customers in mobile loyalty program expect to |
| subscriber's cell phone instantly. A challenge | | | | receive value rich promotional offers(by one get |
| associated with mobile marketing is collecting | | | | one free, 25% off text coupon, etc), so make |
| "opt-ins" or mobile subscribers. Recent | | | | sure you deliver on the expectation. Mobile is |
| advancements is restaurant pager technology | | | | especially effective because it is INSTANT you |
| enables restaurants and other businesses that | | | | can drive business with the right promotion in a |
| have to manage a wait list, the ability to notify | | | | matter of an hour or two. The key is to leverage |
| guests via a text or voice message right to the | | | | multiple marketing channels to assure you get you |
| guests cell phone without handing out expensive | | | | message across and integrating a comprehensive |
| coaster pagers. These new guest pager systems | | | | social mobile strategy into your next campaign is |
| are referred to as restaurant cell phone pagers | | | | essential. |