My smartphone is a constant companion when dining out. I check in on Foursquare or Yelp, sometimes both. I am thrilled when I get a special offer just for checking in – I’ve had free appetizers, drinks and discounts. When my food comes, I take photographs, post them on Instagram and Twitter, sometimes Facebook. (Yeah, I’m one of those.) So you can see how social media is well intertwined with the 21st century dining experience.
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Early in my social media marketing career, one of my first clients was a renowned chef with three restaurant locations at the time. It was the early days of social media, so it was a big thing in itself that the chef-owner had embraced this new world and was opening to experimenting with social media channels. Mostly Facebook and Twitter were used to promote the restaurant’s offerings and the chef’s appearances.
We used social media mostly to get feedback from customers and to promote new menu offerings and special events. With the latter, I usually partnered with the restaurant’s public relations firm.
Since then, I have consulted with other restaurants and cafes, and with each one, using social media channels as promotional tools and getting feedback are constant. Sometimes, however, depending on management or the owners, there are other goals as well.
If you own a restaurant or manage one and do not have any social media presence, what are you waiting for???
Check out this snazzy infographic from Digital Dining showing 10 Ways Restaurants are using Social Media.
