Restaurant operators still tend to revert to the "olde" ways of media. Push media isn't effective, yet they still try. Now, having said that, I truly don't mean to imply that all announcements fall on deaf ears. I just mean that social media is about having conversations; an interactive dialog not a monologue.
I receive messages from a a wide array of media. There is this one restaurant that thinks using a countdown to happy hour will be effective. "five hours 'till happy hour, four hours 'till happy hour, three hours 'till happy hour, two hours 'till happy hour, one hour 'till happy hour"..then amazingly - "30 minutes 'till happy hour" and then, the finale, "IT"S HAPPY HOUR AND YOU ARE MISSING IT!!!!!!!"
How can anyone think that this will be effective.
Social media are here to help you engage, discover and find influencers and build relationships. Using social media to broadcast promotions, specials and happy hour countdowns will not inure your brand to your affinity group.
Now, it is OK to create a social media campaign that includes broadcast, provided it is mixed with thought leadership, inspired notes, fun, games, contests, interactive dialog and conversation. Did I say conversation? Just pushing messages will do more harm than good, so it's a wasted effort.
This can be a very long discussion, so I promise to keep it short. This post is short because I want this message to be concise, almost a mantra:
The goal of all this discussion, energy and activity regarding social media is to do one thing and one thing well - find your key influencers by listening intently and empower them to be your brand ambassadors.
"Find your key influencers by listening intently and empower them to be your brand ambassadors".
If you focus on achieving this one goal and measure its effectiveness over time, you will win the battle for customer loyalty and engagement.
Brand marketers want consumers to follow them to build buzz and engagement, but social media users often desire something in return. What they’ve come to expect is a good deal, but many consumers—including the most active users of social sites—are also interested in deeper engagement.
A December 2009 MarketingSherpa survey indicated that learning about specials and sales was the top motivation of those who friended or followed a brand online, supporting the results of earlier surveys. But looking for savings was followed closely by learning about new products, features or services.
Reasons for Friending or Following Companies Through Social Media According to US Consumers, December 2009 (% of respondents)
Users described as “max connectors”—those with at least 500 social connections—were less interested than average in getting deals. Instead, they cared about new products and company culture, demonstrating the deeper engagement expected by social media power users.
An earlier study, by Razorfish, also found that exclusive deals and offers were the primary motivation of US Internet users following brands on Twitter.
Primary Reason US Internet Users Follow a Brand on Twitter, August 2009 (% of respondents)
Respondents who friended a brand on Facebook or MySpace responded similarly, though they were more likely to become a fan because they were a current customer (32.9%) than were users of Twitter.
Sharing interesting content that users care about, along with the deals and discounts they have come to expect, will both keep them engaged and spur them to pass along marketing messages.
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I am a fan of reviews. Reviews keep us honest, alert and wanting to improve. But, I am also a fan of fairness and honesty. If Yelp would adjust their algorithm to focus on identifying "fake" reviews and post reviews chronologically, I would be much happier and these type of reports and blogs would disappear.
This is a link to a video to yet another story on how Yelp seemingly extorts money from reviewed merchants. Yelp sucks as long as they continue providing such an unfair service. In my opinion, as soon as a new review site comes along that offers the same amount of information, with reviews posted chronologically, Yelp will become less relevant. And, that's fine with me. Yelp never addresses their algorithm relating to date stamping. Why is that?
Even consumers are starting to look for alternatives. It's a good directory (so is Google), but it isn't a fair review site. The average review is what, 3.5 stars? Seems like a low-end attempt to create a crowd-sourced content site. Moreover, they are not creative. They haven't figured out how to monetize Yelp beyond advertising. Or have they?
I asked Emerald Reilly, a senior marketing coordinator for social media services at FohBoh, to find a few current examples that define success. Emerald, always the over-achiever, found five worth sharing.
1. The Cheesecake Factory recently jumped on the Social Media bandwagon to promote their Reunion of a Lifetime Sweepstakes. They required people to become a fan of theirs on Facebook in order to enter. The winner would get to choose ten friends or family members to bring with on a trip to Las Vegas. Pam Naumes, CCF’s Manager of Web and Interactive Marketing, said Facebook was the perfect place to promote this sweepstakes “because people are there to connect with friends, family and loved ones.” (Information from CCF newsletter)
2. Domino's Pizza is utilizing social media to promote the brand new pizza recipe. They launched a new section on their website, dominos.com, 'Oh Yes We Did', which chronicles Domino’s decision to revamp their recipes based on consumers comments. The site includes live feeds from Twitter and Facebook, sharing what consumers think of the new pizza. "Our inspired new pizza was driven so heavily by listening to our customers through social media, having that component be a part of our online marketing campaign seemed like a no-brainer," said Chris Brandon, their spokesperson. He says the site lets them show their customers that they are listening to their concerns. See smartbrief.
3. When Maggiano’s first began to use Twitter to engage with customers, they found a way to gain followers quickly. Michael Breed, senior marketing manager, sent out a tweet saying that if users began following @Maggianos by 5pm they’d be entered to win a $100 gift certificate. They gained 2,000 followers that day. See Chain Leader.
4. Erik Oberholtzer, co-owner of Tenders Greens, a fast casual, three-unit restaurant chain based in Los Angeles, began tweeting to increase awareness about his brand. After gaining followers by tweeting about daily specials and ingredients he finds at farmer’s markets, he was able to tell all his customers that the grand opening of their third restaurant would be delayed a day due to mishaps with a permit. “The benefit is getting a message out there and building a community,” he said. See Chainleader.
5. Bob Evans Restaurant’s digital marketing manager, Stephanie Busack uses social media as a platform for dialogue with fans and followers. She says it makes easy to monitor customer’s needs and what people are saying about their brand and service. One of the more successful initiatives they’ve had was the use of microsites for interactive games and sweepstakes. “These games dram in a large audience, most coming back an average of seven to eight times to play or register and interact with our brand,” said Busack. See Chainleader.
I love businesses cases and success stories. As the restaurant industry becomes more engaged, it will only get better in 2010.
It hardly seems that 10 years has passed since I hosted 25 people at a dinner party (well wine and we also had food) to say hello to a promising new millennium. We ate and drank and toasted to our good fortune, to our vested stock options and the burgeoning Internet gold mine. Living and working in Silicon Valley then was an insiders' game. It was regular cocktail chatter. We discussed how much each of us was making and where we were investing our option cash. It was a heady time. I miss those arrogant, easy money days where wealth was created from good timing, a lot of sweat and luck. We all knew it wouldn't last. That was obviously then. Before meltdowns, bubbles, tragedy, not one but two recessions and lost wealth. I often wonder how many of my old cocktail party friends still have any money?
The verb named Google and the micro-blog named Twitter - the new kid on the block that may implode on its own weight - are welcoming signs of another fast to market caution. Twitter went mainstream in February after simmering since 2006. It's 2010 and they still haven't a clue on how to monetize. I guess I am just old school when it comes to business. While free can be a good model, it doesn't always sustain unless there is utility and technology there to sustain a high influence rating.
I worry about Twitter. Not that I am losing sleep over their success or future. I just worry that so many restaurants seem to think it's get followers, spam them, give away coupons and increase my business. This is an incomplete thought with expectations from a naive user. Rushing to use any one-to-many mass communication channels is not a good idea. I just hope restaurant operators use this social media tool as a start to joining the conversation and a way to seed new belief in a changing landscape.
I was told today that we may have to be patient for success. That, while social media are indeed being embraced by the enterprise, the FohBoh vision may be too big for foodservice. Hmmm. The 4C's of Social Media FohBoh has content. In fact, more P2P content in one spot for the foodservice industry than anywhere else.
FohBoh Is collaborative. We have 13,000 members that suggest that we are an active, engaged community. Not all at once, but we are engaged.
FohBoh is The defacto online restaurantcommunity. We have members, content, groups, interaction, dialog sharing, and 13,000 members...
FohBoh has collective intelligence. We are the deepest peer-to-peer resource for our industry. Our members are the voice of the restaurant industry.
The Restaurant industry isn't waiting for analysts and investors to say, ok, the timing is perfect for us now. That concept is a circular reference.
We are working hard to move this needle and educate investors, analysts and others to deliver solutions to this industry. We need social media business cases and thought leadership now, not when prognosticators say so.
I find that I am always thinking about what's next. I am a gadget guy, for sure. Call me the ultimate early-adopter. I remember my first computer purchased for a ton of money in 1984. It was a Macintosh. I jumped right in and started playing with it. Totally unafraid, as I should be. Unless I dropped it, I wasn't planning to break it. Really, what could a 512 machine do? Practically nothing, almost everything.
I'm a believer, and I practice the art of the possible. I have no fear. So, why is that? What was it during my childhood that turned this personality on? My parents were hard working, middle class folks. But not risk-takers. My grandfather was an entrepreneur and inventor, howevever. Maybe "it" skipped a generation; kind of like hair-loss.
Being a risk-taker is a hard thing to tell someone. Like your wife! Actually, my wife knew it long before we were married. It's my first wife that didn't know. That is, until I had quit my job, moved to Reno, Nevada in 1980. Then a year later, I opened my first restaurant at the age of 26. I just decided to be an entrepreneur. I had a vision and focused on that goal. In those days, being an entrepreneur wasn't something you actually put on a business card. It wasn't something that I even identified with. I was just a someone that had a dream and followed his heart. I was a risk-taker restaurateur.
Here's the thing I just don't get about the restaurant industry. An operator will take enormous personal and financial risk developing and operating a restaurant. Huge amount of risk with huge failure rates. But when it comes to technology, clams up. "No thanks." "Not for me." "Too complicated." "Too expensive." "Never had it, don't need it." "It's a fad." "We have all the technology we need around here, thank you very much!" Gez. Ask any technology vendor about selling into the foodservice industry and they just look down and say, "man, can you say late adopters?"
But, wait. I see as small crack. A glimmer of hope for the sales rep and the operator. Its called social media. Why does it takes an economic meltdown and a fundamental shift in how humans communicate to drag a restaurateur to the table?
First, foodservice is already very late, so may they are right on time, again. Social media has been around since the Internet started. Social media is just people having conversations online. The change is speed and dialog...a two way conversation. The future of the social web is positioning restaurants to leverage this amazing force of change betetr than many industries. If, they will use it. Don't be afraid. You cannot break the Internet.
1. It's mostly free. 2. You cannot break it. 3. It will, if used strategically, build relationships with new and existing customer and should increase sales. 4. It is powerful and can, drive operating costs down. 5. It should be looked at as a utility: Business CRM, Social CRM, Business Productivity and Workforce Productivity tools to help sustain and grow your business.
The trend is more use, not less. The reality is your customers and employees are online using social media and social networking right now. Are you?
I thought rather than have this important, relevant and topical conversation hidden amongst my other blogs on FohBoh, I would start fresh and link to/from where appropriate.
Social media are •Blogs •Micro Blogs •Online Chat •RSS •Widgets •Social Networks •Social Bookmarks •Message Boards •Podcasts •Video Sharing Sites •Photo Sharing Sites •Virtual Worlds •Wikis +
As far as restaurant social media, well that's just using the above in creative ways in the restaurant industry. Social media can be used in B2B and B2B and C2C environments. We will discuss this too.
There are a few restaurant social media success stories. A catering truck with a few hundred followers on Twitter, moves from place to place. Denny's leveraging MySpace, touring bands and their 4th day-part to stimulate new business trying to make Denny's hip, with New Millennial's. There are others.
Most restaurants and restaurant chains are thinking about it, do not have social media strategy. They use tactics and generally fail to measure their effort or its success. To be sure, restaurant social media is more than creating a Facebook page and having a Twitter account.
This blog is about restaurant social media. What it is and how to use it. We will discuss what others are doing and what is working. We will define tactics and help you create a social media strategy for your business. We will find, evaluate and list tools and technologies that make executing your social media strategy easier. Finally, we will attract "experts" that can provide solid advice and get you going.
The point here is to join the conversation and engage. This is a powerful force of change that is affecting everything we do. It MUST be part of your business plan and used daily. It is also fun!
Please sign in here to follow this blog and by all means, join fohboh and visit The Social Media Kitchen, this will start you on your way.
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