Most companies today use social media to promote their businesses. If you haven’t jumped on the bandwagon, it’s probably because you’re skeptical about it – especially if you are a restaurant. Most restaurants assume they should be spending their time and energy on customer service and food prep instead of social media. Although these are very important aspects of a restaurant business, it is important to take a unique approach to social media for restaurants, and utilize caution when it comes to customer interaction and powerful mobile tech.
The following are four signs that might indicate it is time to start using social media.
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1 – Most of Your Customers Are First Time Visitors
Obviously it is nice to have a first time customer stumble upon your restaurant and walk in. However, great restaurants succeed based on repeat business. A lot of people use social media to talk about food. They take pictures of their food, they refer restaurants to their friends, and they might even rate a restaurant online. Some restaurants assume that they avoid bad reviews by staying away from social media. However, this is not the case. When they are online, they have a way to interact with their customers. This allows you to build a relationship, address complaints, and create a following. Also, with social media, you can encourage people that love your restaurant to come back again.
2 – People Don’t Know You’re There
Even if you serve the best food in the world, your restaurant could flop because people can’t find you. This is one of the benefits of social media. It enables people to find restaurants – even if they are located in areas that are less popular. If you are a new restaurant, you can get the word out about your location using social media.
3 – Your Specials Are Not Selling
If you have great happy hour specials or amazing new spring entrees that people are not coming in for, then you might need to get on social media and promote your restaurant. These specials are great to increase traffic. However, they will not be effective if no one knows about them. You can use social media to talk about what’s coming up for happy hour. You can also post pictures of your latest meals. This is an easy and effective way to get the word out about all that you have to offer.
4 – Other Advertising Options Are Too Expensive
Many restaurants do not have the budget for other types of advertising. After all, sending coupons in the mail can get expensive really quickly. The good news is that social media is very inexpensive in terms of marketing. If you cannot afford to spend money on promotions through social media, you can probably still get the word out just through free methods. This will allow you to build a community to engage with. It will also provide you with a platform for future promotions.
Do these signs apply to your restaurant? Perhaps it’s time to spend a few hours outside of the kitchen and focus on interacting with your consumer online. You will be surprised at the benefits that social media can have on your restaurant.
from Darlene Milligan http://ift.tt/1GEwFQM via local SEO company
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