Social Media Tips for Restaurateurs

Social Media Tips for Restaurateurs

Facebook Tips:

• Be brief. Nobody wants to read long paragraphs.
• Emphasize visuals. Photos and videos attract more interest. Always get customers’ permission before uploading their photos.
• Think long-term. Facebook is about communicating your restaurant’s culture. Occasional showcases are OK, but promoting the catch of the day every day might get very old for your followers very fast.
• Don’t just sell. Showcase menu options, recipes, and the origins of dishes; share favorable press; post industry news; and ask questions. “You want to see two-way interaction in these channels,” Weil says.
• Don’t overpost. Once or twice a day is plenty, says Perlman, who advises operators such as Wolfgang Puck and Marc Vetri.
• Stay current. Neglecting your Facebook page is even worse than not having one. “Bang out 20 or 30 posts on a Sunday afternoon,” Perlman suggests, “and schedule them to appear automatically on your page at predetermined days and times.”

Twitter Tips:

• Tweet specials. Make sure to inform your staff—especially about Twitter only specials.
• Tweet open tables. Let the twitterverse know when tables are available.
• Tweet to drum up business. If business is slow, tweet an enticing offer, like “half off drinks 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. tonite if you say you saw this on Twitter.”
• Tweet news. New chef? Going to a foodservice festival? Want to share an article? Tweet anything newsworthy and relevant.
• Tweet frequently. “The quantity of content needed for Twitter is much higher than for Facebook,” Dimes says. “Tweet as often as you want.”
• Tweet wisely. It’s virtually impossible to take back a tweet once it’s posted.
• Tweet with hashtags. A hashtag is a word immediately preceded by a # sign. Hashtags are how Twitter users find conversations on topics. So you occasionally might want to include such things as #yourcity, #restaurants, and #typeofcuisine in your tweets.

FourSquare Tips:

• Claim your business. Most places on Foursquare are created by users. Visitfoursquare.com/search to see if you’re already there. If so, “claim” the business as yours. If not, add your location.
• Post updates. Post special offers, upcoming events, and other news on your Foursquare business page.
• Reward customers. Use Foursquare as a loyalty program—e.g., offer a free appetizer on every fifth check-in.

Source: http://www.gfs.com/en/about-us/news-events-details.page?dcr=social-media-for-business