Does Your Restaurant Use Social Media?
The term “social media” refers to websites and web applications where people (and businesses!) interact. If you think it might be strange or inappropriate for your restaurant to have a Facebook or Myspace page, think again. A fascinating study by Cone has revealed that social media users want you to join in their social networking.
“93% of Americans believe that a company should have a presence on social media sites and 85 percent believe that these companies should use these services to interact with consumers.”
If your business doesn’t utilize social media, you may be wondering how it could benefit you. Basically, your online presence, including your website, online marketing and email campaigns are an extension of your restaurant’s customer service strategy. With social media, you can enhance your customer service, transforming it into a dialogue with your customers. It’s also a fantastic way to promote yourself and distribute special offers to a trusted, interested network of friends and customers.
Additionally, many local restaurant associations have their own Facebook pages. As a part of this type of network you can interact with restaurant owners in your area as well as help to publicize the strength of your local businesses. There is a wide range of social media websites addressing all types of topics and media: video, shopping, travel, photosharing, dating and online bookmarking, to name a few. Check out different social media sites to determine which one is right for your business, your skillset and most importantly, your customers.
Some well-known social media sites: Facebook, MySpace, YouTube, StumbleUpon, Digg, Meetup
A great networking site for restaurant professionals is FohBoh.
