We’ve all heard about Facebook, Yelp, Twitter, FourSquare, YouTube, Instagram, Pinterest, Google Plus+, and countless more social media apps, but what is a business owner to do about keeping up with trends and the influence that customers can have on your business from a positive or negative review? Just how important exactly is it to invest your time or money into any one of these platforms, and will it make a difference in your restaurants reputation? Well here at Pizza Equipment Pros, we have entered the 21st Century and just recently launched a Facebook Page and a brand new website; and couldn’t be happier with the opportunity to reach out and share our superior line of products with more people than we could have ever imagined! With our Facebook Page, (Follow us Here) just days away from reaching a new milestone of 300 Likes, we thought that there couldn’t be a better segue into a discussion about the importance of social media for restaurants.
With over 1.15 Billion users worldwide, Facebook is paramount to the success of any restaurant or food establishment; it is a free platform to connect your company to 1,000s of local customers, to share your specials, to inform them about upcoming events, and to share pictures and stories, 100% completely free. Facebook allows your customers to “check in” at your establishment and to share this information with their friends, it allows them to post reviews, and gives you the opportunity to comment back on any reviews and information they provide. As the most widely used social media apps, keeping a constant presence on Facebook is vital to the success of any restaurant.
Not sure about how to promote your Restaurant through social media? There is a great article from Restaurant Engine that discusses the best 10 ways to promote your business on social media (Read the Article) Most importantly social media is FREE, so be leery of those constant phone calls you will receive from companies offering to promote your business for you for a low monthly fee. Small businesses don’t need to outsource their social media efforts to another agency or company, having access to your customers at YOUR fingertips is invaluable, especially when you know your products and specials better than anyone else.
Dealing with Customer Reviews: Customers are much more inclined to dish out critical and negative reviews for a bad experience than they are to compliment you for good service. We all know that great customer service, and friendly and knowledgeable staff go a long way when it comes to appeasing an unhappy customer, but you can also use a great team of staff members to promote positive feedback for your Restaurant. If you have a POS system that allows you to change the message on the top or bottom of your receipts, consider asking the customer to Like you on Facebook, or leave a review on Yelp and receive 10% off their next purchase. If you don’t already have a Facebook Page or Yelp Business Account, sign up for one immediately, and check daily for reviews left by customers. Engage with customers for both negative and positive reviews left on these pages, and whether you disagree with a lodged complaint or bad review, respond to your customers and commit to apologizing for bad service and offering to fix the situation, or by thanking them for their patronage! Businesses can’t control reviews that a customer leaves on social media, but they can damage control the situation by publicly responding and showing any other customers that may be reading the reviews that they are vested owners/managers and care about customer feedback!
Social Media Platforms to consider, in the order that we see them to be of the most value:
- Facebook- Create a Fan Page, check it daily, post specials, respond to customer comments, and engage with your customers.
- Yelp- aim for as many 5 Star Reviews as possible! Respond to both negative and positive reviews either publicly or privately, and get a better understand of your customers’ expectations! Engage staff members to promote reviews for the business!
- Google Plus+- make sure you have a Google Business Account, customers can leave reviews, find your location and address information and so much more!
- Instagram- start a digital menu campaign! Create contests for the best photo of the week, and encourage customers to #hashtag your location and food!
- FourSquare- is an innovative new app that engages you with other locals and leads you to trying new interests such as new restaurant based on your likes, such as favorite foods, recent ratings at similar establishments, and so much more!
- YouTube, Pinterest, and Twitter- Play it, Pin it, or Tweet it… these and so many more companies are dedicated to helping your customer base search for things that they like. Whether it is creating a weekly or monthly “Chef’s Tips” video to link to your other social media sites through YouTube, Pinning a recipe to share with your customers through Pinterest, or Tweeting special promotions through Twitter, there are these apps and so many more that help link you directly to your customers!
For more information or tips on how to make your restaurant more social media savvy, or for information on and of the Cuppone Line of Products or other equipment that we sell please contact us at [email protected]
And don’t forget to check us out on Facebook and Like our Page!
