HOW RESTAURANTS CAN NAVIGATE THE SOCIAL MEDIA MINEFIELD

By Ian Said • January/February 2018 • Issue 59

Social media can be a blessing or a hindrance, but either way it is something every restaurant owner must learn to navigate.

While it’s always a concern that a bad review could negatively impact your business, what is far more worrisome — and harder for restaurants to overcome — is having no online presence. The truth is, if your business isn’t using social media, you’re losing out on customers and having a website and a blog isn’t enough. Restaurants should at least be using online review sites, but even that is far from the only or best option out there.

NAVIGATING THE RISKS

Establish social media pages on the largest of sites. For the restaurant industry, this includes Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. The solution is to create the platform — one you can control (to some extent) — to launch your social media success.
Incorporate social media into your marketing and promotions. Depending on the software and apps you use, you may be able to offer instant promotions, online reservations, and capture emails, in order to market to your customer base more thoroughly.
Use vibrant photos of your food and staff and encourage people to share their thoughts and opinions about each dish.
Respond to customer questions and information as soon as you can; the sooner you do so, the more likely it is that your customers will walk away with a positive experience. For example, providing instant support to a customer who is upset about a dish will turn a negative experience into a positive one — and they will talk about it.
Monitor your social media presence on an ongoing basis. Be aware of reviews about your company in the marketplace and take steps to improve them.

HOW CAN SOCIAL MEDIA HELP YOUR BUSINESS?

Social media is a way for individuals to connect directly with your brand. As a restaurant, you know that word of mouth is by far the best marketing tool. People love to talk about the restaurants they’ve visited and with social media they are no longer only sharing their experiences with their neighbours and family members.

People are going to talk about your business online whether you have a Facebook page or not. Providing a platform for customers to share their opinions will afford you an opportunity to learn what people like or dislike about your product and what you can do to increase their visits, average checks and overall satisfaction.

Social media isn’t something to fear; embrace it as a brand building tool. With the right foundation, you will be able to draw in customers from further afield and give them a reason to keep coming back.

Disclaimer: SA Franchise Warehouse is not associated in any manner to any of the brands listed on this website apart from listing details of their respective franchise opportunities. We do not underwrite their viability as a business opportunity nor the quality of the service or products offered by their franchisees. Any complaints need to be directed to the franchisors directly.