THE+RESTAURANT+ENTREPRENEUR+SOCIAL+MEDIA

Historically, the best you could do after turing a prospective customer into a customer was to provide a gret customer experince and hope they come back - and bring their friends with them. But, social media has changed the game.
 * TRADITIONAL MARKETING: **: Find prosprective customers for your restaurant, convert those customers into new customers; keep those customers coming back.


 * SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING :** It's all about recognizing that your existing customers are your best assets. And technology enables us to influence consumer behavior both before and after the sale. Now you reach out to existing customers to remind them to come back, and make word-of-mouth as easy as clicking the share, like or tweet buttons.

Social media marketing is not a replacement for other marketing tactics. Traditional marketing activities that still work (advertising in a newspaper, direct mail) should still be used. In fact, social media marketing works best when combines with other social media marketing activities.


 * Thursday, January 28 -Friday, January 29:**


 * You will implement a third type of social media for your restaurant. This will be either a Pinterest or Instagram format.


 * Pinterest:** This is all about visual elements and it is a good place to showcase pictures of your food, pictures of your menu, and links for discounts. Because of the layout of Pinterest, users can look at their accounts and check out things that visually grab their attention. Posts that users like can be "pinned" to their boards so that they can refer back to them whenever they want. Users can follow other users and they can also view anything that the user they are following has pinned.

If a user pins something from your restaurant, this is a great endorsement for your business. Anything you post on Pinterest needs to be visually attractive. So, be sure you always use great pictures with valuable information.

Make sure that you don't post the exact same post on Facebook that you posted on Twitter or what you post on Pinterest. Anything you post on a social media site will use a different format and may not have the same effect. Make sure all posts are individually formatted for the proper platform.

Don't post something just for the sake of posting. Be sure your content has value in order to keep your followers engaged.


 * Show off your dishes (maybe even some that aren't posted on any other media). Visual imagery works wonders!
 * Make several different pin boards -- a board for your appetizers, your entrees, your desserts, your drinks, etc. Why? This makes it easier for your customers to browse through your menu items.
 * Connect with your audience, Make sure you are inviting conversations. Promote contests that will get people talking about your restaurant and spreading the good word; offer a gift card to whoever is the first to find a collection of predetermined pictures, for example.

Consider what types of images will draw more attention and promote your restaurant?

_
 * Instagram:** How can Instagram promote your restaurant? Taking photos of your restaurant not only catches the attention of potential diners, but also controls the visual converstation. Instead of potential customers seeing photos from fellow diners, they get to see the dish how you imagine it - you control the lighting, plating and colors.
 * **Promotion**: It's free PR. Put a daily special up on Instagram and see how many people come in for it. Introduce new foods or signature beverages.Encourage customers to post photos taken at the restaurant. Promote involvement with festivals and other events.
 * **Lighting**: Lighting a dish correctly is one of the most important elements of capturing a good photo.
 * **Staging**: Don't just look at what's on the plate, but also what surrounds it.
 * **Selfies**: Taking selfies are also popular. People use Instagram to get closer to a person, so they like to see behind-the-scenes photos. People are intrested in what chefs are upt to.

[|Instagram Template]


 * Tuesday, January 26:**

Hashtags are a staple on Twitter, and they help your followers share information about your restaurant more easily. Use hashtags often, but do not over use them. You only have 140 characters per tweet, so you have to make them count.

In order to gain new followers, and to keep the ones you have, you need to tweet often. Boring Twitter accounts that don't have a lot of activity will never be able to keep followers interested. The more followers you have, the more followers you will attract. When someone chooses to follow your restaurant on Twitter, it is as though they are endorsing your restaurant and encouraging others to try it.


 * Create a Twitter account for your restaurant. You can use the template linked below, or create one of your own.
 * Add:
 * A picture and write your profile. Make sure to include what type of food the restaurant specializes in.
 * Tweet something relevant to your customers and/or restaurant.
 * A menu highlight - A customer story
 * Retweet someone else's recipe
 * Another restaurant that tweets


 * [|Twitter Template]

To the restaurant owner, Twitter is your chance to build relationships with your customers, and maybe more importantly, your potentail customers. It is your chance to fill those emplty tables on a Wednesday evening. It is your chance to become close to the people that make your business tick.
 * Monday, January 25**:

So, how can you use Twitter to attract new customers, and keep returning customers engaged?
 * Provide coupons and discounts - Customers love coupons and discounts. Wtih Twitter you can advertise for free. Whether the offer is a discounted meal or a free beverage, your followers will spread the word for you.
 * Show your human side - Provide a pesonal welcome each time a customer enters. Waitresses may take time to remember customers' names and their favorite beverage or remembering their favorite table. Things like this go a long way in providing a human touch to the dining experince.

But, what happens outside the restaurant? How do you entice customers in to the restaurant in the first place? The opportunities can be endless with Twitter!
 * Customers are always curious to see what happens behind the scenes of a restaurant. Show photos of how your meals are prepared,or even of the kitchen staff hard at work. By showing things that the general public wouldn't normally see,you;re building a relationship with potential customers.

Twitter should be used to build conversation with your audience. By conversing with them and by taking an interest in them, your restaurant will be naturally promoted. By offering a coupon or a special offer, you won't be pushing your restaurant "down the throats" of those who follow you on Twitter. But you will be giving them a gentle nudge, or reminder, about your restaurant.

The food you serve may be the star of your restaurant, but your chef is the one who creates those stars. You should want your restaurant to stand out above the competition. By sharing recipes, you are standing out above every other restaurant in town. Remember, your restaurant is unique.

Twitter should not be used only to search people who are talking about you and your restaurant. Tracking conversations about your competitors should be on your list also. A bad review of a competitor may be the perfect opportunity for you to introduce yourself to a new prospect. Or, a good review of a competitor may be a great way for you to improve your own service.

//**Assignment:**// Read [|"5 Twitter Tips for Restaurant]s." Identify how you could apply each tip to your restaurant.


 * Thursday, January 21 - Friday, January 22** //(if needed//**:**

//Online Americans spend 12.3 percent of their time on Facebook, and nine our of ten Internet users visit a social networking site at least once a month. With a Facebook page, your restaurant can connect with loyal customers, promote special offers and display mouth=-watering treats from your menu.//


 * Create and customize a Facebook for your restaurant. You can use one of the templates linked below, or create one of your own.
 * Think about what would appeal to prospective customers, as well as to returning customers. Add
 * a profile picture
 * several posts to the timeline
 * several milestones
 * special offers (senior discounts/large groups)
 * new dishes with pictures and mouth-watering descriptions
 * discounts to customers who "Like" your restaurant
 * daily specials
 * ways to engage your patrons
 * contact information
 * location
 * On any type of social media used be sure to include something that identifies your restaurant --- logo?
 * [|Template #1]
 * [|Template #2]
 * [|Template #3]


 * Wednesday, January 20:**


 * Infographic Analysis (How Restaurants Are Using Social Media)


 * [|50 Facebook Pages of Restaurants] (One per state)
 * [|100 Most Engaging Restaurant Facebook Posts]
 * [|13 Takeaways from successful food + restaurant Facebook pages]

From each site list things you thought were unique or got your interest.

//**Assignment:**//
 * [|Marketing Lessons From Top 25 Restaurant Brands]
 * From the reading, explain in your own words, how restaurants use social media::
 * building relationships with customers
 * taking risks
 * being transparent
 * engaging fans/followers

__**Tuesday, January 19:**__ //**Assignment:**//
 * Find five of your favorite restaurants and tell me how they are using social media. You can do this by looking on their homepage to see what application they are using. You can also Google the restaurant name + social media and see what is being written about them. You should then see what they are posting on social media. (You may need to do this part at home due to our Internet restrictions.)
 * Create a computer-generated visual comparing and contrasting how each restaurant is using social media. Then answer this question: Who is using it more effectivly and why?