Bars and restaurants that have embraced social media

In order to better understand the social media-related problems encountered by entrepreneurs, I have decided to focus an entire section on deciphering these new tools by business sector. Here I will look at how bars and restaurants use social media.

The underlying objective of any bar or restaurant is to bring in as many people as possible to their establishments on the days when they are open. To this end, they will need to be known and recognized for what they offer, in other words how well they welcome their guests, the dishes they serve, the atmosphere, and so on.

Social media platforms are an excellent way to attract local “traffic” and enhance an establishment’s renown provided they are used wisely, and the areas for development are well understood. Knowing how to manage all customers’ comments that may be posted on these platforms will also be crucial.

1) Telling your establishment’s “story”

Given that your bar or restaurant is unique, it necessarily has its own story. This is what you must get across and bring to light whenever you communicate on the social networks. No matter whether your establishment was founded years ago or last month, the important thing is to underscore its value.

Highlighting the establishment’s atmosphere

Example with “Hawksmoor”

On its Facebook page, the Hawksmoor in London provides its fans with a series of visuals that showcase the food available on the one hand, and the restaurant’s atmosphere and interior design on the other (sample screen capture below).

That way, fans and Internet users can keep up with the restaurant’s latest events, and share them with their friends. Highlighting this diverse content, for example using Instagram, will be important.

Example with “La Tour d’Argent”

On the premise that the leading restaurants owe it to themselves to be present on social media platforms, I have decided to take a closer look at renowned Parisian establishment “La Tour d’Argent“. To communicate on its atmosphere and ambiance, this establishment publishes lots of visual content, as can be seen in the screenshots below:

This storytelling approach keeps fans up to date with the latest from the restaurant: its cuisine, happenings inside the dining area, and even outside events that tie in with the establishment.

Blogger relations

Since each bar or restaurant has its own story to tell, establishing relations with food bloggers, among others, is perfectly possible. A blogger may be delighted to write a blog mail or post a video about your bar or restaurant if, naturally, he or she likes what you do and maintains good relations with you. As a result, you will gain additional communication relays on your trade, with a slightly different marketing message.

This kind of social recommendation may allow you to acquire new customers. Even at the level of your establishment, engendering and maintaining blogger relations is highly recommended. Blogger Nick from “Hamburgerme” shares his appreciation of burgers’ chains and restaurants with his entire community, thereby underscoring the restaurants’ value. It is no longer Burger Craft or Honest Burgers or Share Shak that promote themselves here; it is someone who is entirely independent, and probably not paid in any way for this communication. This last point changes matters considerably in terms of the marketing message’s credibility.

Don’t think twice about sharing any positive content relating to your establishment. It will reassure and convince Internet users to come along for a drink or meal.

Recruitment

Are you looking to hire new staff? Why not mention it on Facebook, Twitter, or any other social media platform? Don’t miss out on this opportunity for garnering additional applications to any positions you may want to fill; it will allow you to widen the pool of applicants and select the best among them.

Example with french food truck “Le Réfectoire”

French food truck “Le Réfectoire” clearly understood this approach when it posted the following Facebook status:

Example with “Earls” 

Earls is a chain of premium casual dining restaurants operating over 60 stores both in Canada and the US. It has had a smart initiative to recruit new team members by setting up a Facebook Recruiting Campaign, when candidates can find all job opportunities available. 

2) Managing customer relations

Your Facebook page is an excellent way to establish contact with Internet users via the various forms of conversation available: comments on statuses, recommendations and private messages.

Establish contact with your customers/prospects

When you first establish contact, you can provide Internet users with lots of useful information to guide them with their choices.

Example with “Brother Jimmy’s BBQ”

In the example below, an internet user wants to know when the next “2 for 1 BBQ & Beer” Night specials is planned. Rather than calling directly, her instinct is to contact the restaurant directly on its Facebook page. This demonstrates how important it is for the establishment’s “Community Manager” to be highly present in order to avoid any customer comment from going unnoticed.

Example with “Chez Papa”

When your guests visit your Facebook page to tell you how delighted they were with the time spent in your establishment, be sure to respond to them out of basic politeness. See exemple below from Chez Papa’s Facebook page.

Benefit from recommendations

In a similar vein to the blogger relationship which we looked at previously, Internet users can also express their opinions on your bar or restaurant directly in your Facebook’s page’s “Recommendations” box. Here, you will be able to observe your strengths and your areas for improvement.

Example with “Golden Island Restaurant”

Golden Island restaurant’s owner communicates with its community on the relevance of rating its food and service… …and on its Facebook page, we can indeed find some comments and ratings that will be very useful not only to the restaurant (to improve service level) but also to the potential customers.

3) Generating local traffic

There are plenty of tools for attracting as many Internet users as possible to your establishment. A) Via Facebook Facebook offers various options for promoting an event set to take place in your bar or restaurant. Here we will look at some of these possibilities.

Example with “Joe’s Southern Kitchen and Bar”

Joe’s Southern Kitchen and Bar organizes events to attract its Facebook fans, as can be seen in the example given below : on the left, the events’ page on Facebook and on the right, a focus on one specific event.

Here, Internet users have access to all the necessary information concerning the event via the features offered by Facebook.

Example with “Floridita” and “Miss Peapod’s Kitchen cafe”

An event can also be directly relayed via a Facebook post, without having to organize a dedicated page. Look at how the Floridita in London or the Miss Peapod’s Kitchen cafe went about promoting their Salsa events using simple posts:

Via Foursquare

Foursquare is an excellent application dedicated to generating local traffic. It enables small businesses to implement special offers that reward each person who “checks in” via their mobile phone’s GPS.

Highly popular in the US, this application should feature in your box of Web tools.

Conclusion

By writing this article, I sought to explore some of the possibilities available to bar and restaurant owners for maximizing their visibility with a view to gaining new customers and acquiring their loyalty. Platforms such as Facebook or Twitter can be utilized to establish veritable links between your establishment and Internet users by constantly reminding them that you are there, and by exposing your unique position and atmosphere. Are you ready to follow it up?