Think Before You Tweet

May 26, 2009

If you attended the NRA show in Chicago last week, no doubt you heard the buzz surrounding social media marketing discussed in the “How to Stand Out in a Tough Economy” moderated by Scott Shaw, CEO of Fishbowl Marketing. The panelists for that session included Jon Young, President of Dine & Drink Inc. and Denny Hebson, Marketing Director for Hackney’s Restaurant, both of whom offered advice gleaned from first-hand experience in connecting with customers via Twitter, Facebook and other social networking sites.  Another great resource on the subject was recently released by MarketingProfs.com:  “Twitter Success Stories: How 11 companies are achieving their marketing objectives—140 characters at a time.” This is a compilation of case studies that details how entities in various industries have harnessed the power of Twitter to build and engage with their online community, enhance their online customer service initiatives and drive sales.

Intrigued by this potentially profitable arena?  Before you start Tweeting or making friends on Facebook, consider the following suggestions based upon our own marketing experience, the NRA panelists’ advice and the Marketing Profs case studies:

• Define your strategy before you create a social networking presence.  Does social networking fit in with your overall business strategy?  Do you have the time to devote to a successful program?  Which marketing objectives do you hope to achieve with your campaign?
• Be transparent and authentic. You are deepening the relationship with your customers and they want to know that your dialogue is genuine.
• Listen. Your goals in communicating via social media resources should be to 1) listen, 2) join in the discussion and, if it seems appropriate, 3) offer solutions based upon the needs mentioned by potential clients. Hard selling doesn’t work in social media. Don’t make the common mistake of bypassing listening in order to speak and sell.
• Social Media requires an investment of your time. An effective campaign needs to be moderated on a regular basis. An inactive or mismanaged profile reflects poorly on your business and likely does more harm than good.
• The medium is ever-evolving. Last year at this time Twitter garnered only a fraction of the social media audience; today it seems as if everyone is Tweeting. Staying on top of the latest trends in social media takes commitment, research and a genuine interest in the subject.

Bottom line? In today’s increasingly competitive marketplace, restaurateurs should seriously consider a social media marketing strategy as part of their overall marketing mix. Often a moderate time commitment and small monetary investment can allow you to stand out amongst your competition, leading to increased loyalty from existing customers while growing your list of new clients.

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