Social Media and Hospitality Spiro Pappadopoulos

Marketing via social media can fall victim to the anonymity of the internet, but remember this is Social Media. That ‘social’ word implies interaction between humans, even if that interaction has computers, ipads, or smartphones in between the humans. Too often people allot time to social media marketing and have a routine that they go through trumpeting what they sell or do. Rinse and repeat, wax on, wax off.

But think of the way this comes across to your audience, followers, or customers. You are mailing it in, you are doing what you have to do, there is no interaction, there is no flavor. There is no personal touch.

The personal touch is what makes so many experiences special, it means thoughtfulness, presence, and a genuine care for the customers needs are taken into account. People love that feeling, and it isn’t that common. So to truly get the best results from your social media marketing you need to bring that personal touch into the mix.

Let your uniqueness out. Share the mistakes your restaurant has made, what you have done to fix them, share funny stories that happen there, interact with your customers, comment on their photos etc… be human. The response will be that much greater.

Include photos and videos of your staff, your food, and your customers… show the world what you are doing and there are bound to be plenty of people that want to check it out.

Write blog posts about things going on currently in people’s lives, it is graduation season, what does your restaurant have to offer? Blog it.

Your email marketing should come across as if it is from an individual at the restaurant, someone who is sharing new menu items, new specials, upcoming events, pictures and videos, and deals.

All of these things and more are what I do to promote restaurants, via social media, through GuestFeed, so I know it works. If you make it human and connect with your customers, social media takes on a hugely more important place in your overall business generation effort.