It’s very tempting to sign-up to every one of the plethora of social media channels that claim to transform how you communicate with customers. Whether you want to cover all possible customer demographics, or simply like the look of those clickable icons along the bottom of your website home page, care should be taken not to adopt a scattergun approach.
Do that, and you’re laying for yourself a minefield that could prove difficult to negotiate in future, not to mention the time you’ll expend keeping track of your various accounts, answering queries, posting pictures, responding to complaints – all of it hugely distracting to the day job of running your business.
But if you stick to a core number of channels as part of a joined-up approach then you’ll stay focused and won’t waste (too much) time leaping between platforms.
No matter what type of hospitality business you run, Instagram is a platform that can help keep regular customers coming back for more, and with which to attract new customers who are curious and those who’ve yet to experience your offer.
With Instagram, images are the focal point for telling your followers the story about, for example, a new seasonal menu you’ve introduced; or to highlight an event you hosted - with the aim of showcasing your business as the place to go to when they next eat or drink out. Developers are adding new functionality and features all the time, allowing you to post video, overlay filters, use hashtags and lots more besides.
Instagram is currently most popular with people aged 18-29, making it the ideal social media platform through which to reach a younger demographic, and so could prove a fruitful channel for venues in high footfall locations.
Brands from all sectors are increasingly investing in their Instagram presence, recognizing that even if they operate in what traditionally might be thought of as ‘boring’ sectors, they can still build profile and reputation among potential customers through smart posting and images.
Facebook should be your ‘must have’ social media platform; the one in which you invest most time and effort, whether your business is a classic community pub, a country inn with culinary ambitions, an independent restaurant or sophisticated late-night bar. It’s by far and away the biggest social media platform, and still considered by experts as the most important if you’re looking to build an online community with your business at the centre.
Of all adults who are online, 72% of them are signed-up to Facebook, so it’s an essential tool for creating an online community of current and potential customers. Marketing activities that would cost thousands of pounds through more traditional channels can be used on Facebook for a fraction of the cost. This makes it ideal for small to medium businesses with a limited budget.
As well as keeping your followers up to date with your latest news and events, many businesses report that the greatest benefit of Facebook is the extra traffic it steers to their website. Visitors can then discover for themselves why visiting your venue is worthwhile; and are more likely to be receptive than the average customers, as they already know something about your business and were motivated enough to click the link.
Twitter’s user growth may have slowed in recent times but it still can be used very successfully to help build brand awareness among your target customers. Beware, though, the time spent on it; and be conscious that negative responses to your tweets can lead to reputation-damaging spats with other users that can quickly go viral.
The best businesses use Twitter not only as a broadcast tool, but one where they can engage with customers and start the conversation around a particular topic, event or product. People now use it as a news feed so understand that every tweet has quite a short shelf life and can very quickly disappear from someone’s timeline. So, you will need to think about reposting and scheduling your tweets for maximum impact. Be sure to include images, emojis, gifs and links to relevant content to keep things interesting.
YOUTUBE
YouTube is where the world goes to watch online video, and that means your customers do too. For businesses of all shapes and sizes, YouTube offers a simple way for people to discover you online when it matters, especially via mobile devices. Hosting an event? Just introduced a new dish or drink on your menu? Or just want to give customers a feel of the personality of your business, then a YouTube channel is an absolute must.
It’s free to set up and YouTube is now ranked as the second biggest search engine after Google. You can also embed the videos on your site if appropriate and they are great content to share via your other social channels. Viewers won’t necessarily expect BBC production values and the more authentic your video the better when it comes to showing your business in a positive light.
Casio’s EPOS systems have the advantage that, once you’re up and running, you can access all your social media accounts in one place. Just swipe out the utility panel with your finger, access the website of your choice, and swipe it out of the way again. You can tweet your latest offers, update your Facebook page or respond to a Trip Advisor review directly from the terminal. If you’re worried about who has control over this, don’t panic it can be programmed so only certain staff are authorised access. Want to see the utility panel in action or find out more? Request a demo today!
