Twitter for Business: Restaurant Applications and Small Business Tips
My blog ‘Business Tools: How to use Twitter for Business’ provided some ideas on using Twitter based on my experience. Following it’s publication I have been sent additional examples in print and the following is a list of some really useful applications of Twitter for Small Business and specifically Twitter uses for Restaurants. I have summarized the examples but click on the link for each example to view the full article:
7 ways small business and restaurants have used Twitter:
- Tender Greens, a fast-casual healthy restaurant chain sends Twitter blogs, about three times a day. Most messages advertise the restaurants’ daily specials or tell followers about finds at the Santa Monica farmer’s market. Twitter was also used to advise public about a late opening of a store.
- Dallas-based Maggiano’s began tweeting after they found multiple mentions of Maggiano’s during Twitter searches. The restaurant chain has 45 locations and launched a Twitter contest offering $100 gift certificates to two winners (Follow @Maggianos by 5pm CST to be entered to win $100 in Maggiano’s gift certificates). The chain increased their Twitter followers from 130 to 4099 at the time of writing. Meggiano’s uses Twitter to search for mentions of the brand and thank guests for positive comments and get to the bottom of unpleasant experiences. Maggiano’s also use Twitter to tell guests about menu specials, contests and promotions.
- The Loft at Soby’s in Greenville, S.C send targeted promotions to approved customers with great results.
- Table 301, a restaurant group with 6 restaurants in Greenville, S.C market via Twitter. Richard Peck, co-founder, believes Twitter is perfect for restaurateurs and hospitality pros who like to interact personally with customers. Addressing them with short messages through mobile devices or computers, which Twitter does simultaneously, is highly effective. There is the bonus of no cost promotion with response to tweets able to be measured.
- Besh Restaurant Group in New Orleans believes Twitter increases sales. The main benefit of Twitter to Besh is their ability to interact with customers on the platform providing two-way communication not possible with traditional direct mail.
- Panchero’s Franchise Corp sends tweets promoting the day’s special just before meal periods and claim that this drives people to restaurants. Friday tweets include Trivia questions with winners getting free food.
- Large groups like McDonalds are following customers that comment on their brands or promotions.
I have some close friends who have built really impressive businesses in the mobile/cell phone marketing space. They assist small businesses including many restaurants with promotions via SMS messaging, another example of short form micro messages. The examples above and the growth of SMS promotions provide solid evidence that people respond to short from messages. Twitter is only going to get bigger and those who embrace the application now will benefit the most.
Tips for promoting your tweets:
- Get your message across in 140 characters and be clear with the message.
- Don’t send too many messages as you increase the chance of important tweets being ignored.
- Try link tweets to your website or other social media pages to give additional detail about your promotion.
- Be personal and interact as you would in person.
- Know your identity and ensure your tweets are consistent with this identity.
- Follow bloggers and writers in the industry.
- Don’t go for too long without promoting. Your followers expect to get updates.
Special thanks ‘The High Powered Food & Beverage Forum’ members who gave their feedback and suggestions. If you like what I have to say you can also follow me on Twitter @sladesherman.