Top 4 Don’ts Of Social Media Marketing For Restaurants
Social media is a great tool for marketing a restaurant. It’s easy to get going, and most importantly, it costs less than the smallest ad at the back of the morning paper, which nobody reads by the way.
But thing is most restaurant owners have this misconception of social media being “too easy” that I’ve seen it done wrong more often than right. A lot of social media marketing for restaurants nowadays are simply ineffective. Some restaurant owners even do worse as if they’ve shot themselves in the foot with their choice of social media marketing.
On that note, here are four DON’TS in the world of social media marketing.
1. Make it short and sweet
Keep your messages short and sweet. Go to any website and tell me what you see. Compared to most Pulitzer Prize-winning novels, articles on the Internet stay within the limits of four to five lines per paragraph, to make it easy on the eyes.
No one wants to read whole blocks of fodder on their monitor. So get straight to the point, will you?
2. Don’t offer it for free if you’re going to make them pay for something else
It’s a ridiculous idea in the first place, whichever way you look at it. Don’t put offers like, “We’ll give you a free dessert if you buy three cheesecakes from us.” It’s silly, and it defeats the purpose of offering something for free.
3. Keep it professional
As much as possible refrain from posting any personal information about you or your nasty next-door neighbor. You’re advertising on a social networking website, sure, but that’s no reason to spam messages to your followers about the next 10 mundane things that pops into your head.
Keep it professional, and keep all information related to your restaurant business. Post useful information, such as industry tips, secret recipes, personal recommendations, etc.
4. The message should be clear
Customers have gotten lazy. I’m sorry to say, but they did. A potential customer will read “10% off our lunch specials!” and not realize anything. 10% isn’t much of a big deal. It won’t convince customers to visit if they’re already in the business of ignoring your restaurant in the first place.
Show them a GOOD offer. Something they can’t refuse. If you used to spend $500 to put out an ad on a magazine, since social media marketing is mostly free-of-charge, then put that $500 to good use and think of up a good offer to really tease customers into coming to your restaurant and see what’s cooking.
Sometimes you need to know what not to do in order to do things right.
Share what you think restaurant owners shouldn’t be doing on the Internet by leaving a comment below.