Social Media Best Practices for Restaurant Managers and Employees

Business owners tend to understand the importance and value of time and money, and so the question of, "Why should I invest money into this?" is a common one. With little or no change to spending habits of customers within the past couple of years in B.C. (according to StatsBC), it’s a harrowing task to spend more money on creating awareness. Even more so, getting your employees involved.



However, there are many examples of companies integrating their employees into their social media training. JetBlue teaches the basics of social media through JetBlue University. Southwest Airlines employees are encouraged to blog and communicate with customers through their "Nuts About Southwest" blog.



Having proper training and implementing a social media policy in the work environment will not only build your credibility and trust with your customers, it will enhance the culture of your brand- encouraging employees to be active and open doors to their creativity and ideas to help promote your brand. Your employees are the front line of your business. At the very least, it is important for them to be kept up to date on the latest social media initiatives (your promotions/deals). Imagine the frustration of having to explain a particular restaurant promotion that you saw on Twitter to a clueless server. Also, have you ever asked your server to recommend a dish? By giving customers their honest opinion, it helps build trust around the business. But imagine the server answering that question through Twitter, which often has an audience of hundreds, if not thousands.



Enable your business to be transparent. Customers will eventually see how you operate, but why not lay it out for them – that you are easily approachable through all streams of conversation. People are more inclined to try out new things when recommended by someone they know. Let yourself become that someone they know and trust. Provide instant feedback by being readily available on these networks.



Let me reiterate – give your employees a chance to speak out. Give them the resources, do very little roping in and give them the chance to help you build your brand. This builds your relationship with your fellow employees, who can become brand ambassadors, and help you accomplish even more than through traditional top-down initiatives.



Finally, it boils down again to "Why should I invest?". Think of Twitter or any social media network as word-of-mouth advertising. You have your existing customers and your potential customers. Your existing customers are talking up your brand and it’s not costing you a single penny. It is important to keep in the loop and engage with these customers even if it’s a simple thank you. These are your loyalists and in part, the online ‘street team’ to your marketing initiatives.



Here are some statistics of the power that social media has on brand decisions:



53% of people on Twitter recommend companies and/or products in their Tweets, with 48% of them delivering on their intention to buy the product. (ROI Research for Performance, June 2010)



The average consumer mentions specific brands over 90 times per week in conversations with friends, family, and co-workers. (Keller Fay, WOMMA, 2010)



90% of consumers online trust recommendations from people they know; 70% trust opinions of unknown users. (Econsultancy, July 2009)