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Social Media Proposal
- 1. Social Media Proposal for Erica Sopiak West Virginia University December 2014
- 2. Introduction In this proposal the following will be addressed: • What social media is and why it is important for the restaurant, • Social media objectives for the restaurant and tactics for achieving those objectives, • Specific social media applications and why they should be utilized, • A timeline for the implementation of the social media plan , • And expected out comes.
- 3. What is Social Media? “Social Media is the future of communication, a countless array of internet based tools and platforms that increase and enhance the sharing of information. This new form of media makes the transfer of text, photos, audio, video, and information in general increasingly fluid among internet users. Social Media has relevance not only for regular internet users, but business as well”(Social Media Defined, 2014).
- 4. Social Media and its Importance in the Workplace • Low to no cost form of advertisement (4 Major Signs, 2014). • Keeps your regular customers up to date on what is happening with the business • Can attract new customers • Can expedite the problem solving process when issues arise
- 5. Social Media Objectives 1. Use social media to increase business. 2. Use social media to propagate the restaurant’s reputation in the community. 3. Use social media to promote special events. 4. Use social media to increase exposure and attract new clientele. 5. Use social media to increase community involvement. 6. Evaluate the platforms already in use and use them more efficiently.
- 6. Tactics: Overview In order to achieve the set objectives, the following applications should be utilized:
- 7. Tactic: At first, Pinterest may not seem like an obvious choice of social media app for a restaurant, but you can do more than just pin recipes. Aside from being a visual search engine of almost anything, Pinterest can be used to organize and display inventory, gather ideas and inspiration for events, and share news (D'Onfro,2014). Using this app could potentially help achieve all the stated objectives.
- 8. STRENGTHS • Highly visual • Can be used by all employees • Easy platform to navigate WEAKNESSES • Uploaded content might be limited • Might be better for research for the restaurant, not display OPPORTUNITIES • Reaches large audience • Interactive for employees and customers • Good tool for quick research/inspiration • Can be used to log inventory • Boards can be created to help plan events • Restaurant could use it to catalog cookbooks and beverage books • Can be used to save and share interesting industry articles/local news THREATS • Recipe sharing could be a problem • Sharing could insight copying by other restaurants
- 9. Analysis • Resources: Requires an account and someone to keep up with boards and pins regularly. • Audience: Includes employees, current customers, new customers, industry workers, etc. • Example: The restaurant could have a board called “Cinderella New Years” where it could pin images/links related to our New Years theme of Cinderella including decor, menu items, libations, etc.
- 10. Tactic: LinkedIn is for professional networking. It can be used to make connections with other businesses as well as community connections, which would help meet two of the social media objectives (10 Ways, 2014).
- 11. SWOT ANALYSIS STRENGTHS • Shows the professional side of the business • Easy to use platform • Room for a lot of content WEAKNESSES • Can’t be used by all employees • Startup can be time consuming • Maintenance can be time consuming OPPORTUNITIES • Wide audience • Can be used to highlight business • Can be used to find employees • Provides opportunity to join professional networking groups related to the industry • Connect with other businesses in the community THREATS • Limited customer interaction • Relies on other members for endorsement • Lack of endorsement could make it seem like the business isn’t reputable
- 12. Analysis • Resources: Someone to set up and maintain the account. LinkedIn is not an application your business needs to be on every day, though you could. However, it does need to be up-to-date. • Audience: Unlike most social sites, your LinkedIn audience will be business professionals more than general customers. They can be other people in the industry, perspective employees, other businesses in the community, prominent people in the community, etc.
- 14. Tactic: Instagram is a free application that uses images, captions, and hashtags. Using this app can show customers what the restaurant offers as far as menu, ambiance, and specials. It can also be used to show aspects the customer normally doesn’t see, like how food is prepared (5 Instagram Mistakes, 2014). Using Instagram could help increase foot traffic, show the restaurants vibe, increase exposure, and promote specials and events.
- 15. STRENGTHS • Fast and easy to set up • Easy to maintain • All employees can use it • Low cost WEAKNESSES • Needs to be regularly maintained • Captions must include appropriate hashtags to gain attention OPPORTUNITIES • Show the restaurant • Show the food • Show specials • Reach large audience through hashtags • Can link to Facebook and Twitter • Interactivity with customers THREATS • If it is not used regularly, it could give followers a bad impression. • Bad pictures could lose you respect (Rosenbaum,2014) • Monotony or repetitive posts could cause disinterest • The restaurant can be tagged by other users in irrelevant or harmful content
- 16. Analysis • Resources: An Instagram account and someone to post to that account regularly or on a schedule. • Audience: Anyone from local customers to foodies overseas can see your posts.
- 17. Google+ is rising in popularity among businesses. It includes a variety of tools including Google+ Hangouts, Search Engine Optimization, Gmail, YouTube, Circles, and Communities (The Pros and Cons, 2014). Because of these tools, Google+ is highly versitile. Tactic:
- 18. STRENGTHS • Low/no cost • Sign up results in more than one application WEAKNESSES • Not as commonly used as other platforms • Prohibition of contests and promotions (The Pros and Cons, 2014) OPPORTUNITIES • Large user/audience base • Offers free tools (Why You Should Be On Google, 2014) • Improved searchability THREATS • Unfamiliarity can make usage seem unprofessional
- 19. Analysis • Resources: A Google+ account and someone who understands how to use it and its features/tools. Generally, Google+ users are seen as “more tech savvy” (The Pros and Cons, 2014). • Audience: Because of the vast amount of users, the audience can be aimed at customers, employees, community members and business associates. • Example: With a Google+ account, the restaurant could record a short video about the Toys for Tots toy drive, upload it to YouTube.
- 20. Other Tactics: Blogging and HootSuite • Aside from being an effective platform you can use to communicate with customers about a variety of topics, blogs are a low cost marketing tool that increases your restaurant’s searchability with every post you make. It is also an opportunity to set the tone you want associated with your business because you can write in your own voice. (Advanced, 2014) • HootSuite is a social media application that allows you to access and schedule posts to all of your social media outlets from one spot. Using it saves time and makes your posting more efficient. (How 20 Minutes, 2014)
- 21. Timeline • December 2014: Access current usage for weaknesses and improvements. Get HootSuite. Set up a schedule for posts. • January 2015: Set up Pinterest account and blog. Use holidays and events as a start off point for content. • Februrary 2015: Create Google+ account and start exploring its features.
- 22. Expected Outcomes • The execution and maintenance of this plan should address all of the social media objectives for the restaurant. • As social media becomes a regular part of the restaurant’s operation, the maintenance of the individual platforms should become more time efficient. (How 20 Minutes, 2014).
- 23. Conclusion The tactics presented in this proposal represent a starting point and will, at first, require some experimentation and time. The most important consideration to keep in mind when using social media is that it only works if you use it and new platforms and applications are created every day. In order to stay competitive, use what is popular and appropriate for your business.
- 24. References ADVANCED LEAD GENERATION MARKETING BLOG. (n.d.). Retrieved December 6, 2014, from http://blog.wishpond.com/post/57638303180/social-media-marketing-for-restaurants-21-tips D'Onfro, J. (2014, November 30). 11 Ways You Didn't Know You Could Use Pinterest. Retrieved December 5, 2014, from http://www.businessinsider.com/ways-to-use-pinterest-2014-11 How 20 Minutes a Day on Social Media Can Increase Foot Traffic. (n.d.). Retrieved December 4, 2014, from http://www.buzztimebusiness.com/smarts/20-minutes-day-social-media-increase-foot-traffic ROSENBAUM, R. (2014). Without Reservations. Smithsonian, 45(4), 31-35. Social Media Defined. (n.d.). Retrieved December 5, 2014, from http://www.socialmediadefined.com/what-is-social-media/ The Pros and Cons of Using Google | iAcquire Blog. (n.d.). Retrieved December 8, 2014, from http://www.iacquire.com/blog/the-pros-and-cons-of-using-google Why You Should Be on Google. (n.d.). Retrieved December 8, 2014, from http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/232283
- 25. References cont’d. 4 Major Signs You Need to Invest in Social Media for Your Restaurant. (n.d.). Retrieved December 6, 2014, from http://www.buzztimebusiness.com/smarts/4-major-signs-invest- social-media-restaurant/ 5 Instagram Mistakes Your Bar or Restaurant Should Avoid. (n.d.). Retrieved December 6, 2014, from http://www.buzztimebusiness.com/smarts/5-instagram-mistakes-bar- restaurant-avoid/ 10 Ways That Restaurants Are (And Should Be) Using Social Media [INFOGRAPHIC]. (n.d.). Retrieved December 6, 2014, from http://www.mediabistro.com/alltwitter/social-restaurants_b43460