SOCIAL MEDIA
a FEW WORDS ABOUT SOCIAL MEDIA
Social media IS…
…a great place to show off what your restaurant is all about — the perfect opportunity to give patrons a peak inside as a way of enticing them to dine with you.
…definitely here to stay. The features may change and the way we interact with the platforms will undoubtedly shift, but we are just in the early days of social media.
…a way for us to extend the hospitality beyond the four walls and reach people at times when they may not otherwise be thinking about us.
…an important piece of a restaurant’s digital strategy, and should be approached with the same level of passion and creativity as any other aspect of the business.
SOCIAL MEDIA IS NOT…
…the silver bullet that will solve all of your problems. Followers don’t always translate to covers; likes can’t be traded in for cash.
…the most potent tool available to you. It can be a piece of the overall digital strategy, but it should never be the only thing you focus on.
…all about engagement. Remember that we’re in the service industry, which means we get to interact with our customers every single day. Don’t squander those real life opportunities to get to know your guests.
…what it will soon become. The Attention Economy, as it’s been coined will eventually give way to something else and so we need to be ready for that inevitable shift.
CASE STUDIES
Gotham Bar and Grill, New York, NY | 2016-2020
Grew the Instagram Account from 1,900 followers to nearly 21,000.
Grew the Facebook Page from 10,100 fans to more than 12,600.
Implemented a strategy to feature a mix of original, high-quality content, as well as curated content from nightly diners.
Implemented an Influencer Program where we were able to collaborate with dozens of notable food and travel personalities to expand the brand’s reach.
Launched a weekly Facebook Live broadcast with the restaurant’s Wine Director to help showcase different sections of the monster wine list (1,500+ labels).
Created a variety of video features to give prospective diners a behind-the-scenes look at how some of the restaurant’s signature dishes get created each night.
Utilized the platforms to share prominently press hits, helping to up awareness of the brand and drive traffic back to the restaurant’s website.
Great Performances, New York, NY | 2019-2020
In just 6 months I’ve grown the Instagram Account by nearly a thousand, from 4,500 to 5,400 followers.
I’ve helped focus the accounts, giving the the feeds a uniform and conveying a sense of luxury and seasonality, two qualities that are important for the brand.
We’ve used the Instagram Stories to draw attention to Holiday celebrations, crafting true “stories” that pull the viewer through 6 or 7 frames at a time.
Facebook is one place where we can share long-form content like magazine features as well as some of our Blog content. We treat Instagram as a sort of “look book” for the brand, showing off the incredible talents of the culinary and design teams.
On-brand, on-message — every day, every post.