Chances are you’re a Facebook user. With over 2.5 million Kiwis regularly on Facebook, more than 50 per cent of the population is. If your bar or restaurant doesn’t already have a Facebook page, you might be missing out on one of the most effective advertising channels available.
I say might be, because not every establishment will get a return on investment from social media. A quick way to check if social media is a good option for your bar would be to check out your customers, during a lunchtime rush or busy evening.
Social media savvy: Gabriel Long, Digital Strategist, Blackfoot Media .
If smartphones are in their hands or out on tables at all times, your customers will be the kind of digital-savvy folks that love sharing and engaging online. Over 80 per cent of Facebook use is performed on smartphones.
You can be as creative or straightforward as you like with your Facebook page, and you can both produce content and share content such as pickup lines heard in your bar, cocktail recipes, wine reviews from staff members, pictures of events and drink specials. The content can literally be anything you can think of, the more creative the better.
Or you can simply share interesting things produced by other people including interesting facts, funny pictures and reviews of your establishment from your websites.
The most important thing is to ensure that your page reflects the personality of your bar. Don’t put the 19-year-old sous chef in charge of the creative content for your page, if you’re a fine dining establishment. Or maybe do, so long as he or she understands that it’s the restaurant’s page, not theirs.
A good way to manage the page is to set aside one day a month to plan the whole month’s posts in advance. You can even schedule them into Facebook so that they post themselves. Remember to check the page every once in a while to answer any questions or like posts from your fans. Keep an eye on how your posts perform. If you notice that a certain type of content performed really well or gets a lot of likes, post more similar content.
If you’re looking for inspiration, plagiarism is the highest form of flattery. Have a good snoop on the pages of businesses you admire to get ideas.
Competitions are a great way of driving engagement on your page, and they can now be run directly from your page’s wall. Something as simple as “share this post and you’re in the draw to win a $200 bar tab” can be very effective for driving mass awareness. Competitions where people tag themselves in photos taken at the bar car help drive repeat customers. If you have a specific marketing goal, a little creativity and small incentive is all you need on Facebook.
