Restaurants go Social: 9 Winning Strategies for a Successful Food Business

creative-digital.co

Starting up a restaurant doesn't just end up in a dream; you have sit down and draw up a plan on how you're going to make it work. And whether you realize it or not, there will always be a competition between restaurants to restaurants – and it's an intense competition! Some of you here might have tried running a restaurant without any problems so far, while others are struggling to save their business.

Yes, it is a tight competition. In fact, 60% of restaurants fail in their first year. However, if you want to succeed in the business industry, then you have to have the right approach towards it. In every business, there will always be winning strategies for you to apply. And when you are running a restaurant, going social is one of the best ways you can do to make it a success.

Yes, the quality of food matters, but it will also depend on how strategic you are when it comes to promoting your business. And promoting your business through social media gives a big impact on your business. If you are still new to it, here are some tips for you on how you can be successful in the business industry.

1. Have a Social Media Account

Without a social media account such as Instagram, Facebook, Yelp, Google+ Accounts, Pinterest, Twitter etc. it is impossible for you to promote your business. One way or another, having a social media account can make the promotion even faster with a wide range of audience. Of course, with billions of social media users, there will also be hundreds to thousands of people who will notice your post. And mind you, these people are your potential customers.

2. Develop your restaurant's brand identity

Yes, you already set up a social media account, then what's next? Create a brand identity. Your brand identity will give a great impact to your potential customers. When they know who you are, and what kind of restaurant you are promoting, there are higher possibilities that you can grab their interest when it comes to choosing the right restaurant to try. Of course, when you have a good background, people will know you by the quality of business that you have through good reviews from your satisfied customers.

3. Foodie Photos

Of course, photos! There MUST be a delicious looking photo posted on your accounts. Visual content is in high demand. That is why; you have to make sure that every photo that you have must be tempting to grab your potential customer's attention.

4. Show off your staff

Aside from posting food photos, why not try publicizing your staff? Don't you know it is one way to boost your business? Of course, when you have a good customer service, with a good personality, people would definitely want to engage and try your business. Who wouldn't, when they got to see happy and smiling employees? Well, attractive staff is also a plus.

5. Partner up with delivery services

When you do business, you have to expect that there will be a lot of people who prefer deliveries than going to restaurants personally. Perhaps, they don't have enough time to go out. Well, if you want to boost your business growth, then you might want to consider partnering with delivery services such as Seamless, Eat24, Deliver.com, or GrubHub.

6. Offer coupons and discounts

It is definitely an eye-catching when people see a coupons and discounts. Of course, who would say no to the tempting offers that you have? Especially when it comes to by group, people will definitely love to avail those promos.

7. Monitor your social media presence

When you go social, it doesn't end up in posting and/or promoting your restaurant and the good foods that you have. In order for you to stay longer in the social media world, you have to make sure that you are active in every social media account that you have. The more you are active in social media, the more people will come to notice your post, and they might be one of your potential customers.

8. Send out an email newsletter for potential customers

Doing email marketing is not a bad thing after all. In fact, it can also be useful for your business. Well, sending an email to your potential customers regarding the business that you have doesn't have to be daily or weekly. In fact, customers don't want to have flooded emails on their inbox. Just make sure that the content that you have is short yet with the necessary information about the business that you have.

9. Be mobile friendly

For some starters, you don't have to rush things out. However, if your business is already established, being mobile friendly can definitely contribute to its growth. People who want to eat can make some reservations and/or deliveries through their smartphones. It is also a convenient way to do business.
 

5 Lessons Failure Can Teach Marketers

successfulfailure.net

 It is a sad thing to experience failure. Who would be happy, right? We all do fail. And sometimes, we even fail at everything.  However, in life, experiencing failure is a normal thing to have – and it's inevitable. There are actually a lot of factors that causes us to fail. Even professionals working in a digital marketing agency in the Philippines, they also fail. Failure is a terrifying thing to experience. But the good thing about failing is that you learn something out from it.

Failure remains a failure when you don't actually correct the mistakes that you have made. Especially when you are a marketer, the repetition of mistakes over and over again is definitely a no-no. When you do, you will surely lose your credibility and no one will trust you to do marketing with you anymore. And I'm sure, you don't want that to happen.

Fortunately, there are lessons that we can get from failing. We fail, but we make sure that we keep in mind not to do the same mistakes again.  Well, you got to turn your failures into something that can motivate you.

1. ‘If you don't have any mistakes, you haven't tried.'

True? Yes, it is!  You won't commit mistakes when you did nothing. And if you did nothing, you are stuck with a little knowledge that you have – you won't grow in the marketing industry. The only thing you will grow in life, and the way you approach marketing is for you to try and do something that is new for you. That means, committing more mistakes – but a new one.

Technically, most marketers learn from the critics of their target audience. There are some clients who are vocal, especially when they are not satisfied with the product and/or services that you gave to them. With their hurtful critics, you will know what not to do again.

2.  ‘Believing your instincts'

We usually hear about "trusting your instincts". Cliché as it may seem, however, it is also applicable to our marketing career. When you sense a strong feeling, you got to believe it. Marketers who ignore their gut feeling end up regretting the choice that they have made. Sometimes, not getting the desired outcome ends up in frustrations. And it's annoying to think that we could've done something amazing if we just believe with our instincts.

3. ‘Break through the status quo'

Most marketers are guilty with this. Of course, considering the fact that we have a lot of things to do and think about, going with the flow is the option that we usually choose. What the majority agree upon, we also tend to agree with it. Definitely not thinking out of the box! If every marketer is contented with the current career that they have right now, there will be no new ideas, no new inventions, and no new marketing investments. There has to be someone who will break through the status quo for the betterment of the marketing industry.

4. ‘Make your own luck'

The moment we decide to be a marketer, we always hope that one day, we will succeed in this path that we have chosen.  Of course, who wouldn't hope for the best? Right? However, even if we are busy hoping that that one day will come, we should also not forget about the preparations that we should make. Well, it's a basic thing to do – PREPARE! Preparing involves taking some time to analyse what will happen and why. So basically, you got to ask yourself as to why you did something or did not do something, and you could do differently the next time around.

5. ‘Do what you love: It is easier to succeed that way.'

Whether you believe it or not, there are marketers who pursue marketing career without any special attachments at all. And sometimes, it is one of the many reasons why there are a lot who quit being a marketer since they just don't love the job that they are doing. They just don't like it anymore, simple. However, if you do what you love, you will not feel that you are working at all. It becomes a hobby, and you won't feel like quitting. Mind you – you will definitely last long in the marketing industry.