Free Webinar: Facebook Strategies for Bars & Restaurants

Posted by barblog on Aug 31, 2011 in Bar Management, Bar Marketing | 0 comments

Join Barry Chandler, founder of Interactive Hospitality and TheBarBlogger.com for an online training experience designed to help bar & restaurant owners attract more customers by leveraging proven strategies on Facebook.

When: Tue, Sep 6, 2011 at 2:00 PM EST
Where: Online
Over the course of an hour or so, Barry will explain in depth:

1. How to layout your Facebook Page for maximum engagement and interaction
2. What Facebook Tabs to add to your page and why
3. How to collect your Facebook Fan’s email addresses as well as their “Like”
4. How to get customers back onto the bar and restaurant as a result of your Facebook efforts.
5. How to track which of your customers have visited because of Facebook
6. What content to post, when to post it and how often to post it.
7. How to “leverage” other Facebook Pages in your area and attract their fans too.
8. How to benefit from customers “checking-in” on Facebook at your venue.

Much much more…

Barry will also answer all of your questions during this live online event. You’ll be able to see Barry’s computer screen as he demonstrates different examples and covers each point in depth.

All attendees will receive a copy of Barry’s report: “33 Content Ideas & Tips for engaging your Fans on Facebook”.

All you need is a computer with speakers to watch and listen or if you just want to hear the audio, you’ll be able to call-in and listen too.

Click here to register now

Customer Spotlight: Adobe Gilas

Posted by ianmara on Aug 23, 2011 in Customer Spotlight | 0 comments

From time to time in this space we will highlight work we are doing with clients as we utilize social media to generate more business. We hope it provides a sense for what can be achieved when tools such as Facebook, Twitter sand Foursquare are in the right hands.

Restaurant and grille Adobe Gilas is a small chain with two locations in Ohio; one in Dayton and another in one of suburban Columbus’ biggest shopping draws, Easton Town Center. It has a Mexican-infused menu and places heavy emphasis on happy hour, cocktails and a party atmosphere.

For years both of the Ohio locations have been rather well established offline. Recently they approached us hoping to grow that brand online by making use of social media. In less than a year Adobe Gilas has become a serious digital participant, very quickly doing some of the right things to engage customers in what was for them a new medium.

Here a few examples of what Adobe Gilas has been doing in recent months to expand its presence on the web.

Read more..

Customer Spotlight: The Big Bar

Posted by ianmara on Aug 19, 2011 in Customer Spotlight | 0 comments

The Big Bar & Grill is located in Columbus on the campus of The Ohio State University. It is a popular watering hole nestled in prime real estate near the university’s athletic facilities, off-campus student communities and surprisingly affordable tattoo parlors.

In the past year we’ve worked with the The Big Bar to make sure its management takes advantage of the fact its primary customer base – the under-30 crowd – lives and breathes smart phones and social media. With that it mind, here are a few of the strategies we’ve helped them undertake: Read more..

Build a quiz night to build your bar business

Posted by ianmara on Aug 15, 2011 in Bar Marketing | 5 comments

Short of a game-winning sports moment on the big screen or bar brawl, few things get groups of people in a watering hole more engaged than a trivia competition. Most of us have a healthy competitive streak and the combination of little alcohol and a lot of desire to impress/beat your friends can make for a memorable night out. Not to mention that a quiz night can the best way to turn your slowest night into a regularly packed house.

But the question remains: How exactly do we go about creating a trivia environment best suited to bring in your particular customer base? Here are a few tips that should get you started in the right direction.

Read more..

Why you should never remove Facebook comments, even the bad ones

Posted by ianmara on Aug 10, 2011 in Bar Marketing | 0 comments

Everybody loves to read something nice. That goes double when the something nice is about your business. “Had a great time Friday night!” “The new sound system rocks!” “Your toilet paper is the softest!” It’s all good.

But what happens when a customer (gasp!) has a complaint? Be it food quality or customer service, the always-right patron will occasionally have a beef with some aspect of their experience.

In the world of social media that dissatisfaction will most often manifest itself as a comment on your business’ Facebook page. Somebody will verbalize his or her complaint in language ranging from constructive criticism to downright nastiness. Your first reaction will be to use your admin powers to delete the comment, preventing current and future customers from reading what you probably feel amounts to bad press.

But we want you to make sure you resist that temptation at all costs. Negative Facebook comments are the make-lemonade-from-lemons of the social media world and by deleting a critique you are literally passing on an opportunity to bring in more business and strengthen your ties with existing customers. Seriously.

Read more..