5 Facebook contests you can learn from

Posted by ianmara on Oct 25, 2011 in Bar Marketing | 2 comments

With so much going on these days on Facebook (Yes, we know you want Mark Zuckerberg to quit tinkering) it can be difficult to draw the attention of users to your business and its fan page. One way to cut through the noise is with a contest.

Giving potential customers/fans something to talk about, as well as a reason to connect with your page is a vehicle to get them in the door, digitally-speaking. It provides you the opportunity to wow them with the quality of your page’s fan experience.

Here are a few examples of what some companies have done to entice Facebook users. Not all of them are restaurants and bars, but the ideas can certainly be tweeked to fit the hospitality industry.

Toys ‘R’ Us

This first example shows that your prize can be 100 percent free and still be valuable. Toy “R” Us’ Facebook page rotates its profile picture each week among those submitted by fans.

Using a special “Featured Fan” tab, the company solicits pictures and allows fans to vote on the best one. This is savvy as it invites participation and creates a situation where fans will want to return to the page to see how voting is progressing.

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The importance of smart phones to your social media efforts

Posted by ianmara on Oct 21, 2011 in Bar Marketing | 0 comments

There’s just no way around it: Despite the best efforts of those nerds at Research in Motion, surfing the internet with a smart phone isn’t as quick or efficient as using a laptop or desktop computer. Between fat fingers and Flash compatibility it can sometimes feels like performing a task on your phone takes 2-3 times longer than on a computer.

And because of that reality there may be a tendency to only update your bar’s social media pages when you have time to fire-up the big machine in the back office. We’re here to tell you that using your phone is an absolute must when it comes to the day-to-day business of maintaining an effective social media presence.

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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.

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Would a customer choose your bar based on Facebook alone?

Posted by ianmara on Aug 17, 2011 in Bar Marketing | 0 comments

We’ve got some bad news. The days of potential customers driving down Main Street and deciding where to grab a sandwich or a beer based on brick-and-mortar appearance are pretty much gone. That sweet awning just ain’t what it used to be.

In most cases the modern storefront is going to be how you look online, particularly to search engines and social media platforms. In the world of social media, Facebook might just present the best opportunity at one site for you to create an accurate and thorough portrait of your business. Read more..

Is your promotional prize enough to get the job done?

Posted by ianmara on Aug 13, 2011 in Bar Marketing | 2 comments

Weighing the cost of complimentary or discounted items against the value they serve marketing your business is a tricky business. The “2-for-1 Maine Lobster on Days Ending in ‘y’” special isn’t going to help your bottom line, but you won’t get much out of “Free Pint Glass Rental With Every Beer,” either.

In social media the name of the game is making sure the special is appealing enough to drive customers first to your social media platforms, then to your place of business. With sites like Facebook and Foursquare, communicating with customers is the goal. And that obviously can’t happen without anybody to participate.

Buffalo Wild Wings, a client of ours based in the Dayton, Ohio area, offered six free wings for customers after their first Foursquare check-in. For six weeks the response was minimal. Then the restaurant tried giving away 12 wings. The difference was immediate and dramatic. Participation more than doubled and the impact was felt with larger crowds and more customer interaction.

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