Home Bar Marketing The importance of smart phones to your social media efforts

The importance of smart phones to your social media efforts

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

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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.

What makes sites like Twitter and Facebook superior to more traditional methods of marketing and advertising is their real-time, conversational quality. Situations will regularly occur in your bar that demand to be passed along to fans almost the instant they happen.

Snapping pictures of customers enjoying themselves during an event can’t wait if the goal is to get people to drop by and take part when they’re nearby. News of unexpected events – a pop-in from a freebie-toting beverage promotional team, for example – can be a great way to convince potential to swing by for a few.

But even if you don’t get people in the door at the moment events are taking place, real-time social media efforts help paint a picture of what they can expect.

Somebody who reads your updates from the course of an evening gets a window into what a night is like at your bar. “Bartender Jamie is pouring his special Flaming Willy shots!” or “I’ve never heard this much Journey at one of our Karoke nights.” provide insights you might not be able to recall if you wait until you’re at a computer the following day.

So if you aren’t already, make a point to learn (or delegate) how to interact with your business’ social media platforms using a smart phone. Putting those fat fingers to work may be the best decision you ever made.

Below are a couple of links that will help get you started:

iPhone/iPad

Tips for posting to a Facebook fan page

10 best Twitter apps

Android

The best Android apps for Facbook, Twitter and Google+

Barry Chandler is the founder of Interactive Hospitality, a digital marketing agency that unlocks the potential of bars and restaurants to attract new customers using social media tools like Facebook, Twitter & Foursquare.

Interactive Hospitality accepts 10 new clients each month. Not every business is a fit, but if you’re passionate about your business and your customers, you could join the growing list of customers taking their business to the next level. You can apply for a spot here.