Twitter for Restaurants

Twitter is a great tool for business, especially businesses with a local focus. Over the next few articles, I’m going to be looking at the best ways that various different industries can use Twitter to be more successful. In this article, I take a good look at 5 genius ways that restaurants could absolutely dominate by using the power of social media. So what is Twitter for restaurants?

1. Be Serious About It

If you don’t take Twitter seriously, it will show. Don’t dabble, jump right in with both feet. Keep it up, it’s not something you should be half-hearted about, that you can start today, maybe do a bit tomorrow and then drop if you don’t get immediate results. Be professional about your tweets: create a Tweetdeck or Hootsuite account for your computer and your smart phone. That way, you can keep up with what’s going on and respond quickly. More importantly, it gives you the chance to take the initiative. If you’re at Plymouth Flavour Fest, for example, you can tweet about it from there and give us some behind-the-scenes info or tips. That’s how we do Twitter for restaurants.

2. Engage with Top Local Tweeters

Your market is local, so think local. Your greatest asset is staring you in the face whenever you open your Twitter page. Identify the top local tweeters and invite them in for a complimentary meal. Afterwards, spend some time with them and ask them for 3 great ideas to promote your restaurant via Twitter. Beforehand, ask them to tweet about their meals during the evening. They’ll love it and you’ll get great benefits. That’s Twitter for restaurants.

3. Identify Your Brand Ambassadors

Okay, so you’ve identified the top local twitterati and you’re engaging with them. That’s great, but don’t forget everybody else. There are a lot more of them. Listen out on Twitter (see tip 5 below) for those people who are already recommending your restaurant and eating there too. These people are your brand ambassadors. They love what you do and they tell everyone within earshot (and on Twitter that’s a lot of people). Keep them sweet by connecting with them directly. Talk to them frequently. Consult them. It’ll be worth it. That’s Twitter for restaurants.

4. Share Your Enthusiasm About Great Local Produce

I’ve said it before, and it’s worth saying again: your market is local. Very few people travel 100 miles for a meal. One or two maybe, but they won’t pay your mortgage. You already love local produce and suppliers, otherwise why open here? Plymouth has the most incredible range of fresh seafood and with so much farmland on our doorstep, the range of produce is incredible.

Share your enthusiasm with us. Wax lyrical, let yourself go. Express your passion for food and great service. Be the brand. This will make people who read your tweets desperate to eat at your restaurant. That is also Twitter for restaurants.

5. Listen for Comments About You

Listen out, look out, read the writing on the wall. Learn to use Twitter’s built-in search functions, or at the very least set up a search column in your preferred Twitter management app (I recommend Tweetdeck) looking for mentions of you or your restaurant. Here’s a top piece of advice: don’t get defensive. You may not hear what you want to, but what you’ll hear is always valuable. Don’t just look for praise, the best feedback is often disguised as a negative. That’s how we do Twitter for restaurants.

Twitter for Restaurants – The Next Step

You really don’t need me to spell it out, do you? Open your Twitter account, take it seriously, identify your brand ambassadors and start sharing your passion for what you do. If you need help getting started, pay an expert for an hour or two of their time to explain it to you and help you plan your Twitter activities. Remember, what works for you may not work for someone else, so make sure your plan is custom-built for your restaurant and your style. If you want to talk to me about it, just get in touch, I love talking Twitter.