Technology has slowly found a place in our lives. It feels as if it has been here since the age of dawn. We didn’t even realise when did we get so accustomed to them. We can no longer think of a life running without technology and its miracles. It is no longer a luxury but a necessity. It has spread its roots in all spheres of our lives including basic necessities like food. We all look up to our phones in hope of everything we need. Also, when it comes to eating at a restaurant,we like sharing the pictures of the food we eat on our networking zone. We spend most of our time there. It is therefore being used by brands for their product promotion. “Social media marketing plays a vital role in making our brand known to people. It also provides us a platform to interact with diverse people while showing them what we are famous for and who are the people behind making it a brand,” says Siddharth Aggarwal, co-owner of Piali- The Curry Bistro.
Direct connection with the audience: Studies suggest that almost 15% of the people buy what they see on social media just once and a whopping 61% buy it when they see it 2-4 times. So if you’re not visibly active on social media, then you’re missing out on a large customer base. Today visibility is what people trusts and through social media we are able to showcase that truly. All you have to do is create a page and place it on the right spot at the right time and then sit back and bask in the brilliance of its success. We have seen the power of social media. We have seen it increasing footfalls by huge numbers. It can take a restaurant that was consistently getting a handful of visitors a day and increase that number to hundreds. Direct marketing has always proven to be the best one.
Two-way conversation: As opposed to traditional advertising, social media marketing gives the brand a chance to listen to customer reviews and feedbacks individually and makes it easy to pay attention to them. By addressing negative reviews and showing appreciation for positive ones, a restaurant can create a transparent and friendly persona online. Restaurants can use any negative reviews as an opportunity to learn about the loopholes and change it for better. It will do you good to address your disgruntled customers and to try to turn that relationship around in the long run. A restaurant can keep it interactive and even ask questions which the customers would be more than happy to reply to.
Free advertisement: Anyone can create a page or an account on social media and it does not cost a dime. This is the most cost-efficient part of an advertising strategy. Even if you decide to do any paid promotions the investments are relatively low as compared to other marketing tactics. Being cost-effective is such an advantage because you can see a greater return on investment and retains a bigger budget for other marketing and business expenses. Just by spending a small amount of time and money here, you can significantly increase the traffic at your restaurant and eventually get return on investment on the money you initially invested.
Detailed Insight on your audience: What better way to know the thoughts and needs of your consumers than by directly talking to them? By monitoring the activity on your profiles, you can see customer’ interests and opinions that you might not otherwise be aware of if your business didn’t have a social media presence. Using social media as a corresponding research tool can help gain information that is sure to aid you in understanding restaurant industry and the needs of your consumers.
Increase website traffic: One main goal for all businesses is to improve their loyal customer base. Considering that customer satisfaction and brand loyalty typically go hand in hand, it is important to regularly engage with consumers and begin developing a bond with them. And to do so, social media is the only place that can come in handy. Increased customer satisfaction would mean increased like and visits to your social media account and so increased traffic on the website thus increasing the sales.
“What initially was in the form of word of mouth publicity is now being transformed into marketing through social media. Had it not been for it, there would be minimal people turning up for newly opened restaurants. The very idea that they can have a look at the pictures or read reviews about a place from fellow people makes it more feasible to attract consumers. Social Networking sites such as Facebook, Instagram, Zomato etc are helping not only target the right kind of audience but also cater to and engage them well,” shares Akarsh Pall, owner at Cafe yell.
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