Social Media Toolkit

Transcription

1 Social Media Toolkit

2 Contents 3-4: Why Social Media? 5-9: How to Post and Examples 11-22: Appendix Social Media Basics Best Practices Thought Starters and Photos 2

3 TO STAND OUT FROM THE COMPETITION, ENGAGE GUESTS ONLINE. 76 % of adults use social media. * *Pew Research, October

4 Purpose of Kit Find copy ideas and instructions to promote your seasonal menu items and LTOs on social media. Social media can help you: Get guests excited about your seasonal specials. Stay connected and top of mind with current guests and engage new customers. Share photos, promotions and updates. 4

5 How to Post Pick a platform Facebook, Twitter and/or Instagram? Click to see how best to use each platform. Note: Facebook and Twitter may be updated on desktop or mobile. Instagram posts must be made within the mobile app. Pick a promotion Is it a daily special, a seasonal LTO, a happy hour deal or late-night loaded fry appetizer? Choose one goal for each post. Pick a message Choose an image and caption to post. Double-check for accuracy, spelling and correct links. Facebook and Instagram allow you to edit captions. Tweets may be deleted and reposted, or you could post a correction. 5

6 Facebook Sample Posts *Images are for reference only the full-size images for posts are located in the.zip file where you found this guide. Due to copyright, please do not alter these provided images. See Facebook best practices. 6

7 More Facebook Sample Posts *Images are for reference only the full-size images for posts are located in the.zip file where you found this guide. Due to copyright, please do not alter these provided images. See Facebook best practices. 7

8 Twitter Sample Posts *Images are for reference only the full-size images for posts are located in the.zip file where you found this guide. Due to copyright, please do not alter these provided images. See Twitter best practices. 8

9 Instagram Sample Posts *Images are for reference only the full-size images for posts are located in the.zip file where you found this guide. Due to copyright, please do not alter these provided images. See Instagram best practices. 9

10 THANKS FOR READING! For more information, visit ufs.com/seasonallysmart

11 Appendix 12-14: Social Media Basics + Tips 15-19: Best Practices 16: Facebook 17: Twitter 18: Instagram 19: Hashtags 20-22: Thought Starters for Sharing 21: Restaurant Posting Ideas 22: Posting Photos 11

12 Why Use Social Media? What s important to remember is the basic purpose of social media: Communication The tone of your posts should reflect the personality of your restaurant. Users look for authenticity! Connection Use social media to listen; don t just broadcast. It s a tool for conversation and building relationships with your guests. Community Engage your guests, get their feedback and ask them questions. What Restaurants Need to Know About Social Media, NRN July 25,

13 Business Basics Facebook, Twitter and Instagram all have dedicated sites for businesses, which help you get the most out of your social accounts. Facebook for Business: Twitter for Business: Instagram for Business: These guides also help you advertise. Sponsored posts are an effective method of increasing your reach and connecting with your audience. 13

14 Which Sites Are Right for You? Facebook is the world s largest social network. If you only use one social media site, Facebook is probably the best use of your time. Because tweets are limited to 140 characters and the feed is constantly updating, Twitter is ideal for sharing real-time content. Twitter is great for customer service and networking in your community and industry. Instagram is a platform that focuses on images and short-form videos. Instagram is most often accessed on mobile, and users can tag photos at specific locations. Loved by foodies. The following four pages outline best practices and tips for each platform. 14

15 Best Practices 15

16 71 % of the U.S. population uses Facebook. Users are of all ages, skewing older than other platforms : 25 % 25-34: 30 % 35-44: 25 % Character Limit: characters allowed before Facebook cuts off the text and prompts the reader to click see more to continue reading. Facebook Best Practices: Challenge yourself to tell a story in a simple sentence or two. You can't do it for every post, but when you can, it will stand out. Include media when possible; posts with photos perform best. Recommend posting 3-5 times a week, and no more than 2x a day. Make sure you have more than one admin on your business page to have a continuous rotation of updates. Facebook has placed an emphasis on promoted posts and limited the reach of Page content that isn t sponsored. Paid promoted posts allow you to reach more people and target posts to users based on their geographic location, demographics and interests. Golin Harris 16

17 23 % of all Internet users use Twitter. Most are college-educated and under 50 years old. Character Limit: 140 You can shorten and track links to help fit within character counts with a service such as bit.ly Twitter Best Practices: Tweet engagement decreases after posting more than three times in a day. You can pin a tweet to the top of your feed to temporarily highlight important information. (Ongoing promotions or extended hours, for example.) Twitter s strength is in interacting with guests mention you or reply to your tweets. It s a direct line to your customers. Golin Harris; 7 Tips for Better Tweets, NRN August 27,

18 28 % of adult Internet users use Instagram. 55 % of adults are active on the platform. Character Limit: 2,200 No links are allowed in the captions, but you can link to your website in your profile. Instagram Best Practices: Use emojis sparingly. They are a great way to add personality but should not be the primary form of content. Brands that post daily see the highest engagement. Set up an account if you have new content to share on a regular basis. Repost content from your customers. Simply ask the guest if you can reshare by commenting or direct messaging them they feel special and you get free photography! 18

19 #WhatsUpWithHashtagsAnyway Hashtags are: A quick way to link to other content about a subject and engage in larger conversations. #TIPS # Keep short, unique and ownable. # Hashtags aren t always possible to track on Facebook. Restrict hashtag promotions to Twitter or Instagram. # Use caution when hopping onto other trends that may not match your tone or might communicate an unintentional message. # If you re tracking hashtags for a contest, choose unique hashtags. For example, you can t track both #PromoName and #RestaurantName at the same time, unless you re using a paid aggregator service like Hootsuite, TweetDeck, SocialBoard or Social Mention 6 Tips for Creating a Good Hashtag: 19

20 Thought Starters FOR SHARING Regular posts are essential. (Ever visit a page that hasn t been updated since 2014?) If you re worried about the time it takes to manage social media, apps like Buffer and HootSuite allow you to schedule posts in advance so you can stay relevant in followers feeds without spending all day checking your pages. 20

21 Restaurant Posting Ideas Share restaurant promotions and events Limited time offers Weekly specials Tie in to local events and venues Partner with other businesses for a neighborhood promotion Highlight community events Highlight current food trends Seasonal dishes or ingredients Find food holidays and celebrations National Potato Month, anyone? Show behind the scenes at your restaurant Share pictures of your chef experimenting in the kitchen Introduce servers and staff 21

22 Posting Photos Choose simple photos: clear, colorful and appetizing. Change up point of view. Try taking beverage photos from the perspective of a diner. Overhead beverage photos are also popular on Instagram. Natural light is best avoid fluorescent lighting when possible. Turn on your camera's grid and remember the rule of thirds. Don't forget the human element. Have someone grabbing for the garnish or hands holding an appetizer for added authenticity. 22

23 Thank You