Good news for those of us who specialize in the visual - particularly in food and drink - as social continues to develop with a preference towards pictures! We recently attended a great seminar held by the Atlanta CVB that focused on how social media is increasingly becoming all about your photo shares on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram.
As many people reach to social media for a quick break during the workday, they want to see fun pictures and easy-to-digest information that they can quickly relate to and "like." Make it easy for them with a delicious photo and brief information, and they're more likely to engage with you and your brand.
Whether it's a casual iPhone snap of tonight's special or event photos from a recent party at your restaurant, it's more important than ever to make your social presence known visually. Hiring a professional to take everyday photos of your interiors and menu items is also a great idea.
Feel unsure about your photo abilities? There are lots of great phone apps to accentuate your images, like the free Photoshop app. If you see a guest post a photo from your restaurant that you like, you can also ask them for permission to share on your page. (Be sure to credit and thank them if you do!) Blogger Mark Petko has also started a great resource for budding food photographers on the new site Your Kitchen Camera that's worth taking a look at to help make your photos shine!
An extra benefit to all this photo activity? Providing us with quality photos to use also helps us with our pitching efforts as we reach out to both traditional media and bloggers. So don't forget to get snap-happy at your restaurant!
Read more about how some restaurants are using Instagram in Fast Casual...
Find Out How To Take Better Food Photos on Your Kitchen Camera...
Google+ Local
Google and Your Business Forum Wrap-up
In our last newsletter, we mentioned the advent of Google+ Local. This basically merges your Google Places page with Zagat scores and content and creates a Yelp-like page with both info and reviews. It can seem a bit confusing, but we found this Google+ video addressing common business questions a very helpful watch. Check it out and see what your business needs to know about the transition.
An Oldie But Goodie Reminder: Don't Ask For or Reward Yelp Reviews
Is it okay to let your customers know you are on Yelp? Of course! Is it okay to aggressively ask for reviews, or reward them with food or drink when they do write a review? Definitely not.
Revisit some key advice from Yelp on how to handle your Yelp business presence direct from the site themselves.
Facebook contests can be a great way to kick-start your fan base towards an action, whether it's a sweepstakes, photo contest or special offer.
By using a third party app, you can stay within the Facebook promotional guidelines and "like-gate" your contest - which will allow only those who have liked your page to play.
GroSocial features some great, quick tips on how you can run a contest successfully on your page.
MLA is constantly monitoring new social media platforms. Let us know if you have any questions about this information or if you want to find out more about how to incorporate these platforms and ideas as part of your PR plan.
