Your Digital Identity Social Media & Technology Trends for Restaurants 2015.v3
Google’s New Mobile Search Algorithm • Yelp & Health Inspections • Pinterest vs. Instagram POS Makeover • Untapped Tech Opportunities in Restaurants • Social Video Marketing 3-D Printing for Restaurants • The Future of Mobile Marketing • New Facebook Services
Google to websites: Be mobile-friendly or get buried in search results www.mashable.com
April 21, 2015
Article by JP Mangalindan
Google is introducing a new algorithm that affects how mobile search results appear. Moving forward, when you do a Google search on mobile, search results will prioritize websites that the search engine deems "mobile-friendly" — ones that avoid software like Flash and feature larger text, easy-to-click links and a responsive design. Sites that aren’t up to snuff will likely appear lower in search results. The change will impact millions of sites, more than Google's last major search ranking algorithm update, Google Panda. Panda, which was launched in 2011 and has been updated several times since then, downranked 12% of all sites that Google rated low-quality. It's impossible to determine just how many of the Internet's 177 million sites are mobile-friendly, but Forrester Research estimates that just 38% of all enterprise web sites — sites for businesses with 1,000 or more employees — meet Google’s criteria. That number doesn’t even include sites for small businesses that rely heavily on location-based searches, which shoppers discover via queries like “pizza delivery in downtown San Francisco.”
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For businesses, it's a sobering wake-up call: Get up to speed on mobile. Otherwise, get buried in search results, hemorrhage web traffic and lose revenues. Many more consumers will be affected, too; 89% of all smartphone owners worldwide conduct searches on Google. It’s unclear how mobile and desktop search results will differ until the search ranking update is fully implemented, but users can expect a mobile experience that’s not only easier on the eyes, but also easier to navigate. That’s key for Google to maintain a stranglehold on mobile search market share, but it doesn’t hurt the company’s bottom line, either. If users have better search experiences, they’re more likely to click on ads, Forrester Research analyst Ted Schadler explained. Google doesn’t break out how much of its advertising revenues come from mobile, but research firm eMarketer estimates the company saw its market share dip from nearly 50% to 46% over the last three years. Facebook's market share, meanwhile, quadrupled to 21% during the same period.
Taco Bell takes to Periscope for brand news Biscuit Taco freebie revealed via live-streaming app www.nrn.com April 29, 2015 Article by Lisa Jennings
Taco Bell revealed Wednesday the offer of free Biscuit Tacos on May 5, or Cinco de Mayo. But the news of the giveaway wasn’t nearly as interesting as the way the brand announced it. The social-media-savvy brand used Periscope, a new Twitter live-streaming mobile app, to make the announcement directly to fans. It showcased a new, albeit whistle-happy, social media channel for restaurant brands to explore in the ever-changing battle to engage younger guests. Taco Bell’s Periscope broadcast featured Erica and Chris, two perky young presenters staged in a “Taco Bell News to Know” format straight from brand headquarters in Irvine, Calif. First, there was giddy talk of the new Taco Bell unit in Tokyo (apparently even Katy Perry stood in line) and the new Diablo hot sauce, as well as a pitch for more signatures at Change.org for the creation of a taco emoji — all pressing issues of the day for fans of a certain (young) age. Then Taco Bell’s senior director of marketing, Amanda Clark, described as “the Goddess of the Biscuit Taco,” joined them for the Big News: May 5 was officially declared “Defector Day” — a reference to brand’s very creative breakfast defector ad campaign launched in March — when Biscuit Tacos will be given away for free from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m., one per customer. Though Periscope only launched last month, it appears that Taco Bell’s fans are using it. The video earned 4,931 hearts — the Periscope equivalent of “likes” — while it was live, and 453 replay views within three hours of the announcement. Twitter said in its recent earnings report that Periscope had 1 million users within the first 10 days after launch. It has already been banned by the NHL, so it has to be good. If you haven’t explored Periscope yet, the app literally whistles for your attention when someone you follow is streaming. Periscope content, along with comments and hearts from viewers that appear during the broadcast, only endure for 24 hours, so the message is fleeting. Of course, Taco Bell’s freebie campaign will be supported by a somewhat more permanent television ad, as well as efforts on other social media channels. Periscope isn’t the only avenue for live streaming. Meerkat was a hit at this year’s South by Southwest festival. Either way, Taco Bell demonstrated that live streaming can play a role in directly reaching consumers. Who’s next?
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Yelp reviews could trigger health inspections Wording found in anonymous online reviews may soon determine how frequently local health officials inspect your restaurant www.restaurant-hospitality.com April 13, 2015 Article by Bob Krummert Does it drive you crazy when your place gets an unfair write-up on Yelp? Well, fasten your seatbelt. City governments want to start scanning Yelp reviews for food safety and sanitation-related words that, if found, will trigger a health inspection for your restaurant pronto, even if it just passed one with flying colors. The goal: increase the dining public’s “hygiene awareness.”
“It turns out that one way user reviews can transform hygiene awareness is by helping health departments better utilize their resources,” the pair write. “The deployment of inspectors is usually fairly random, which means time is often wasted on spot checks at clean, rule-abiding restaurants. Social media can help narrow the search for violators.
Consumers already have plenty of access to information on this front. Yelp itself posts health department scores on individual restaurant business pages for a handful of cities, including San Francisco and New York.
“Within a given city or area,” they continue, “it’s possible to merge the entire history of Yelp reviews and ratings—some of which contain telltale words or phrases such as ‘dirty’ and ‘made me sick’— with the history of hygiene violations and feed them into an algorithm that can predict the likelihood of finding problems at reviewed restaurants. Thus inspectors can be allocated more efficiently.”
Consumers elsewhere can look up their local inspection results online. A few cities have adopted a letter-grading system that instantly communicates a restaurant’s level of cleanliness to potential diners before they walk in the door. But some advocates want to further increase the level of scrutiny given to restaurant food safety practices. The idea is that Yelp reviewers will report unsafe food-handling practices and sanitation issues whenever they see them. “Yelp has amassed about 67 million reviews in the last decade. So it’s logical to think that these platforms could transform hygiene awareness too—after all, people who contribute to review sites focus on some of the same things inspectors look for,” argue Harvard Business School professor Michael Luca and Yelp director of public policy Luther Lowe. It seems like a good approach, assuming Yelp reviews are a reliable and unbiased source of valid information about restaurants. Luca himself has previously argued they aren’t. Sixteen percent of Yelp reviews are fraudulent, he reports in a research paper titled “Fake it Till you Make it: Reputation, Competition and Yelp.” “When restaurants face increased competition, they become more likely to receive unfavorable fake reviews,” he notes. But even knowing that one in six Yelp reviews is bogus, Luca and Lowe still think Yelp is a treasure trove of valuable data waiting to be mined. They say tapping into consumer review sites is one method government agencies can use to coerce restaurants into keeping their premises clean.
This methodology looks good on paper. But the official rate of phony reviews acknowledged by Yelp—repeating, it’s one in six—might cause many restaurant operators to take pause. You can bet the haters who were already posting fake negative reviews about your restaurant will be rubbing their hands with glee over this new way to stir up trouble. Luca and Lowe don’t see a downside here. “Uses of social media data for policy, and widespread dissemination of official data through social media, have the potential to become important means of public accountability,” they write. Restaurants owners view it differently. Those who have been on the receiving end of unfair and even made-up Yelp reviews don’t put much faith in social media data. Some aren’t sure Yelp reviews fit the definition of “data.” As TV host and restaurant owner Andrew Zimmern puts it, “Yelp essentially gives a tremendous forum for a bunch of uninformed morons to take down restaurants.” Let’s hope your city or county officials decide to set their restaurant inspection agenda some other way than the one Yelp and Luca are suggesting here.
Domino’s to roll out Tweet-a-Pizza www.usatoday.com May 13, 2015 Ordering a pizza is about to get as simple as a tweet. Beginning May 20, Domino's, the pizza delivery behemoth, will roll out a "tweet-to-order" system for U.S. customers. Domino's will be the first major player in the restaurant industry to use Twitter on an ongoing basis to place and complete an order. Even wackier: Domino's regulars will be able to order by tweeting only the pizza emoji to @Dominos. "It's the epitome of convenience," says CEO Patrick Doyle, in a phone interview. "We've got this down to a five-second exchange." It's all about attracting busy, younger consumers. For Domino's, it was a no-brainer, with upward of 50% of its sales already taking place digitally.
Domino’s regular customers will be able to order a pizza just by tweeting the pizza emoji to @Dominos
One analyst says it's savvy PR. Domino's will enjoy a "burst of publicity" as social media buzzes with the news, says Rebecca Lieb, digital advertising analyst at Altimeter Group. In the early going, she says, it also gives Domino's a competitive edge. For Twitter, it's an evolution that the online social network is trying to make from a place to chat about or even advertise stuff to a place where folks can buy stuff. Several familiar retailers, including Old Navy and AMC Theaters, have tested selling items on Twitter via "buy now" buttons on tweets. Twitter keeps looking for ways to grow and engage — and make money on — its more than 302 million monthly active users. Some 500 million tweets are sent every day. "Our hope is that advertisers will keep innovating this way," says Twitter spokeswoman Genevieve Wong. "Twitter is the best platform to be creative like this." Among others that have tested promotions of tweets for buying: Starbucks tried "tweet coffee to a friend," and the Miami Dolphins tried an in-stadium Tweet-a-Beer promotion where fans could order beer brought to their seats. But Domino's says this is a permanent option for ordering pizza going forward.
Over the past few years, Domino's has built a platform to vastly expand its technology, says Doyle. It has amassed a team of about 250 technology employees at its Ann Arbor, Mich., headquarters vs. about 50 tech employees just a decade ago, he says. "We want to make it as easy as possible for people to order from us — and this is pretty darned easy," he says. Among other tech-forward ways folks currently can order from Domino's: Samsung Smart TVs, Pebble and Android Wear smartwatches; Ford's SYNC AppLink, and the voice app "Dom." Next? Doyle says that Domino's will continue to look at platforms "where people are spending time" such as Facebook and Instagram. "This certainly will not be our last platform."
Olive Garden to introduce tabletop tablets www.fsrmagazine.com April 15, 2015 Olive Garden announced it has entered into an agreement with Ziosk, makers of an ordering, entertainment, and pay-at-the-table tablet, to begin the introduction of tabletop tablets in all of its restaurants nationwide. Olive Garden has been testing Ziosk in a select number of its restaurants since last year, and the feedback from guests and servers has been positive. These restaurants are experiencing higher guest satisfaction scores, faster dining times, and increased tip percentages for servers. Starting in May, Olive Garden will begin a phased rollout of Ziosk tablets into additional restaurants. The program will be supported by robust in-restaurant training to ensure this implementation reaches its full potential of enhancing the overall experience for guests and team members.
Olive Garden expects Ziosk tablets to be in all of its 800-plus U.S. locations before the end of the calendar year. "We've been focused on improving the dining experience at every touch point, and we're excited to give our guests the ability to customize their visit by leveraging the technology of Ziosk's tabletop tablets," says Dave George, Olive Garden president. "This additional resource benefits both our guests and our servers, enabling our team members to make more meaningful connections and provide more personalized service." Using Ziosk's 7-inch touchscreen tablets that run on the Android OS, Olive Garden guests will be able to browse the menu, order drinks, appetizers, and desserts, and quickly pay their checks with ease.
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5 mobile apps to make your job easier www.restaurant-hospitality.com
April 20, 2015
Apps can simplify daily responsibilities and help keep you organized. And you don’t have to be a techie to use these five apps to boost your restaurant’s success.
1. Ask Karen: USDA Food Safety Service Ask Karen has been helping chefs for a while, but now Mobile Ask Karen provides 24/7 assistance and tips on preventing foodborne illness, safe food handling and storage, safe preparation of foods, etc. Having the app allows you to look stuff up quickly while picking up ingredients or in the kitchen. Android users can chat live with a food safety expert on weekdays between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
2. ChowNow ChowNow, an online ordering and marketing platform, recently teamed up with Google to implement Google Wallet technology, allowing customers of partner restaurants to pay with an app on their phones. “We continue to uphold our mission of helping independent restaurants compete with larger chains by providing them with technology that would be both difficult and cost-prohibitive for them to build themselves," says CEO Chris Webb, noting Google Wallet often leads to a more profitable to-go business.
3. Partender Forget doing inventory the old school way: using spreadsheets and weighing bottles. Digital tools are making bar inventory a hell of a lot easier. Partender works on a visual basis. The app has an image of a bottle, and a bar manager taps a line on the image indicating how much liquor remains in the bottle. An algorithm then determines the dollar value of what's left. You set your pour levels and Partender reviews your orders for the week. It’s apparently pretty accurate, and it better be because it starts at $149 a month.
4. Resy Looking to take peak advantage of high-demand periods? Partner with Resy, whose app allows customers to buy their way into reservations at hot restaurants. Some reservations may not make you any extra money. On mad busy nights, customers could pay anywhere from $2 per seat up to $50. Deduct Resy’s cut and you’ve got a decent new revenue generator.
5. Pay with OpenTable OpenTable isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, and now it’s even more enticing for your customers to make reservations through the site by adding mobile payment capabilities.
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Android users who book at participating restaurants add their credit card in the OpenTable app before they dine and can then view and pay their check with a few taps. No codes, no scanning, no barcodes involved. Diners who pay with OpenTable, the company says, “simply get up and go whenever they're ready.”
This Restaurant Has Plates Designed To Make Your Meals Look Perfect On Instagram
www.buzzfeed.com Article by Julie Kliegman May 5, 2015
It’s not always easy making your food look appetizing on Instagram. Israel’s Carmel Winery wants to fix that. Since February, they’ve been teaming with Catit, a Tel Aviv restaurant, to offer special Instagrammable meals and dishware on certain nights. The experience is called Foodography.
One of the plates even spins around so you can find an angle that’s just right. The dish, fittingly, is called 360.
The events run through June. Eventually, the winery wants to expand the concept internationally, spokesperson Eva Hasson told BuzzFeed.
Carmel Winery encourages diners to use the hashtag #fdgr, short for Foodography, on Instagram. The pictures do make the dishes look pretty appetizing! The Foodography experience runs $155 per hour. Because if you eat something delicious but Instagram isn’t there to capture it, did it really happen?
Adi Nissani, a ceramic design artist, crafted plates specifically meant to make your food look more attractive on Instagram. Of course, there’s a built-in stand for your phone.
There are also workshops with top food photographer Dan Perez to help diners take the best possible photos.
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Pinterest and Instagram:
www.socialdraft.com May 2, 2015
Which is better for your business marketing Although both Instagram and Pinterest are photo sharing networks, there are significant differences, and knowing and understanding these differences will help you choose which application is best suited for your business or marketing campaign. Instagram allows users to apply a selection of filters to photographs, but with Pinterest you cannot use filters, and can only pin existing photos. Additionally, Pinterest users utilize Pinterest to search for content and products from other users. Pinterest is used more as a destination for shopping, tracking, and product discovery, and 69% of online consumers who visit Pinterest have found an item they’ve purchased compared to only 40% of online consumers who visit Facebook, making Pinterest a strong vehicle for brand association. Since every Pinterest pin is linked to the source image, Pinterest pins can be used to generate website traffic, unlike Instagram, where they only link to the bio.
Demographics Instagram is one of the fastest growing social media platforms, with 15 times more user engagement than Facebook, and 40 times more engagement than Twitter. Instagram is used by many Fortune 500 companies, and has over 300 million users. Some experts estimate that 59 percent of the world’s top brands are now active on Instagram. 26% of online adults use Instagram, and almost every demographic group saw a significant increase in the proportion of users. Most notably, 53% of young adults ages 18-29. But more than 90% of the people on Instagram are 35 years old or younger, with 65% being women; 17% are in urban areas. This means that if you are targeting someone older than 35, or men, or people in rural or suburban areas, Instagram may not be the right platform. One note of interest — since half of the Instagram users are outside of the United States, Instagram has a more global appeal.
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Pinterest has approximately 70 million users and women make up an overwhelming majority, with 85% of the total audience. Some 28% of online adults use Pinterest, and while Pinterest remains popular among younger users, there was an 11-point increase between 2013 and 2014 in the proportion of those 50 and older who use the site. Other demographic groups that increased include whites in all income levels, those with some college, and suburban and rural residents.
Conclusion Instagram should be used to showcase personal content about your business and events, and with 15 times more user engagement than Facebook, and 40 times more engagement than Twitter, Instagram is a great tool to increase engagement with your audience. Pinterest is more effective at generating website traffic, and is used as a destination for shopping, tracking, and product discovery. Instagram will be more effective at reaching an international audience, while Pinterest should be used to reach women in Northern America. Businesses that haven’t established themselves on Instagram should consider creating a brand profile to make their brand visible to a new market. Based on some studies, Pinterest is more effective at driving sales than other forms of social media. In one case study, Pinterest users spent more than double for products compared to Facebook users, and Pinterest users spend more time on the Pinterest website than other social media venues.
Private Messaging Apps The Future of Mobile Marketing www.socialnomics.net
April 27, 2015
Article by Kathryn Kearns
With more and more private messaging apps becoming available, consumers are loosening their ties to websites. In fact, according to We Are Social’s ‘Digital, Social and Mobile in 2015’ report, four of the world’s six largest global social platforms are messaging apps. Facebook still leads with 1.44 billion monthly active users, but Tencent’s QQ comes in at 829 million, WhatsApp at 800 million, Facebook Messenger at 500 million and WeChat at 468 million, ranking ahead of any other social network.
Why the sudden shift? 1. They are private and personal There are a few reasons for this significant shift and privacy is a big one. Social messaging apps are regarded as private forms of communication. And unlike public social platforms like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, messaging apps are not focused on exposure and influence – the focus is more on one-to-one interaction, rather than one-to-many. Users can also personalize these apps, which makes it a more unique experience. And it is this more intimate and personal experience that users enjoy. 2. They are multi-functional Another reason for the shift is the multi-faceted nature of the apps. Private messaging apps act as multi-functional alternatives to traditional SMS text messaging, and include a myriad of features that vary by app. Users, can share photos, videos and other media files with their contacts, and some apps even offer games users can play and animated stickers to share with their friends. On China based messaging app Wechat, users can do things like pay phone bills, order a taxi, buy flight tickets, manage finances or purchase products directly on the platform.
Who else is doing it? Snapchat Snapchat has caught on quicker than other private messaging apps and is possibly the best platform to target. They have been experimenting with ads and have also launched a new ‘Discovery’ feature that allows content creators to publish ad-supported videos on the app. Celebrities All kinds of celebrities, including pop stars, are using private messaging apps to send announcements; offer sneak peeks of upcoming content; and spark conversation with fans. Madonna recently launched her latest music video through Snapchat’s new Discovery feature, which surprised everybody and attracted a frenzy of media attention. HBO Last November, the popular HBO series Girls uploaded a sneak preview of an upcoming episode on Snapchat. Only fans that added the show as a contact could see it, which is a good example of how brands can use private messaging apps as a loyalty/rewards tool. Toyota It is possible to determine which apps are most popular in any given country. In Spain it’s WhatsApp, and Toyota took advantage of this by launching a flirting competition close to Valentine’s day. WhatsApp users where then invited to send a private message to Toyota with their best cheesy chat-up lines, pictures and videos. Toyota was successful in receiving 1,100 messages in the first five days, because they tapped into how WhatsApp is generally used.
3. They are convenient and easy to use Furthermore, there are increasingly fewer reasons for people to go online. When a person can access and do almost anything from one place, why would they do it any other way? Private messaging apps are a convenient and easy way to connect and get things done in the simplest way possible. So it’s a wise decision for marketers to start thinking smaller and targeting consumers where they spend most of their time.
The Future of Mobile Marketing Although it may not be for every brand, private messaging provides incredible opportunities. Not only does it allow you to reach a wider audience and grant you the ability to segment it, it also allows you to develop intimacy with consumers and to personalize your marketing and customer experience. Even with the many tools at our disposal, it can be difficult to connect with consumers. Interruption-based ads appear as background noise to regular users. So, with the arrival of even more niche private messaging apps comes a break that brands should actively investigate and capitalize on. Private messaging could become the most efficient way to reach and engage with consumers and certainly has a place in the future of mobile marketing.
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The future of social media marketing and the growth of video www.socialnomics.com April 17, 2015 article by Drew Hendricks
The social media industry is incredibly varied, and the tools, resources, and strategies used by top brands and successful companies seem to change every few weeks. Whereas memes and pictures were once the gold standard of social media content, video is poised to become the most successful medium in the coming months and years.
The Value of Going Visual The value of video is that the human brain retains the combination of audio and visual signals much better than it does independent sounds or visuals. In other words, people only remember 20 percent of what they hear, and 30 percent of what they see, but a whopping 70 percent of what they see and hear. That’s why video is so widely used in various areas of business. From training your IT department to engaging with customers, video is one of the most powerful tools you have at your disposal. And while we could spend hours discussing the value of video in each component of business, we’ll focus on how it’s currently being used in conjunction with social media.
3. Meerkat/Periscope These are the newest players on the scene. These social networking sites allow you to live-stream video content, and they represent the most promising social media development in recent months. If these platforms meet with success, the capabilities they enable will be endless. From streaming conferences and lectures, to holding Q&A sessions with clients, social media marketing may never be the same. 4. Facebook While Facebook isn’t built on video like other social platforms, it does have its own features that allow for posting video content. In fact, Facebook videos can be as long as 20 minutes and are great for revealing news and posting feature stories. [During their first quarter earnings call on April 22, Facebook CEO and cofounder Mark Zuckerberg announced that Facebook serves more than four billion video views a day, 75% of which come from mobile devices.]
Five Social Video Marketing Tools Here are five social media video tools to consider using: 1. Vine When you think of social media video production, Vine comes to mind. It’s one of the easiest resources to use and allows you to create short, simple, looping videos. While it may seem like an odd platform at first, you’ll quickly realize that it’s a unique way to attract viewers. You can use it to showcase products, tell a story, or provide glimpses into what you’re doing. 2. Instagram Responding to Vine’s success, Instagram launched their own video feature a few years ago, which allows users to post slightly longer, non-looping content. Thanks to advanced editing capabilities, and the ability to easily share to other platforms, Instagram may be a better choice if you’re looking to post more in-depth videos.
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5. YouTube Any discussion of video marketing wouldn’t be complete without a reference to YouTube. This ultra-popular website is among the largest search engines in the world (second only to Google) and is the most flexible of the five platforms mentioned here.
Start Using Video Today As you can see, there are plenty of options to incorporate video into your social media marketing plan. Research what others are doing within your industry, and find ways to engage with your audience by producing fresh new content.
Facebook 'Hello' app is a smarter way to make phone calls www.mashable.com
April 22, 2015 Article by Raymond Wong
The phone app on your smartphone is really dumb. Facebook's new Hello app wants to make it smarter. For an encore, it's more connected and provides the context for things that matter to you.
It's like Yelp, Open Table and Google Maps rolled into your phone app. Hello is also very similar to the Google Dialer that you get on Nexus smartphones.
Available as a free app for Android smartphones from the Google Play Store, Hello is a "customized and useful phone experience" that taps into your Facebook account to surface relevant information related to making calls.
The Hello app lets you easily block unwanted calls, sending them straight to your voicemail. The app is linked to Facebook Messenger, so you can text a person instantly without having to open that app separately.
For example, you'll be able to see who's calling you even if you don't have the caller's phone number saved in your contacts. You'll be able to search for people and businesses. And when you do the latter, you'll even be able to look up business hours, make a reservation at a restaurant or get directions.
As with WhatsApp's new Wi-Fi calling feature for iPhone, the Hello app can place calls via a cellular connection or Wi-Fi for free.
Facebook Messenger had 1 million video calls in the ďŹ rst 2 days www.mashable.com
May 5, 2015 Article by JP Mangalindan
Facebook rolled out video chat for Messenger in late April, and things already look promising for the app's newest feature. According to the company, Messenger users made over 1 million video calls during those first two days after launch. Video calling is currently available in 18 markets, including the UK, France, Greece, Mexico, Portugal and the United States, with more markets coming over the next few months. "We're very happy with the progress," Stan Chudnovsky, Facebook Messenger's Head of Product, told Mashable. That's a solid start in spite of the feature's limited worldwide availability — a fact somewhat mitigated by Messenger's sprawling active user base of 600 million. The news also follows the success of voice calling, which Facebook introduced to Messenger in April of last year and now accounts for
10% of all VoIP calls worldwide, according to the social network. More recently, Facebook also rolled out the feature to WhatsApp earlier this year. The timing for Messenger video chat couldn't be better. It joins newbie services like Periscope and Meerkat, which are less than three months old. But their early popularity, along with Messenger's promising start, indicates live video could really go mainstream this time, thanks to the ubiquity of smartphones in most global markets and faster mobile Internet speeds. Video calling is the latest in a series of Messenger updates aimed at attracting younger users. In the past two months, Messenger launched peer-to-peer payments and customer service abilities as well as a standalone web app. And at this year's F8, it oďŹƒcially made the messaging app a platform so outside developers could augment the Messenger experience with touches like stickers and animated GIFs.
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Facebook Likes don't go as far as they used to www.mashable.com April 21, 2015 Article by JP Mangalindan Most people just want to be liked — even if that means a cursory thumbs up on Facebook. But a News Feed update announced Tuesday, which will roll out over the coming weeks, will somewhat deemphasize the feature. Posts highlighting what a friend Liked or commented on will either show up lower in your News Feed or not show up at all, according to Facebook. The move was made based on user feedback. “Many people have told us they don’t enjoy seeing stories about their friends liking or commenting on a post,” Max Eulenstein, a Facebook product manager, and Lauren Scissors, a user experience researcher, wrote in a blog post. These users will likely welcome this week's change. I, for one, always hated seeing what posts my ex-boyfriend engaged with.
For the rest of Facebook's 1.4 billion-plus monthly active users, the quiet demise of a small feature that has existed since 2006 will hopefully yield a little less News Feed noise. But that also depends on how Facebook executes two other News Feed tweaks: allowing posts from the same people back-to-back in sparse News Feeds, and prioritizing updates from Facebook friends users engage with the most. In theory, that could yield a better News Feed experience, if it also means Facebook Pages won't pop up in your feed, as Facebook suggests. "In some cases, post reach and referral traffic could potentially decline," the post stated. In which case, a Facebook Page's influence may have diminished slightly alongside the ubiquitous Like.
8 facts about social media networks www.socialnomics.net
May 5, 2015 Article by Drew Hendricks
Social media platforms are a wealth of information, from what your best friend had for breakfast this morning to breaking news. They’re also extremely useful aids for online marketing and improving search engine rankings. But with all their uses, it’s easy to forget that social media platforms are also businesses, and as such, they have economic and demographic ups and downs, just like any other business. Here are a few things you might not have known about your favorite social media platforms. 1. Facebook is dominated by females A Business Insider survey showed that at the end of last year, about 10 percent more women used facebook throughout the year than men. Check out your news feed today and see if this rings true with the posts you see. 2. Twitter has more male followers While Facebook users skew slightly female, Twitter is more used by men. According to the survey, approximately 7 percent more men use Twitter than women, and that number is growing. The imbalance is worrying the Twitter team because the platform used to be gender equal and there is currently no explanation for the sudden change. 3. Twitter has only made $436 million dollars this year It may seem funny to use the word “only” in this sentence, but the numbers are down a whopping 20 percent for Twitter this quarter, and the outlook isn’t good, according to Amigobulls, an investment analyst company. They projected the earnings at a generous $456 million, but the actual report fell short by millions. 4. Facebook has already made more than $3.5 billion this year On the other hand, Facebook is doing better than ever with an accrued $3.5 billion dollars in their first quarter earnings report. This is a 42 percent increase compared to last year’s first quarter earnings.
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5. LinkedIn made $2.2 billion last year The popular networking platform isn’t doing too bad for itself either, although it has a way to go before it reaches the revenue levels of Facebook. LinkedIn’s increasing popularity has paved the way for an extremely successful year. 6. LinkedIn is the largest adult social media network so far The oldest of the three mentioned social media networks, LinkedIn quickly made its way to top as the largest adult gathering place. According to the survey, LinkedIn demographics skew towards well-educated users between the ages of 30 and 49. 7. Snapchat is the youngest skewing social media network On the other end of the spectrum, we have the fairly new Snapchat network that allows users to share what they’re doing every moment of the day. The survey shows that more than 60 percent of Snapchat users are between the ages of 18 and 24, making it the youngest major network currently in existence. 8. Social media platforms make their money off advertisements Have you ever wondered why it’s free to use most social media platforms? It’s because they don’t make money off of regular users. They make money off advertisers who pay Facebook to post their advertisements. Based off of Facebook’s most recent report, you could say it’s a pretty lucrative business. Keep your eyes peeled for the next quarterly reports this July and more demographic surveys as the year continues.
DOs and DON’Ts of Instagram for Restaurants Expert offers tips on the best way to use the social media platform www.nrn.com May 18, 2015 Article by Tara Fitzpatrick Are you promoting your restaurant with Instagram? If not, you could be missing a big opportunity.
• Do shoot from above. It is great for plates of food, but don’t be afraid to try some lower, from-the-side angles on plates.
Instagram has gained millions of followers in the past couple years, and it’s the social media platform of choice for many of your potential customers.
• Do use the Ludwig and Amaro filters. They get the most likes and comments on Instagram. But use your judgment on what works best for each photo.
But how do you do it right? Katrina Padron, president of Chicagobased Padron Social Marketing, shared Instagram best practices, from getting ideas to getting likes to getting people engaged with your brand:
• For product shots, don’t use a white background. People engage more with “lifestyle shots,” with everyday objects in the background.
• Do take quality photos. “That’s a differentiator between Instagram accounts that do really well and those that don’t,” Padron said. Photo editing apps like Afterlight help edit colors and shadows to perfection. • Don’t get stuck with “the blahs.” That’s what Padron referred to as a type of Instagram writer’s block. She has compiled a list of idea prompts, like, “To me, there’s nothing better than…” or “There are no rules when it comes to…” • Do post on Instagram every day, but don’t overload your feed: one photo at a time. If you have trouble finding the time to post, try an app like Latergram to schedule a few posts throughout the week. • Don’t shoot too much of the color blue. Analytics show that photos with red and orange colors get more engagement than predominately blue photos. Bring on the pizza, tomato soup, red velvet cake and tandoori chicken.
• Do use #hashtags. This is how Instagram categorizes content. For example, people searching for #restaurants in #Chicago will find you more easily if you use a hashtag. • Don’t use cute hashtags like #cantbelieveitsalreadyMonday. They’re just not effective at putting you out there. • Do use #hashtags like #tbt for Throwback Thursday, for fun, old photos. Those are proven to get lots of engagement. Other hashtags that do well: #instagood and #instamood. Hashtag things your community cares about. • Do tag non-competing businesses in your area. If you run a restaurant near a yoga studio, be in conversation with the yogis on a regular basis. • Don’t post at the wrong time. Research shows early morning and mid-evening work well, but you must figure out when your target audience is checking their phones.
• Do use classic photography rules like ‘the rule of thirds.’ That means the subject of your photo should take up about a third of the frame.
Orange and red photos get the most engagement. Barbecue carrots at Publican. Photo by Tara Fitzpatrick
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3 signs your POS needs a makeover Here’s how you’ll know it’s time to look at alternative options for your point of sale www.qsrmagazine.com Article by Reggie Kimble, May 2015 Sure, you may be able to accept credit cards on your smartphone. But can that reader actually help you run your quick-service restaurant or food-truck business after the swipe? In early 2014, the owners of Atlanta-based food truck Happy Belly Curbside Kitchen realized they needed more functionality from their point of sale (POS), including the ability to manage customer requests, track sales, set up taxes by geography, and keep up with the day-to-day operation of multiple locations. After consulting with other business owners, they realized they needed to step up their POS game. Happy Belly isn’t the only limited-service operator that faces POS challenges. As more consumers look for alternative payment acceptance, mobile order-ahead, and loyalty rewards, the pressure is on for businesses in this industry to deliver.
Should you makeover your POS? Here are three signs it’s time to consider modernizing:
2. Your loyalty program consists of a paper punch card It’s 2015, and high time to put down your hole-puncher—and pick up a cloud-based POS system with integrated loyalty. Dalton Castano, owner of the Philadelphia-based More Than Just Ice Cream restaurant, has been using LevelUp for three years. He says his customers use LevelUp because sometimes they don’t like carrying wallets. In addition, there’s the instant loyalty aspect. “I get a lot of repeat customers because of LevelUp loyalty—people who may not have been coming in as much,” Castano says. “I also get new customers, because when you sign up, you see other merchants who accept it.” Castano claims that having LevelUp integrated into his POS system makes it much easier to take and clear transactions.
1. Cash rules the payment roost As much as cash is considered “king,” your business could be headed for trouble if your POS system doesn’t accept alternative payment options. Market research firm Javelin Strategy & Research predicts that by 2017, only 23 percent of point-of-sale purchases will be made with cash. In addition to increases in traditional credit and debit card use, consumers are turning to fast-growing alternative payment options like bitcoin, LevelUp, and Apple Pay. Apple, for instance, reports that 1 million people have used the Apple Pay mobile-payments system since it launched in October. That number will continue to climb as more consumers experience the convenience and flexibility mobile payments offer. EMV technology (chip and PIN) is another payment alternative that will become essential for limited-service businesses later this year. In October, U.S. businesses will be required to leverage a chip and PIN–compliant payment terminal. Ultimately, the combination of the individual PIN and the secure chip will generate higher levels of security than credit cards with magnetic strips.
3. Your technology programs aren’t integrated Thanks to the digital revolution, your new restaurant can handle payroll programs, reach customers via mobile apps, enable mobile payments, and much more. These solutions work great. But they all work separately. This reality causes increased cost, confusion, and technical complexities that are often overbearing for restaurants— especially startup restaurants. With a cloud-based point-of-sale system, your restaurant has only one point of entry: the cloud. With your POS system integrated in the cloud, you’ll have easy access to integrated data, wherever you are. According to recent research from the National Restaurant Association, restaurant operators across segments plan to allocate a larger proportion of their budgets and other resources to technology. The fast-casual restaurant segment is leading the way, with nearly half of operators saying they will increase their tech budgets in the future. If your POS system serves as nothing else besides a cash register or card reader, it’s time to look at alternative options that can help you better manage day-to-day operations and your business growth.
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www.nrn.com May 18, 2015
Social Media Stats as of May 2015 expandedramblings.com
• Facebook – 1.44 Billion monthly active users 1.25 Billion mobile users 936 Million daily active users • Instagram – 300 Million + • Pinterest – 72.8 Million users • Twitter – 302 Million active users • LinkedIn – 350 Million + active users • Yelp – 135 Million monthly unique users • TripAdvisor – 260 Million • YouTube – 1 Billion users, 4 Billion views per day • Snapchat – 100 Million users • WhatsApp – 800 Million users • iHeartRadio – 60 Million users • WordPress – 76.5 Million blogs • FourSquare – 55 Million users • WeChat – 549 Million users • Google+ – 300 Million active users • YouNow – over 100 Million monthly visitors
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3-D printing could be next tool in chef’s arsenal Powerful printer could have numerous applications for restaurants www.nrn.com May 19, 2015 Article by Jonathan Maze A growing number of companies are experimenting with different uses of 3D printers, and many are trying to print food. But so far, there hasn’t been a professional application until the ChefJet, von Hasseln said. “There’s been a lot of experimentation regarding 3D printed food,” she said. “But there has not been an application professionally.”
The ChefJet Pro debuted at the 2015 NRA Show 3D printers were first developed in the early 1980s, and commercialized in the early 1990s. Since then, the technology has been used to make everything from aircraft turbine engines to human organs. Now the powerful tool is being introduced as part of a chef’s arsenal. 3D Systems, based in Rock Hill, S.C., which invented and first commercialized the 3D printer, debuted the ChefJet Pro at the NRA Show this weekend. It is the first professional-grade printer for the food world, said Carrie Kommers, a consultant for 3D Systems. The printer is not yet for sale, but it will be ready for market next year, Kommers said.
The draw, potentially, for restaurants is the artwork. At the NRA Show, 3D Systems demonstrated its product by printing tart, multi-colored candy with a pair of interlocked squares. Its display booth included numerous designs that cannot be replicated, at least not easily, by hand, including a white, latticework skull. There is considerable potential in the catering world, where it’s easy to imagine fancy cakes or candies at each place setting with the name of the guest. But there are many other potential uses in pastry and other foods. One chef developed a French onion soup using oxtail broth poured over a printed object infused with onion powder. Other items remain to be seen. 3DS will have a digital library of objects that chefs will be able to print. But they can also develop their own designs. “They can design anything they can imagine,” von Hasseln said.
ChefJet is a large, box-like printer that can turn sugars and other ingredients into colorful, edible works of art. The printer was among the most gasp-inducing products on display at the show. It can print confections in a variety of flavors and colors, and can even print words down to an 8-point font. The printer can print two vertical inches per hour, and can print 100 two-inch candies per hour, Kommers said. And while the device is being used to make sugars and candies that can be printed into intricate designs that top cakes or act as fancy sugar cubes, the potential applications are considerable. “This is a new era of culinary,” Kommers said. “This enables culinarians to make things they couldn’t do with their hands. It’s another quiver in their belt.” What remains to be seen is the potential applications for the device. The company insists that the printer doesn’t intend to replace chefs. “This is not to be a replacement for culinarians and talent,” said Liz von Hasseln, creative director, food, for 3D Systems. “It’s another tool.” Indeed, 3D Systems plans to open a culinary lab this summer in Los Angeles, the 3DS Culinary Center. There, industry professionals, chefs and mixologists will be able to experience the printer and potentially find new uses for the device. “It’s a place where culinarians can come and experiment,” von Hasseln said, noting that there will be classes and symposiums. 3DS is working with the Culinary Institutes of America to develop educational programs, seminars and conferences, and the CIA is integrating 3D printing into its curriculum. 3D printing is also known as additive manufacturing. Printers take designs created using software, or scanned using 3D scanners, and use successive layers of material to create the object. A 3D printer is like an ink-jet printer that keeps layering material over the same space, creating a three-dimensional object rather than a twodimensional print.
An edible 3D printed dome from the Culinary Institute of America