Your Digital Identity Social Media Marketing Trends for Restaurants 2016 v.2
Gen Z Dines Out • Cashing in on Pokémon Go • The Evolution of Google Maps Psychology of Digital Menu Design • Improve Your Video Marketing Ranking the Chains • Getting Started with Snapchat, Periscope & Instagram
How shops and restaurants are creatively cashing in on ‘Pokémon Go’ www.mashable.com
July 14, 2016
Article by Patrick Kulp
It was a typically hot and humid July day near Orlando, Florida, when employees of Cocina 214, a Tex-Mex diner, noticed an unusual crowd of people engrossed in their smartphones next to a nearby fountain.
These businesses are hoping, of course, that one or two of the game's players might be distracted for a mid-hunt snack or a shopping break.
"I was like 'Why are all these people out here looking at the patio?'" restaurant manager Lambrine Macejewski said.
The augmented reality app is the rare viral phenomenon to spill from people's screens into the real world, and brick-and-mortar stores that don't often benefit from such digital trends are reaping rewards in the form of increased foot traffic.
Turns out, that patio — like plenty of random spots sprinkled throughout the U.S. — is now a Pokéstop for Pokémon Go, the location-based mobile game that has skyrocketed to become one of the most popular gaming apps ever. "It's over 100 degrees. It's high humidity. To see people out doing this during the day is just awesome." The restaurant decided to capitalize by dropping lures during its happy hour Wednesday night. Macejewski says the business doesn't do much digital advertising, but she's now a bit more intrigued by the potential. "Maybe we should try it," she said. As Pokémon Go draws droves of people out of their homes in search of virtual quarry, stores and restaurants like Cocina 214 are looking to "catch 'em all" — all of the players, that is. Many enterprising restaurants, shops and bars across the country that have found themselves home to one of the game's hubs are using features available for purchase within the app to coax the digital creatures onto their premises, thus luring the smartphoneabsorbed trappers in pursuit of them. Those lucky enough to have a training gym or "PokéStop" — a waypoint where players can stock up on much-needed items — serendipitously placed nearby are also putting out advertisements and promotions aimed at drawing players to it. Those that aren't lucky enough could soon pay for the opportunity.
In fact, as online advertising giants like Google and Facebook race to find new ways to lure people into stores through their phones, Niantic may have, inadvertently or not, engineered a highly effective mobile advertising product — something that still eludes many of the companies actually trying at it. Eventually, the company behind the app, Niantic Labs, plans to offer "sponsored locations" for sale, as it did with an earlier game called Ingress. A few internet sleuths have even found evidence in the game's code that indicates the company may be pursuing a partnership with McDonald's. Until that happens, businesses are finding makeshift ways to cash in on the action. An in-app item called a "lure module," for instance, allows its holder to better attract the creatures to a specific location. At a cost of just 99 cents, they’re a steal as far as advertising rates go. One New York pizzeria told the New York Post that $10 worth of lure modules was enough to drive a 75% boost in foot traffic. It's no surprise then that the game has been a hot topic among marketing pundits this week, making for an amusing collision of buzzword-y influencer jargon with the finer points of finding and training a Charizard or a Squirtle. It even found its way into the Hillary Clinton campaign.
In the midst of peak Pokémon fever, it's perhaps the most costeffective way for businesses to advertise to a younger audience at the moment — especially when paired with real-time advertising and special offers, said Beth Mock Le Blanc, chief creative officer at ad agency MLB Creative. Mock Le Blanc admitted that she probably couldn't have imagined last week that she would ever discuss advertising budgets in terms of "lure modules" and "PokéStops." "This is something that's just bringing people to you with very little effort on your part," she said. "It's exciting, and stores should capture this audience." Jim Rogers, chief marketing officer at steakhouse chain Tony Roma's, said he went searching for any type of Poké-landmark near one of the company's restaurants after hearing about the game in the news. He was pleased to stumble across an in-house virtual gym, where players battle each other for supremacy. The company quickly erected a billboard touting the gym's existence, rolled out happy hour deals for specific teams and offered limitedtime free appetizers to all trainers. Rogers says he's even an avid player himself now. Sometimes the crowds brought by the game may even approach mob level. A Facebook event for a Pokémon-themed bar crawl Wednesday night in San Francisco has more than 23,000 people marked as attending.
It's not just restaurants benefitting either. America's shopping malls, stuck in a years-long decline as anchoring department stores flee smaller markets, are also getting a much-needed pick-me-up in customer traffic. Whether or not Pokémon trainers are actually interested in pausing to buy clothes or electronics remains to be seen, but retailers seem to be eagerly embracing them. The app's popularity comes at an opportune time in terms of business environment. Even as e-commerce grows, physical shopping still accounts for more than 90 percent of all retail sales in the United States, according to the Census Bureau. Those who do shop online tend to prefer to do so on a desktop computer rather than a smartphone. Mobile advertisers are finding that the most meaningful way to connect with phone users is to take advantage of location tracking to offer in-the-moment deals and alerts specific to wherever they happen to be. Pokémon Go achieves all that while giving people an addicting game to play along the way — at least until players tire of their Pokémon and move onto something else.
www.nrn.com June 26, 2016
Article by Fern Glazer
Move over Millennials: Gen Z takes a seat at the table Up-and-coming restaurant concepts are already catering to this consumer group of kids and teens Restaurant operators who are growing tired of catering to Millennials can rejoice: There’s a new, perhaps more important, generation taking a seat at the table: Generation Z. Born after 1995 — just kids and teens right now — Gen Z are the biggest population swell since the Baby Boomers, and officials at market-research firm The NPD Group say Zs are already making a big impact on the restaurant industry. “Gen Z are very important and only going to get bigger,” said NPD analyst Bonnie Riggs. “Now is the time to start building loyalty with them. They’re going to drive your business in the years to come.” In the year ended February 2016, Gen Z accounted for $78 billion spent at restaurants, according to NPD. Additionally, the group makes up the second-largest share of restaurant visits — Boomers are the largest. Although still very young, Zs are digitally and socially connected. A recent report from Sparks & Honey, a culturally focused ad agency, shows Zs have the ability to multitask across more screens then Millennials, including TV, cell phones, laptops, desktop computers and iPods/portable music players. They also use YouTube and other social media sites to research school assignments.
#getfried Fry Café With a hashtag in its name, Buffalo, N.Y.-based #getfried Fry Café has built its brand around social media and digital connection. This hyper-connected approach has been a boon to building the brand’s core customers — Millennials — but it’s also been successful in attracting Gen Z. “Our target demographic in our mind was always Millennials,” said owner Chris Covelli, who also happens to be a Millennial. “[But] Gen Z has always been the most active on our social media campaigns.” Covelli says the brand consciously and regularly makes Facebook and Instagram posts targeted to Gen Z, such as a Facebook post featuring Dory from the new Disney movie Finding Dory. The chain also runs contests, such as name-your-own-fry-basket, which Covelli says have been especially popular with teens. Last year, one contest led to the creation of the French Connection, a fry basket made with sweet potato fries, topped with vanilla ice cream, a drizzle of chocolate sauce and powered sugar. Although Covelli says many customers didn’t find the basket appealing, it has been such a hit with the younger set that it is still displayed on restaurant promo boards and is available to order.
“[Operators] have to be on the leading edge with older Gen Zs,” Riggs said.
Sweet potato fries topped with vanilla ice cream and chocolate syrup, a Gen Z customercreated concoction at #getfried Fry Café.
This group is also self-reliant, entrepreneurial and socially conscious, with 26 percent of teens ages 16 to 19 volunteering in 2013, according to Sparks & Honey’s Gen Z report. Like Millennials and Gen X, Zs make the majority of their restaurant visits at quick-service chains, although older Zs — those between the ages of 11 and 19 — tend to visit fast-casual chains more. In the year ended February 2016, 7 percent of the per capita visits made by older Gen Zs were to fast-casual chains, compared with 6 percent of per capita visits for Millennials and 5 percent for Gen X. When visiting restaurants, these kids and teens tend to go out as a group and share their food. According to NPD, their average party size is 2.4, and they have a higher percentage of shared meals than any other generation. Gen Zs are also eating better than Millennials were at their age. NPD’s new Generational Study: The Evolution of Eating Report, indicates a shift among Gen Z toward more healthful food choices and snack foods, while maintaining perennial favorites. For example, while hamburgers are among the top three foods Gen Zs eat at quick-service restaurants, they eat them less than Millennials, favoring chicken and pizza instead, NPD found.
Generation Next While many chains have been obsessed with marketing to Millennials, some forward-thinking brands are exploring how to reach the next generation. Executives from #getfried Fry Café and Gusto!, two young fast-casual concepts, share how they are, or are planning to, connect and build brand loyalty with Gen Zs.
“It really captures an important part of our brand,” Covelli said. “If we do capture [a basket] kids absolutely love, we’ll definitely add it to our menu full-time.” Gusto! Atlanta-based Gusto! is a build-your-own bowl or flatbread concept featuring a mix of global ingredients and flavors that customers can create in just three steps. The brand is well positioned to appeal to on-the-go, health-conscious and flavor-forward young people. “We have a menu that is relatively progressive,” said Nate Hybl, Gusto! founder. “We found that the younger generation understands it quicker.” Although the concept’s biggest customer is currently Gen X, Hybl says he’s already at work on ways to meet the demands of Gen Z. Among the tactics in his pipeline are online ordering and a buildyour-own meal app with nutritional information. With one location, another unit slated to open in July and several more restaurants planned for next year, Hybl said, “We will be working hard to gain Millennials and Gen Z.”
The new psychology of menu design Your digital menu makes a crucial first impression and has the power to draw customers and increase their spending. www.restaurant-hospitality.com April 12, 2016 Article by Marvin Doerfler Traditionally when you think of menu design, you think of expertly crafted leather-bound menus with bold colors and over-the-top descriptions. Today’s restaurant menus are changing. With the advent of new technologies, more restaurants are adding digital menus to their websites and tabletops. As more people begin looking at menus online, the old tricks and standards of menu design don’t work anymore. Restaurants are faced with the challenge of making their menus both user friendly and psychologically designed to sell. The internet has changed the menu game, and these are the new rules. Usability comes first A digital menu is experienced in a different way than a print menu and needs to be usable. It’s easy to upload a low resolution cell phone picture of your print menu or post a menu using jarring flash animation. Neither approach will increase the usability of your online menu or website. Your menu should encourage customers to stick around instead of clicking off. When a customer is sitting at a table in your restaurant, it’s unlikely they’ll get up and leave unless something awful happens. However, when they are on your website, it doesn’t take much to click away and go somewhere else if your menu loads slowly or isn’t readable. A usable, legible menu will keep your potential customer browsing. Millennials in particular are pretty impatient in general and they are also web savvy. A flash animation that won’t load on their smartphone or a low resolution picture with unreadable text could be all it takes to lose their business. Embrace change One of the nice things about a digital menu is that it is (with some basic web skills) relatively easy to change. Unlike paper menus that need to be re-designed, printed, and covered for every update, digital menus allow you to add a fresh new dish with just a few clicks. Smart restaurant managers take full advantage of making menu changes quickly and easily. For example, you can highlight items you think will sell well on a particular day, such as cold drinks and light meals in nice weather or soups and hot beverages on a chilly day. You can also change out entire sections based on a holiday or season. Feature your famous green salad on St. Patrick’s Day then switch it out for your special egg dishes at Easter in a matter of minutes. Visualize it An appetizing photo on a menu can increase sales of that item by 30 percent or more. On a paper menu, you have limited space, and therefore you probably only include images for a few select items, if you include images at all.
Online menus get rid of this problem. You can easily incorporate pictures of what you want to highlight visually for your customers without running out of space. Most online formats allow you to create different sections and pages, giving you plenty of room for an image of each dish or an expanded look a photo and more detailed descriptive text. On the internet, you are also competing with customer images from Yelp and other review sites. A grainy cell phone picture of a half eaten meal doesn’t look particularly appetizing. Don’t let your customers rely on amateur photos of half-eaten meals to see what your food looks like. Take control of the appearance of your offerings by providing high resolution, and, if possible, professional images of your dishes when they scan your online menu. Improve ordering In a restaurant setting, customers can be distracted or feel rushed. When they look at menus online, they tend to spend more time and notice things they may not have otherwise. Allowing your customers to see your menu ahead of time can help them feel less rushed and distracted once they’re seated. Online orders tend to be larger and more expensive than those made in-store. Additionally, customers are more likely to add items like side dishes when ordering online compared to over the phone. When customers call in an order, they usually order just what they planned. However, when a customer can peruse a well-designed online menu, they are more likely to modify their selection to include more of the appetizing items they see and can easily add to their order. Use social proof Social proof is a phenomenon where people will adopt the actions or opinions of a group of people they trust. You can leverage social proof to increase your business by publishing customer reviews and pictures of happy patrons right on your online menu and website. Potential customers are more likely to order from you if they see other people enjoying your food and restaurant. Menus of the future Menus will continue to change along with changes in society and technology. Perhaps one day technology will be used to change menu items instantly based on individual preferences or health concerns. Maybe images or details will pop up based on where the customer’s eyes linger. For now, following the new rules of menu psychology will help you engage customers and keep them coming back for more.
How Restaurants Can Get Started on Snapchat, Periscope and Instagram www.socialhospitality.com
April 25, 2016
There are almost too many social media networks to choose from these days, each with distinct characteristics, user base and marketing opportunities. Before you invest time and funds in a new platform, do some research to make sure the network is an appropriate communication channel for your restaurant and that it aligns with your marketing goals. Here are a few easy tips to get your restaurant started with Snapchat, Periscope, and Instagram, three recent, visually-focused social networks proving popular with Millennials and Generation Z.
Snapchat
Snapchat is a messaging app which allows users to share photos or short videos along with captions to their friends or groups of friends.
Instagram, the popular photo and video sharing app owned by Facebook, has over 400 million monthly active users.
It is the fastest growing social network with over 150 million daily users watching more than 10 billion videos every day. Out of those, more than 70% are Millennials.
Foodie culture is huge on Instagram. This makes it ideal for restaurants wanting to show off their dishes, but that doesn’t mean that’s all you can do with it. Taking advantage of people’s love for great food photography, incorporating storytelling, and interacting with your followers will give you an ideal platform for engaging with your customers.
Snapchat is great for sharing in-the-moment, real experiences at your restaurant. Keep your content genuine and don’t be afraid to show personality. Customers will appreciate knowing they’re engaging with real people and not just another brand. Snapchat marketing tips: Snap a discount voucher or coupon and tell customers to screenshot it and show when ordering to claim. Create a captioned snap and let your customers fill in the blank (perhaps using Twitter to drive cross-platform engagement) in exchange for a freebie or discount. Do a day-in-the-life of different employees at your restaurant. Customers will be intrigued to get a sneak peek behind the scenes of your kitchen and bar. Give each of your employees the chance to show your customers their unique talents.
Instagram marketing tips: Ask questions, get feedback on new decor ideas, what your next special should be or what theme to have for the next weekend event. Instagram is great for competitions. “Like for a chance to win” is a quick and easy contest for your customers to enter. Alternatively, you can ask your customers to take a selfie in your restaurant and tag your business in the photo to be in for a chance to win. Use Instagram to build a community around your brand. A great way to engage your customers is to set up your own hashtag, encourage them to take photos of their food or drink using your hashtag and feature the best photos shared each week on your Instagram account.
In Conclusion Periscope Periscope is a video streaming platform which allows users to share live video with real-time interaction, similar to Facebook Live. Around 50% of Persiscope’s users are between the ages of 25 and 34. With an impressive 350,000 hours of video streamed daily, Periscope can be the perfect window into your world. It’s a great tool for sharing the inner workings of your restaurant and showcasing the hard work and talent of your employees, who are one of the most important things that set you apart from the competition. Periscope marketing tips: Customers love to see behind the scenes and this tool is a great way of giving a sneak peek to new dishes or the preparation required for an event. Have a cooking or cocktail making class showing how your signature dish is made. Your customers will love the first-hand insight and you get to teach them something in the process. Engage live with customers to get feedback or give them the opportunity to ask your chef or bartender questions related to food and drink.
Learning to take advantage of each network’s unique strengths will take time but will improve your marketing performance. Snapchat, Periscope, and Instagram each have different uses and how you tell your story differs from platform to platform. What’s important is that you’re telling a story by engaging and inspiring. You’ll also want to cross-promote these platforms with your existing social media. An Instagram contest can easily be used to drive traffic to your Facebook page; you could use a Periscope stream to encourage visitors to your website; or ask your Snapchat followers to head over and engage with you on Twitter. Now head out into the world of the new social, experiment with these tools, create an engaging brand experience, and share your story!
5 Tips for Using Video in Your Social Media Marketing www.socialmediatoday.com
June 30, 2016
There's no doubt that video marketing is on a steady incline. Video content is an excellent way to capture audience attention and deliver your marketing messages in a more engaging, active way, and as such, it comes as little surprise that more and more brands are leaning towards promotional videos to attract potential customers. If you're looking to build brand awareness, generate more leads and increase your brand visibility online, video marketing is certainly worth your consideration. Here are five proven tips and best practices to help you develop a winning strategy to promote your videos on social media networks.
1. Length Matters - Keep Them Short Editing is one of the most difficult tasks of creating an effective marketing video. Viewers have short attention spans and the risk of creating longer videos is that they may not be watched through till the end. If you have an important takeaway or call to action towards the end of the clip, viewers could miss it, so it's better to keep your videos short or make sure your key messaging is up front, in the first few frames. This why editing is essential. If required, hiring an experienced editor can deliver great results for your business.
2. Upload Directly to Social Media Platforms Instead of uploading your videos on YouTube and then sharing the links out to other social networks, consider uploading your video content direct to your social media profiles, pages and groups. Each social network has its own methods of optimizing your videos for better results and visibility. Just sharing the links to YouTube or your business website will not maximize your organic reach.
3. Embed Logo and Links As already noted, videos are great for building brand awareness. Consider embedding your company's logo and tag line at a strategic corner of the screen and don't forget to link them to your business website. This is a proven tactic to improve brand visibility and drive clicks, converting browsers into customers.
4. Optimize for Search Engines It's a good idea to optimize your social videos for your target SEO keywords, even when posting them on social networks. Carefully choose keyword/s that encapsulate the theme of your business and create catchy titles that will entice readers to click. Also, don't ignore the descriptions and tags. It’s essential to include a detailed description telling users what your video is all about.
5. Add A Call to Action Never miss out on an opportunity to ask your viewers to take action at the end of your video. Take the creative route and try to come up with innovative captions and questions that get viewers to click on your call to action link.
Survey: Mobile users likely to preview restaurant menus Mobile users are also hungry for deals, the study found. www.restaurant-hospitality.com
May 17, 2016
A mobile-optimized menu is no longer a nice thing to have, it’s a must. That’s a key takeaway from a recent survey conducted by retailmenot.com, a marketplace for digital offers. Why is mobile so crucial? In its poll of more than 1,000 consumers, the firm found that half (49 percent) of them scrutinize menus before settling on a restaurant. Consumers rely on their mobile devices for other restaurant-related research prior to dining out, including finding a restaurant location (53 percent) and checking out new restaurants (37 percent). It’s no surprise that younger consumers rely on mobile the most. Those aged 25 to 34 are more likely to research new restaurants on their smartphone than any other age group; 60 percent of them say they use phones for that purpose. When it comes to apps, one in four consumers say they have at least one restaurant-specific mobile app on their devices. Interestingly, only 13 percent use apps like OpenTable or Yelp to explore new dining options. Frequent diners are most likely to use mobile apps: Among people who dine out 8 to 10 times a week, more than twothirds (68 percent) use a restaurant-specific mobile app. For restaurants that offer deals to pull in business, mobile is a powerful tool to reach an audience. Nearly a third of those in the study said they’ve taken advantage of a restaurant promotion they found online or on their phone in the last three months. That figure rises among high earners: 46 percent of diners who earn $150,000 or more per year have used an online or mobile coupon at a restaurant in the past three months. And 80 percent of survey respondents said they would be likely to try a new eatery if it offered a deal.
The survey also showed differences among various age and location demographics. Among people in urban areas, those aged 45 to 54 were most likely to have used a deal found online or their smartphone, more than any other age group. In suburban areas, 25- to 34year-olds use these deals the most. Clearly, mobile and restaurants were made for each other. “Mobile marketing technology is a powerful medium when it comes to serving up the right dining content, in the right location, at the right time,” says Marissa Tarleton, chief North America marketing officer for RetailMeNot. Once they’re in a restaurant, the phone remains active. Nearly twothirds of diners will use their smartphones for a variety of tasks, including photos, (32 percent) checking social media (19 percent) and searching for online deals (19 percent). Other tasks include browsing reviews (17 percent), looking up nutritional information (16 percent) and paying for a meal via mobile (8 percent). The survey results explore digital savings and mobile habits among restaurant patrons, as well as general habits related to dining out and spending.
Small enough to fit in your pocket, this device can tell if your food is gluten-free www.mashable.com Article by Knvul Sheikh May 3, 2016 For people with gluten allergies or celiac disease, the idea of eating out in restaurants can be terrifying. It typically involves scrutinizing menus and food labels, interrogating waiters, or having to bring their own meals wherever they go. But a discreet new device, small enough to fit into a pocket or purse, could make eating out an easier and safer experience for glutensensitive people. Manufactured by San Francisco-based startup 6SensorLabs, the portable gluten-testing device, called Nima, can test food for the presence of gluten, providing results within minutes and reducing people's food anxiety. The device could also provide greater social freedom, making meals more enjoyable, said 6SensorLabs co-founder and Chief Technology Officer Scott Sundvor. "A lot of people who have food issues get very stressed when they're eating out, and they avoid eating out altogether," Sundvor told Live Science. "Our product will really enable them to start going out again and start being more open in social settings." An estimated one in 133 Americans, or about 1 percent of the population, is affected by celiac disease, an inherited autoimmune disease in which eating gluten can cause severe damage to the small intestine, according to the organization Beyond Celiac. There are currently no treatments or cures for celiac disease — except eating a diet without any gluten, which is a protein found in wheat, rye and barley. Using the Nima device, individuals can make sure their food is gluten-free by placing a tiny piece of their meal inside a disposable capsule, twisting the cap shut and inserting the capsule into the Nima's main sensor unit. Within 2 to 3 minutes, Nima will let users know if the food is safe to eat by displaying a smiley face on the screen if there is no gluten, or a frown if the result is positive for the protein, the company said. The device can test a range of foods, from soups and sauces to more solid items like baked and fried goods, Sundvor said. Using a combination of a chemical and mechanical process, the Nima grinds down any chunky bits, dissolving the food in a proprietary blend of enzymes and antibodies that zero in on any gluten in the mix. And Sundvor said those antibodies can detect levels of gluten as low as 20 parts per million, the FDA limit for the maximum level of gluten considered acceptable in foods that are labeled gluten-free. But the Nima itself is not an FDA-approved device. It is not intended for medical or diagnostic use, the company said. Instead, the Nima is marketed as a tool for getting more information about food when eating out, Sundvor said. "We're selling this as a device that can give another layer of data," Sundvor told Live Science. "This isn’t something that will help people treat their disease or diagnose gluten-sensitivity, and that's why we don't need FDA approval for the device." The Nima offers a portable alternative to clunky, time-consuming food-testing kits on the market, Sundvor said. The device is 99.5 percent accurate, he said. That number is based on about 2,000 tests comparing the Nima's sensitivity to gluten in various foods to that of other consumer gluten tests currently on the market.
This portable gluten tester from 6SensorLabs can detect if a food has 20 parts per million or more of gluten. Nima's results have also been validated by two different external labs: Bia Diagnostics and BioAssay Systems. And Sundvor said his company is making sure to get the device tested even more thoroughly by a third party before making the sensor available to the public later this year. There are still some challenges, though. Most importantly, the Nima can't guarantee that an entire meal will be free of gluten, because it tests only the portion of the meal that users place in their device, Sundvor said. If there is gluten in the salad dressing on the side of a meal, for example, and not in the crusted Parmesan chicken, the device could give a false negative if the chicken is the only part of the meal tested. The Nima avoids cross-contamination inside the device itself by using disposable capsules. This design also allows for potential expansion into capsules for other allergies later on, with the development of dairy and peanut allergy-testing capsules already underway, Sundvor said. Currently, users can pre-order a starter kit online, which consists of the main Nima sensor unit and three capsules, selling for $199. Refill packs of 12 capsules each will also be available on a subscription basis for $47.95 during the pre-sale. Once the device is available, in mid-2016, the company will also have a Nima app, in which users can log results and share their experiences at different restaurants, testing different foods, Sundvor said. "This is going to have a really big impact on people," he added. "It will bring more transparency to food in general and help people with their dietary issues."
Is Google Maps the next big marketing platform? www.socialmediatoday.com July 27, 2016
Article by Stephen Baldwin
Is your business “on the map?” Make sure it is, because maporiented user interfaces are becoming as important as the traditional hierarchical list-oriented interfaces (such as Search Engine Result Pages) we’ve grown used to in the past 20 years. Maps’ increased importance as a marketing medium have been driven by the growth in mobile usage, where maps play a crucial navigational role. More than a billion people are using maps each day and Google has been busy in making its Maps product a more marketer-friendly environment in many important ways, including: • Allowing advertisers to place local search ads on Google Maps. This is both useful for searchers with commercial intent and good for Google, which analysts believe may realize a billion dollars of revenue on Maps next year. • Making it easier for Maps users to suggest updates and revisions, thus improving the accuracy of the platform. • Adding a Wi-Fi mode to Maps, making it easier for users to use the product when a cell phone connection is not available. • Adding traffic and transit updates to Maps, thus making Maps a “must see” app before beginning a trip or while on the road. • Continuing to develop a range of Maps APIs for business users. For example, retailers can hook directly into the Maps API to provide store locators, analyze shopping behavior by geography, and coordinate service/support personnel. These developments all signify that Google's very serious about making Maps the core of a new commercial marketplace. If you’re serious about showing up in this marketplace, here’s what you need to do:
1. Enable Location Extensions in Adwords If you haven’t done this, stop reading this article and immediately enable Location Extensions for your Google Adwords campaigns. Location Extensions allow you to enter business hours, Google reviews, and phone numbers to your listings. These will be critical when an ad is displayed in Google Maps. (You'll need to enable Location Extensions at the Account level and also set locational bids.) 2. Complete your business’ 'Google My Business' listing Doing this establishes your business’ formal existence and public identity with Google. Even a “virtual business” with no physical address should establish a presence here; if you do have a physical location, or multiple physical locations, Google provides a “dashboard” that makes editing and adding content very easy. 3. Add some content to your business listing If you don’t, Maps users searching for your business will see a “default” image – usually sourced from Google Street View – that doesn’t always paint a flattering picture. Seize the opportunity to provide images that drive people to your enterprise – not away from it. 4. Get first mover advantage Savvy marketers will want to get a robust presence on Maps as soon as possible. There’s little question that Google regards Maps as a core part of its suite of advertising tools, and its recent spate of announcements proves that Google is applying a lot of developmental muscle to the platform. At the same time, however, it’s clear – after just a little casual Maps-based surfing – that many businesses are not taking advantage of the full potential of the platform. It’s best not to be one of these laggards, because first-mover advantage only accrues to those who move first.
Which restaurant chains score high on social media? Quick-service and casual-dining brands ranked by Engagement Labs www.nrn.com April 25, 2015 Article by Ron Ruggless Retaining social-media audiences has become a key focus for restaurant brands, both in quick service and casual dining. Toronto-based Engagement Labs has released a ranking of restaurant brands and how they are performing on the three major social media platforms of Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. The company also ranked the brands on how they were faring in word-of-mouth conversations. A spokesperson said Engagement measures the level of interaction (likes, comments, favorites, shares, clicks, etc.) generated by the brand’s content and how well its followers react to it. Bryan Segal, CEO of Engagement Labs, said in a statement that “while restaurants are reaching audiences easily on social media, retention is the key focus for both quick-service and casual-dining restaurants as they aim to stay ahead of the competition by having consumers come back to their channels consistently and remain top of mind.” “Our research showed while quick-service restaurants were scoring extremely high for impact, their social media success was hindered when their content wasn’t engaging their audiences enough or the brand lacked a significant response,” Segal said.
4 Social Media Trends to Watch www.huffingtonpost.com
May 27, 2016 Article by Nika Stewart
Social media is moving at breakneck speeds and yesterday’s latest craze is today’s “That is so 2015.” In order to stay on top of your marketing game, you need to know what’s going on in this everevolving social world. Knowledge is power, and the more social media knowledge you have, the less likely you’ll be hanging out on MySpace when everyone else has moved on to Snapchat and Periscope. Let’s get schooled.
1. Live Streaming We don’t only want more video; we want more reality. An unscripted performance in whatever form you want to serve is just what users are demanding. With the introduction of Facebook Live and the announcement that the network will give preferential treatment to Live videos, there’s no reason why brands should not be cashing in on this exposure. Getting your video placed at the top of followers’ news feeds is a marketing gold mine on The Social Network. Periscope and Meerkat’s unedited, unfiltered live streams took the world by storm in 2015, and there’s no sign of them slowing down. The photo and video sharing app Snapchat is also slated to be a front-runner in social media in the coming years, but only 5 percent of marketers are currently taking advantage of the network. Snapping is no longer just for the kids — the brands that are hopping on the bandwagon are bringing innovative and fresh content for this ever-expanding audience. Now is the time for businesses to get on board.
2. Influencer Marketing According to the latest Nielson study, over 90% of consumers trust recommendations from friends and family. We’ve slapped a fancy name on it, but at the end of the day, this is what influencer marketing really is: getting products into the hands of people whom others trust. Peer recommendations have the power to sway buyers and inspire purchase decisions, not because they have a zillion followers or have perfect lips, but because they are reliable, personable sources we believe. For this reason, it is crucial that brands create a superior customer experience, fostering community and building strong relationships with followers; word-of-mouth is quickly becoming the million dollar commercial.
3. Video Video use on social media has been steadily increasing, with astronomical growth reported in 2015. Facebook’s move toward more video includes its launch of 360: “a stunning and captivating way for publishers and content creators to share immersive stories, places and experiences with their fans.” In other words, all kinds of industries can capitalize on this new technology by showcasing panoramic views of everything from office spaces to restaurant kitchens to hotel destinations. Snapchat’s new Discover function has become a portal for brands to reach new audiences with bite-sized, easily-digested snippets of video and infographics, while Instagram’s new upgrade to 60-second video satisfies the demand for more airtime.
4. Social Buying Like it? Prove it. The BUY button: if it hasn’t already, it’s coming to a social network near you. With the growth of online and mobile commerce, this is a natural next step in the world of buying and selling. A BUY button simplifies the purchasing process, reducing the amount of steps between browsing and buying. It eliminates changed minds and aborted transactions when the consumer is redirected to a website from a social post. Now time will tell if the masses consider social buying a trustworthy way to do business.