PENPals’ Guide to Social Media Guides for Foodservice Brands, Part 1

Everyone and their sister has written a How-To for Social Media, so in lieu of doing so ourselves, we’ve set out to collect the best resources we’ve found on the topic, with emphasis on using social media as a foodservice brand.  We’ve sought out articles that seem to present the “Golden Thread” of success, and thereby avoid too much contradiction or overlap, though suggestions may vary between any two articles.  Anyway, without further ado, we present to you PENPals’ Guide to Social Media Guides for Foodservice Brands.

Facebook

How to Use Timeline for Brand Pages: New Feature Details — Josh Constine, TechCrunch
This article popped up right as Facebook was about to make the new Timeline layout mandatory for all business pages.  Instead of going over a whole tutorial-esque introduction to engaging customers on Facebook, try out just this article, which will give you an overview of the features available with Timeline.  You’ve got to know which tools you have before you know what tools to learn more about!

Google+

Google+ beefed up with Zagat, which is now free for all — Jeremy C Owens, Mercury News
We posted this story last week, but feel it belongs here as well.  The ever-tighter integration of Zagat reviews with Google+ searches (those aimed specifically at finding local eateries) has implications for patron relationships I’m sure we don’t need to wax poetic over here.

Elsewhere

3 Steps to Determine if Social Local Mobile Is Right for Your Business — Jamie Turner, Social Media Examiner
A relatively general primer, more focused on helping you decide if you should even bother with social media (Spoilers: if you’re a restaurant, they say YES). There follows some discussion of how to make your targeted customers comfortable with engaging with you through this new strategy. All-around a good place to start when branching out!

Fund your restaurant via social media? It can be done — Bob Krummert, Restaurant Hospitality
Crowd-sourcing is one of those new buzzwords that seems to be everywhere, leaving business owners, and prospective business owners, wondering where they can get involved with this phenomenon.  The answer may be websites like Kickstarter.com, which creates an easy link between the project, or restaurant, and donors of any caliber.  Be very aware, though, if the project’s goal amount isn’t reached, the money doesn’t get sent!  With this in mind, however, many have made it work for them.  This article may help you succeed.

Tags: cafe, foodservice, mobile, restaurant, social media, tech