Brenda Segna writes in her blog http://segnamarketing.blogspot.com/2008/11/myspace-for-seo-and-web-marketing.html about using MySpace to attract young customers to a Pizza place.
Some restaurant owners (check out these ones: http://www.myspace.com/tarantinopizza and http://www.myspace.com/mamacitascafe as an example) created a MySpace site to promote their businesses.
MySpace is a social networking website offering an interactive, user-submitted network of friends, personal profiles, blogs, groups, photos, music and videos for teenagers and adults. It is a very music oriented social networking site so teens and young adults constitute the majority of its 120 million members (yes, you read this right One Hundred Million Members!).
As you can imagine, if you have a restaurant targeted to the younger crowd (pizzerias a prototypical example), your message can find them easier if you advertise in the places where they "hang out". In this case is a virtual hang-out but as valid as the physical world one for marketing purposes.
Creating a MySpace page is free and relatively easy (although the two examples that I gave you have been designed by professionals) so you may want to consider it. There is also the ability to add background music, blogs, etc.
Check out www.myspace.com and give it a try. You never know if it will bring you lots of new customers.
Happy Networking,
Jose L Riesco
© Riesco Consulting Inc.
www.twitter.com/jlriesco
http://www.myrestaurantmarketing.com
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Bite2Eat
I't come to my attention a new Web site called www.Bite2Eat.com
It's a site where people can order (take out or deliver) food. Although there are several sites that follow this model, Bite2Eat is trying to differentiate themselves from the others by adding a community spin to the on-line ordering business. They call it "Buddy Order" and they have a video explaining how it works. In my humble opinion, the video is not very clear and I told them so in an email that I sent them with some feedback.
Since they are just getting started with this effort, there is room for improvement in their site to better explain how their offering is better than their competitors. However, they are very open to get feedback and improve upon it, so if you would like to tell them your ideas for improvement, and how can they serve you better, you can do it here: http://bite2eat.com/form_pages/contact_us
As a restaurateur, you can register to participate free of charge. You will only pay a commission of 10% for each sale that you make through their service. This is a good business model for both parties since you will only pay if you sell your food, and they only make money if you have sales so they are very motivated to work with you and promote your business if they want to be profitable.
Go ahead, connect with their site and register, you don't have much to lose (nothing actually) and perhaps you will start getting lots of additional customers ordering food to go.
Jose L Riesco
© Riesco Consulting Inc.
www.twitter.com/jlriesco
http://www.myrestaurantmarketing.com
It's a site where people can order (take out or deliver) food. Although there are several sites that follow this model, Bite2Eat is trying to differentiate themselves from the others by adding a community spin to the on-line ordering business. They call it "Buddy Order" and they have a video explaining how it works. In my humble opinion, the video is not very clear and I told them so in an email that I sent them with some feedback.
Since they are just getting started with this effort, there is room for improvement in their site to better explain how their offering is better than their competitors. However, they are very open to get feedback and improve upon it, so if you would like to tell them your ideas for improvement, and how can they serve you better, you can do it here: http://bite2eat.com/form_pages/contact_us
As a restaurateur, you can register to participate free of charge. You will only pay a commission of 10% for each sale that you make through their service. This is a good business model for both parties since you will only pay if you sell your food, and they only make money if you have sales so they are very motivated to work with you and promote your business if they want to be profitable.
Go ahead, connect with their site and register, you don't have much to lose (nothing actually) and perhaps you will start getting lots of additional customers ordering food to go.
Jose L Riesco
© Riesco Consulting Inc.
www.twitter.com/jlriesco
http://www.myrestaurantmarketing.com
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Restaurant Join Ventures
I was reading today the Wall Street Journal online when I read the news that in a new promotion with TiVo Inc., Domino's Pizza Inc. will begin taking orders using only a TV set from customers who have broadband TiVo service. For the ones of you who don't know what TiVo is, you can find more information here: (http://www.tivo.com/whatistivo/tivois/index.html)
This is how it works: When a customer forwards through a commercial for Domino's, TiVo will flash a pop-up advertisement that asks the customer if she would like to order a pizza, then direct her to a Domino's ordering screen.
I think that the idea is brilliant. Think about it. Who is the ideal candidate to order pizza? Probably somebody who is hungry and watching TV. Domino's can target their ads to a hungry multitude eager to get their products and able to buy on the spot!
Both companies will benefit from this deal. TiVo will increase its revenue by allowing their technology to display a Domino's link to their ordering screen. Domino's will capture thousands of new customers that otherwise will remain inactive or order some food from some competitors.
This is the power of Join Venture. All parties benefit.
Now think about your restaurant: Is there any company that you could make a deal with to promote your business?
Do you have a local business or company whose employees go to your restaurant for lunch on a regular basis? If so perhaps you can make an agreement with the owners or managers and provide them with customized lunches (pre-packaged and easy to eat) that their employees can order (online or on the phone) and your restaurant will deliver to their premises. Explain to the managers that, in this way, their employees don't need to spend time and go out for eating. They may save time and the employees may appreciate the convenience.
You can also think about other creative solutions such as doing business with:
Jose L Riesco
© Riesco Consulting Inc.
www.twitter.com/jlriesco
http://www.myrestaurantmarketing.com
This is how it works: When a customer forwards through a commercial for Domino's, TiVo will flash a pop-up advertisement that asks the customer if she would like to order a pizza, then direct her to a Domino's ordering screen.
I think that the idea is brilliant. Think about it. Who is the ideal candidate to order pizza? Probably somebody who is hungry and watching TV. Domino's can target their ads to a hungry multitude eager to get their products and able to buy on the spot!
Both companies will benefit from this deal. TiVo will increase its revenue by allowing their technology to display a Domino's link to their ordering screen. Domino's will capture thousands of new customers that otherwise will remain inactive or order some food from some competitors.
This is the power of Join Venture. All parties benefit.
Now think about your restaurant: Is there any company that you could make a deal with to promote your business?
Do you have a local business or company whose employees go to your restaurant for lunch on a regular basis? If so perhaps you can make an agreement with the owners or managers and provide them with customized lunches (pre-packaged and easy to eat) that their employees can order (online or on the phone) and your restaurant will deliver to their premises. Explain to the managers that, in this way, their employees don't need to spend time and go out for eating. They may save time and the employees may appreciate the convenience.
You can also think about other creative solutions such as doing business with:
- Local jewelry stores: you can sell them gift certificates for a discounted price so that they can pass them along to their customers
- Car dealers, beauty saloons, hair saloons, spas... : same concept
- Other restaurants: yes, you can cross-promote other restaurants with a totally different kind of food. People like variety and will try different foods. For example, if you own an Italian restaurant, you can cross-promote a sushi place or an indian restaurant... And they can do the same with you. It is a win/win proposition. I hope that you get the idea.
- etc.
Jose L Riesco
© Riesco Consulting Inc.
www.twitter.com/jlriesco
http://www.myrestaurantmarketing.com
Monday, November 17, 2008
Hungry
Seth Godin has a really good blog call Hungry. You can check it here: http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2008/11/hungry.html
If you don't know Seth, he is the bestselling author of more than seven books. He writes about marketing, the spread of ideas and managing both customers and employees with respect. (This bio is taken from his Squidoo page). I really recommend you to subscribe to his blog since he usually posts really insightful and interesting information.
The point that he makes in his blog Hungry, is that people are not really hungry most of the time. They just want to experience the satisfying feeling of fullness or the satisfaction that people associate with eating good food.
If we extrapolate this idea to the restaurant business, your restaurant provides (or should provide) your clients, not only with food to fuel their bodies, but with an emotional experience to satisfy all their senses (yes, with emphasis on the senses of taste and smell, but without forgetting the rest).
This is why it is so important to appeal to your clients' five senses all at once:
Only when you can pamper all 5 senses at once, you will move from the category of good restaurant to the category of excellent restaurant. You will provide your clients with an "incredible dinning experience", a experience that they will remember and tell all their friends and relatives giving you the best advertising that you can get anywhere.
Give it a try. Look at your place and make a list of things that you can improve to appeal all the senses. You don't need to spend a fortune, just be thoughtful and think how can you improve the sensorial experience of your clients. You both will be happier. I guarantee you.
Jose L Riesco
© Riesco Consulting Inc.
www.twitter.com/jlriesco
http://www.myrestaurantmarketing.com
If you don't know Seth, he is the bestselling author of more than seven books. He writes about marketing, the spread of ideas and managing both customers and employees with respect. (This bio is taken from his Squidoo page). I really recommend you to subscribe to his blog since he usually posts really insightful and interesting information.
The point that he makes in his blog Hungry, is that people are not really hungry most of the time. They just want to experience the satisfying feeling of fullness or the satisfaction that people associate with eating good food.
If we extrapolate this idea to the restaurant business, your restaurant provides (or should provide) your clients, not only with food to fuel their bodies, but with an emotional experience to satisfy all their senses (yes, with emphasis on the senses of taste and smell, but without forgetting the rest).
This is why it is so important to appeal to your clients' five senses all at once:
- Sight: With beautiful and tasty decor and ambience. Put some art if you can afford it, and above all, have your place spotless clean.
- Hearing: Have some good background or live music to make their dinning experience even better.
- Taste: The key one for obvious reasons. If your food is not good, the rest doesn't matter really.
- Smell: Closely related to taste and specially appealing if you are selling good wines or other aromatic foods and drinks.
- Touch: This one is interesting. The quality of your silverware, your plates, your glasses, your tablecloths (if you have them), napkins, etc. they all contribute to the overall experience.
Only when you can pamper all 5 senses at once, you will move from the category of good restaurant to the category of excellent restaurant. You will provide your clients with an "incredible dinning experience", a experience that they will remember and tell all their friends and relatives giving you the best advertising that you can get anywhere.
Give it a try. Look at your place and make a list of things that you can improve to appeal all the senses. You don't need to spend a fortune, just be thoughtful and think how can you improve the sensorial experience of your clients. You both will be happier. I guarantee you.
Jose L Riesco
© Riesco Consulting Inc.
www.twitter.com/jlriesco
http://www.myrestaurantmarketing.com
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Using Twitter to Promote Your Restaurant
I am so busy building my consulting business and finishing editing the last chapter of my Restaurant Marketing Strategies book (almost done, two more weeks and I will have it ready!) that I didn't even have time to blog lately.
However, today I was reading today an interesting blog from 9 Giant Steps called "A restaurant is actually doing The Straddle: (http://www.9giantsteps.com/?p=1000) and this blog got me motivated to write a short comment.
Twitter (for the ones of you who are not familiar with all the Social Media happening lately) is a service for friends, family, and coworkers to communicate and stay connected through the exchange of quick, frequent messages answering the question: What are you doing? You can find more information about this service in their home site: www.twitter.com
George Howard, the blogger in www.9giantsteps.com was wondering if any restaurateur was tweeting out their specials to spread the word to potential customers using this social media.
Well, the world is big and there are many restaurateurs trying to actively promote their business so he got some answers from a couple of places that use Twitter as a means to advertise their specials.
This is a great idea for a bar or a place with lots of activity and things happening. Many people use Twitter from their mobile phones or notebooks connected via WiFi so a well placed information about your specials could entice somebody to visit your place.
Location and timeliness could be the factors that make somebody react and go to your restaurant instead of your competitors.
The nice thing about Twitter is that the messages have to be short by definition. Twitter doesn't allow you to write anything that has more than 140 characters so you need to be concise in your messages.
Go ahead, give it a try and be creative. You never know how many people will respond to your messages.
By the way, my Twitter name is @jlriesco so feel free to follow me, send me some messages with feedback or just to let me know that you read my blogs.
Happy Tweeting!
Jose L Riesco
© Riesco Consulting Inc.
www.twitter.com/jlriesco
http://www.myrestaurantmarketing.com
However, today I was reading today an interesting blog from 9 Giant Steps called "A restaurant is actually doing The Straddle: (http://www.9giantsteps.com/?p=1000) and this blog got me motivated to write a short comment.
Twitter (for the ones of you who are not familiar with all the Social Media happening lately) is a service for friends, family, and coworkers to communicate and stay connected through the exchange of quick, frequent messages answering the question: What are you doing? You can find more information about this service in their home site: www.twitter.com
George Howard, the blogger in www.9giantsteps.com was wondering if any restaurateur was tweeting out their specials to spread the word to potential customers using this social media.
Well, the world is big and there are many restaurateurs trying to actively promote their business so he got some answers from a couple of places that use Twitter as a means to advertise their specials.
This is a great idea for a bar or a place with lots of activity and things happening. Many people use Twitter from their mobile phones or notebooks connected via WiFi so a well placed information about your specials could entice somebody to visit your place.
Location and timeliness could be the factors that make somebody react and go to your restaurant instead of your competitors.
The nice thing about Twitter is that the messages have to be short by definition. Twitter doesn't allow you to write anything that has more than 140 characters so you need to be concise in your messages.
Go ahead, give it a try and be creative. You never know how many people will respond to your messages.
By the way, my Twitter name is @jlriesco so feel free to follow me, send me some messages with feedback or just to let me know that you read my blogs.
Happy Tweeting!
Jose L Riesco
© Riesco Consulting Inc.
www.twitter.com/jlriesco
http://www.myrestaurantmarketing.com
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