By Dale J. Venturini
President/CEO, Rhode Island Hospitality Association
“Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.” – Benjamin Franklin
While Benjamin Franklin, one of our nation’s founding fathers, may not have foreseen the advent of social media in the 1700s, he certainly realized that in order to engage an audience, you need to include them in the conversation, not just lecture to them.
Social media is really about becoming part of the conversation. Whether it’s through Facebook, Twitter, YouTube or other bookmarking sites, in order to use this medium successfully, you need to be targeted with whom you engage to affect the best results. These forums were set up so that INTERESTED parties could engage in common interests. Imagine if you could advertise to just those folks who were actually interested in your message? Well, this medium allows that – and at no cost except the operator’s time and energies to keep the content fresh.
Many of us are still confused with this new platform – what is it? How can I use it? Does it work? Is it really free? The long and short of it is that it is a new way to connect to people who share your similar interests and goals. If you own a restaurant, you engage foodies, oenophiles, culinary media, etc. If you own a bar, you can engage a similar crowd and wine & spirits media.
Most of us are probably familiar with Facebook – it’s a great way to stay in touch with people you might have lost contact with. While billed as a consumer-only site, many companies have successful pages on this medium and regularly share news on their products and offerings in a non-overt sales way to interested consumers. In addition, many business owners also run Facebook-only contests and promotions – often giving out codes for special discounts, appetizers, etc. It’s a great – and cost-effective – way to share your message with interested fans and followers.
Twitter is a great medium for ‘contributing to the conversation.’ If the topic of the day is culinary, then it’s a great way for a restaurateur to add his or her two cents on a range of topics – not always with regard to his or her business – but, often on a macro level. Twitter is like a constant news feed, fed by media, consumers and businesses; each entity trying to spread a message on a macro or micro level to interested and engaged followers. Twitter, like Facebook, is also a fantastic medium for contests and promotions for your followers.
YouTube, a clearing house for all things video, really works if you have a great commercial that you’d like to share or video from a recent event that went well, etc. It’s a video website where consumers can search by category, title, etc. Again, it’s the ability to reach a targeted audience who has the opportunity to view only subjects that are of interest to them.
Now, how big is social media now? Well, according to the National Restaurant Association’s (NRA) Industry Forecast for 2010, there will be a huge focus on new media to reach new and returning guests. In fact, social media and networking sites like Twitter and Facebook will continue to play a large role in the way consumers receive information. Good old fashioned ‘word of mouth’ which is probably the best form of PR out there, has moved to the social space. If you don’t have a social media plan – you might want to think about creating one for your property this year.
A recent report by the Pew Research Center, a nonpartisan, nonprofit "fact tank" that provides information on the issues, attitudes and trends shaping America and the world, recently unveiled some pretty compelling facts on how Americans use different platforms to get their information. In fact, 92% of Americans use multiple platforms including the Internet, which is the third most popular information platform behind local and national news and ahead of print newspapers and radio.
According to the Center, the internet and mobile technologies are the reason consumers relationship to how they receive news is changing. In today’s new multi-platform media environment, news is becoming portable, personalized, and participatory. In fact, 37% of internet users have contributed to the creation of news, commented about it or disseminated it via postings on social media sites like Twitter and Facebook. The study also showed that people use their social networks and social networking technology to filter, assess, and react to news.
These are very powerful stats! With 92% of Americans using platforms that include the internet, mobile technology and social sites to gain access to news and information, it is a huge opportunity to target and capture a whole new audience of interested and participatory consumers.
The bottom line is that with a pool that large, if you have a targeted plan, you will successfully and efficiently be able to reach new consumers.
President/CEO, Rhode Island Hospitality Association
“Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.” – Benjamin Franklin
While Benjamin Franklin, one of our nation’s founding fathers, may not have foreseen the advent of social media in the 1700s, he certainly realized that in order to engage an audience, you need to include them in the conversation, not just lecture to them.
Social media is really about becoming part of the conversation. Whether it’s through Facebook, Twitter, YouTube or other bookmarking sites, in order to use this medium successfully, you need to be targeted with whom you engage to affect the best results. These forums were set up so that INTERESTED parties could engage in common interests. Imagine if you could advertise to just those folks who were actually interested in your message? Well, this medium allows that – and at no cost except the operator’s time and energies to keep the content fresh.
Many of us are still confused with this new platform – what is it? How can I use it? Does it work? Is it really free? The long and short of it is that it is a new way to connect to people who share your similar interests and goals. If you own a restaurant, you engage foodies, oenophiles, culinary media, etc. If you own a bar, you can engage a similar crowd and wine & spirits media.
Most of us are probably familiar with Facebook – it’s a great way to stay in touch with people you might have lost contact with. While billed as a consumer-only site, many companies have successful pages on this medium and regularly share news on their products and offerings in a non-overt sales way to interested consumers. In addition, many business owners also run Facebook-only contests and promotions – often giving out codes for special discounts, appetizers, etc. It’s a great – and cost-effective – way to share your message with interested fans and followers.
Twitter is a great medium for ‘contributing to the conversation.’ If the topic of the day is culinary, then it’s a great way for a restaurateur to add his or her two cents on a range of topics – not always with regard to his or her business – but, often on a macro level. Twitter is like a constant news feed, fed by media, consumers and businesses; each entity trying to spread a message on a macro or micro level to interested and engaged followers. Twitter, like Facebook, is also a fantastic medium for contests and promotions for your followers.
YouTube, a clearing house for all things video, really works if you have a great commercial that you’d like to share or video from a recent event that went well, etc. It’s a video website where consumers can search by category, title, etc. Again, it’s the ability to reach a targeted audience who has the opportunity to view only subjects that are of interest to them.
Now, how big is social media now? Well, according to the National Restaurant Association’s (NRA) Industry Forecast for 2010, there will be a huge focus on new media to reach new and returning guests. In fact, social media and networking sites like Twitter and Facebook will continue to play a large role in the way consumers receive information. Good old fashioned ‘word of mouth’ which is probably the best form of PR out there, has moved to the social space. If you don’t have a social media plan – you might want to think about creating one for your property this year.
A recent report by the Pew Research Center, a nonpartisan, nonprofit "fact tank" that provides information on the issues, attitudes and trends shaping America and the world, recently unveiled some pretty compelling facts on how Americans use different platforms to get their information. In fact, 92% of Americans use multiple platforms including the Internet, which is the third most popular information platform behind local and national news and ahead of print newspapers and radio.
According to the Center, the internet and mobile technologies are the reason consumers relationship to how they receive news is changing. In today’s new multi-platform media environment, news is becoming portable, personalized, and participatory. In fact, 37% of internet users have contributed to the creation of news, commented about it or disseminated it via postings on social media sites like Twitter and Facebook. The study also showed that people use their social networks and social networking technology to filter, assess, and react to news.
These are very powerful stats! With 92% of Americans using platforms that include the internet, mobile technology and social sites to gain access to news and information, it is a huge opportunity to target and capture a whole new audience of interested and participatory consumers.
The bottom line is that with a pool that large, if you have a targeted plan, you will successfully and efficiently be able to reach new consumers.
