Social media saves restaurant

posted by Kelsey 11 July 2010

This is the kind of story we like to hear.

Andrew Wilkins, the owner of a Florida restaurant has credited Twitter with saving his business.

According to this 13 News story, Wilkins posted on the business' Facebook page that the restaurant was in trouble. Not only did the ensuing patronage allow Wilkins to continue operating, but he needed to reopen a long disused dining room to cope with the influx.

It's a fantastic story, Social Media saves the day. What makes this tale special, however, is that it's not the norm. Businesses all over the globe are attempting to use social media to grow their business without this level of success.

So what did Wilkins do right?

His page reflects a personality
it shows humor, passion and honesty. It's genuine.
He responds
not to every comment, but to most.
It has relevant info displayed prominently
the opening hours, address and phone are in the info box and directly below the page's logo image is a box with links to the latest reviews.
He promotes the local community
Wilkins recognises his fellow businesses and local events - it's not all about him.
He posts photos
of food, of guests, of specials boards, of the outside - it conveys atmosphere.
Staff and guest posts are encouraged.

I'm lacking one part of the story, however: how does the St Pete Brasserie promote its Facebook page in the real world? It's clear its customers love it and are willing to get involved online and create referrals. I'll be contacting Andrew Wilkins to see what advice he has for other real world businesses using Facebook to drive growth.

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About the author

Kelsey

Kelsey Brookes is a professional designer, online strategist and writer.

From the late 90s Kelsey managed the multimedia and film courses at the prestigious Computer Graphics College, Sydney and eventually founded the Melbourne chapter of the college.

At the same time, Kelsey was a feature writer for Digital Media World magazine, interviewing subjects from the Australian and overseas film and production industries.

Since 1999 Kelsey has managed thinksync, providing design, online strategy and marketing services to clients around Australia.

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