Sunday, 11 July 2010 09:19

Social media saves restaurant

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Social media saves restaurant

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?

  1. His page reflects a personality

    it shows humor, passion and honesty. It's genuine.

  2. He responds

    not to every comment, but to most.

  3. 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.

  4. He promotes the local community

    Wilkins recognises his fellow businesses and local events - it's not all about him.

  5. He posts photos

    of food, of guests, of specials boards, of the outside - it conveys atmosphere.

  6. 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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