SOCIAL MEDIA: 4 Ways to Drive Traffic to Your Website from Instagram
In data presented by Fundera, 69% of Millennial diners now take a photo of their food before eating, 59% of them review menus online, and 30% actively avoid restaurants with a weak social media presence. Having a visually appealing Instagram feed and an active online presence gets attention — and restaurants should take note.
But do these posts actually drive people to click through to a website or visit a restaurant’s location? The answer is yes, they can, but not always. If you want to ensure your posts bring the web and foot traffic you want, you need to consciously optimize your Instagram profile for the purpose of driving traffic.
DID YOU KNOWS…
Super Bowl Promos
The New England Patriots return for their third straight Super Bowl appearance on Sunday, this time against the LA Rams. It’s obviously a big day for sports bars & restaurants across the US and many have created some fun promos to help entice fans to watch the big game at their place or use them as their Super Bowl catering/delivery service. What promos have you built for the big game?
Nielsen also has two great blog posts/research on the Evolution of Super Bowl Spending and comparing Patriots & Rams fans. Worth a look for fun insight to help your business and share with guests.
Hello Polar Vortex
The National Weather Service is currently warning of “brutally” cold temperatures and said that millions across the United States could be affected by subzero temperatures and extreme windchill. The NWS especially warned individuals traveling or walking outside of visibility close to zero and temperatures down to -40° F that can cause frostbite in under 10 minutes as well as hypothermia. Yikes!
The Cost of the Shutdown
The CBO estimates that GDP in the fourth quarter of 2018 was reduced by $3 billion while in the first quarter of 2019, it is estimated to be $8 billion lower than normal. The good news is that most of the economic damage is expected to gradually be reversed as federal workers return to their jobs. The bad news is that the shutdown is expected to make the U.S. economy 0.02% smaller than expected in 2019. Even though most of the $11 billion losses will be recovered, an estimated $3 billion has been lost permanently, according to the COB.
STAYING OFF THE HACKER RADAR
Why it matters to you: What can you learn from Marriott’s cybersecurity failures?
Late last year, Marriott International revealed they had a cybersecurity breech that affected half a billion people’s data. By any standard that is a massive problem. Hotels have even more data than restaurant do regarding their customers. From credit card info to birthdays, our industry is a treasure trove of data for those intent on stealing it. Most operators can do little to reduce the exposure they have to hackers, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try. In the case of Marriott, it wasn’t their first exposure last year and it won’t be their last.
For small and medium sized operators your exposures are just as real, but most of you lack the resources to truly avoid a breech. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t do anything to be safe. The key to avoiding an incident that may not only expose your guests, but also hurt your business, is to take a proactive approach. This means reviewing the security provided by your third-party vendors like your POS system, credit card provider, and any other software you use to collect and manage guest data. Among the simplest proactive methods is changing passwords. For most of us, that is enough to keep out the bad guys. For those of you that need more, this primer on how to manage before and after a cyber security incident should be helpful.
[Source: Modern Restaurant Management]
MAKING MEALS WITH MEANING
Why it matters to you: Jose Andres is the chef role model you didn’t know you needed.
During last month’s government shutdown, Celebrity Chef Jose Andres and his non-profit fed 11,400 meals to furloughed workers in one day. This amazing performance is on the heels of feeding 3.6 million meals in storm ravaged Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria. You may know Jose Andres from his many restaurants (our favorite is Jaleo) but, honestly, everything the guy does rocks.
It’s also no surprise he stepped up when our government shut down. Andres has a complicated relationship with our current POTUS that stems from litigation between him and Donald Trump after he pulled a restaurant startup project from the Trump property in Washington.
Jose Andres is a perfect embodiment of our assertion that your business and your career can benefit from a purpose-built approach. In the case of Andres, he has leveraged his celebrity to bring awareness to immigrant issues and deliver aid to those suffering. The story of how World Central Kitchen came to be is a master course in directing one’s passion and competency can to amazing accomplishments. Thanks Chef Andres for being the role model our industry needs.
[Source: Eater]
