SOCIAL: Improve Your Food Pic Game for Instagram
Dining is a sensory experience. We make up our minds about food through looks (and then smells) before we’ve even touched a bite. That’s why restaurants have so much success on a visual platform like Instagram. There’s a strong foodie community on Instagram in various cities, but a lot of restaurateurs don’t know how to tap into that. Yes, captivating captions and authentic engagement are important for success on the platform. But imagery has to come first.
DID YOU KNOWS…
What’s the Difference Between Seltzer, Club Soda & Sparkling Mineral Water?
Do you know the difference? Seltzer is plain water that’s been carbonated and is most likely of the three to come in flavors. Club soda is also carbonated but also has the addition of potassium bicarbonate and potassium sulfate in the water, giving it a saltier taste than seltzer. It’s a fav among bartenders. Lastly, sparking mineral water is made of natural spring or well water, so it has naturally occurring minerals in it that sometimes acts as natural carbonation.
Americans Fail at Digital Literacy
A new report by Pew Research Center found that American’s digital literacy is lacking, with 40% of adults answering questions correctly on average. The study asked U.S. adults about a wide range of tech topics from who owns social media sites to tech policies and data privacy. There were three questions that most people got correct, which included what media phishing scams can appear in, what cookies are, and what the biggest source of revenue is for social media platforms.
The Top 10% Own 70% of US Wealth
Ten percent of the richest people in the United States own almost 70% of the country’s total wealth. As of June 2019, the top 10% held 69.4% of total U.S. net worth, which is the value of all assets a person holds minus all their liabilities. Looking beyond that wealth threshold, the top 1% held about half of that wealth, with 32.4% of wealth concentrated in these households.
DIGITALLY SPEAKING
Why it matters to you: Two speakers at MUFSO are telling you to get busy on your mobile digital marketing.
The Multi Unit Food Service Operators (MUFSO) show was held in Denver this week and, as usual, there’s a lot we can learn from the aspirations of the big guys in our industry. There were two highlights we believe are relevant to our audience that we wanted to share. First from a presentation provided by Google about local digital marketing. Igor Liskovets, Director of Google’s Online to Offline Solutions, asserted, “The consumer’s journey starts on the mobile device,” and he brought the stats to back it up.
Start with 89% of dining research being done via smartphone and that additionally 86% of consumers decide where to dine spontaneously or within the day. This is all the proof you need to increase your efforts in mobile. Google suggests you focus on your Google listing where you can include video and images to entice diners as well as post offers to attract them to your restaurant. However, no matter how you reach out to potential diners, you simply MUST focus on your presence in mobile search if you want to compete in this ubiquitous process.
On another note, Gary Vaynerchuk, made clear to multi-unit operators that nothing is more important than your brand. His prescription is to be content driven. He asserts, “To reach customers online, restaurants need to create precisely targeted content. A lot of it. 50 to 100 pieces a day, and it needs to be great.” Easier said than done for small chain and independent operators, but the concept is clear enough from both Google and Vaynerchuk: The way you position your company digitally has deep long-term implications to your success. So, get busy addressing your digital execution or you may disappear without trying.
[Source: Nation’s Restaurant News]
IS THERE A FRANCHISE FOR THAT?
Why it matters to you: Why you should consider a franchise if you want to grow your company.
Yesterday we offered a checklist regarding growth for your restaurant; a how-to on determining the best financial decisions surrounding opening a new location. Well, today we are going to suggest franchising as a way of achieving that goal. No, we aren’t trying to sell you anything, but if you want to grow this post delivers 5 reasons you should consider franchising. You may believe, “I already own a restaurant and am perfectly capable of opening another” and you would almost certainly be right; however, consider some of the items on the list before puffing out your chest with righteous indignation. For example, your next great real estate find might not be a perfect fit for your current concept.
There are a variety of opportunities to choose from among the franchises which means you can match the concept to the location. Furthermore, when you go it alone, you lack the resources your established small chain and national operators enjoy, but franchising delivers exactly that to its members. Those resources mean you don’t have to go it alone and that includes a community of peers that are experiencing the same exact challenges you do and are available to commiserate. Additionally, franchisors are there to create innovation and delivery a product pipeline. So, if you are ready to grow and want to give yourself a fighting chance of sustaining your business, franchising just might be your go to move.
[Source: Entrepreneur]
