Are you superstitious? What are the chances that you’ll find a ladder in your path that you’ll need to walk around or have a black cat appear in front of you? Pretty low, right? It’s more likely (especially if you’re in Southern California) that you’ll have to swerve to avoid a fallen ladder on the freeway instead. And the cat next door has dark brown fur and is friendly. But two things have already happened. I arrived here at my desk to find my computer had decided to reboot. So I lost what I wrote for this particular post; my own fault, right? And there was a big black spider in my kitchen sink. Hey, if that’s the only “things” to happen to me on Friday the 13th I’m doing okay. You may remember this tune about superstition; a #1 hit from the early 70’s:
Stevie Wonder sings “Superstition ain’t the way…” and also reminds us “when you believe in things that you don’t understand, then you suffer.” Hmmm. So, what about social media? Do you believe that social media is going to help your business but you don’t fully understand what it’s about? A few key points regarding social media in general:
It’s not a sales tool.
Social media WILL help your business. And it’s a LOT of hard work if you’re doing it yourself.
All your efforts are not likely to produce results if a well-designed strategy isn't in place.
It takes a long time to build awareness for your brand through social media. Patience and persistence is key. This is not a “try it 14 days” commitment here.
It compliments and works in conjunction with traditional promotional methods, provided everything has the same messaging, look and feel.
It requires “being there”. It’s not “set it and forget it”; if a fan or follower asks a question, they’re looking for an answer from you. Now.
While you’re getting to know social media better and trying different things with it, a black cat may cross your path. So be it. Toss that furry friend a fish and keep moving forward. You may feel like you've broken that mirror. Pick up the pieces and continue. Oh and that ladder? You might walk under it, but it didn't collapse, did it?
No seven years of bad luck here! May your social media efforts be as positive as a lucky rabbit’s foot and may you find that four leaf clover in the field of social engagement. Stop by... and say hello! There's thewebsite, Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ ...I'll say Hi back.
Please let me be wrong! I think the new restaurant by me (let’s call it “Sidewalk Café”) is going to fail. The food I’ve tried there is tasty; that’s good.
And why do I think this?
That location had a major failure before they moved in. It could be enough to keep some folks away.
Right from the start they’re using Val Pak. Offer people 20% off at your new restaurant. Will this work? Well, it will “train” people to EXPECT 20% off, ALWAYS. What happened to longer term strategy building a reputation instead?
The clientele dining there. I've dined there several times and have rarely seen anyone dining there under the age of fifty. Are they all bringing Val Pak coupons? Where's the rest of the world?
The atmosphere. Well, there’s no theme and not much décor so while clean and pleasant, it’s not exciting.
After a couple of months, the service is still sketchy. On my last visit I was told that it would “be a while” for my food even though the place wasn't crowded. My dish came in a timely fashion anyway. On my first visit I sat outside and it took them 45 minutes to turn on the heater. Meanwhile I was close to shivering. Hope they’re better rehearsed at using those devices now. That same evening I ordered trout and was served salmon to me. The waitress told me I got a good deal because the salmon cost more! Uh, ok.
The website shows few photos of the food; which of course, should be the star! Accessing the menu is cumbersome; you have to click on each listing for the description and the price.
Their social media sucks.
Sidewalk Café has 14 fans on Facebook and 9 followers on Twitter. Every single post is about their specials. I have seen this so many times…they are using these outlets as a sales tool! But it gets worse. The twitter feed is prominently displayed on the front page of their website. The last tweet says“68 days ago”on it. On my last visit I spoke with the owner. I offered up ONE piece of advice:
“If you’re not going to use your social media accounts, delete them. Having them just sitting there is going to hurt you in the long run.” I elaborated a bit more and pointed out the 54 days (at that time) lapse in tweets. The reply? “Oh, my son was doing that”. THAT, my friends, is a tragedy; why recruit your kids to do something they don’t know how or don’t WANT to do? Social Media is a serious commitment. And sadly, my advice has not been followed.
Let’s say there’s a miracle and you happen to land on their page. What would your reaction be when you see tweets that are 68 days old? Is the food just as stale?
During another visit I handed my card to the owner and told him what I do for a living. He said “Can I pay you with free meals?” I replied with a firm “No”. Obviously, social media is on the back burner for him. If he only knew how cookin’ Sidewalk Cafe could be through social media. Oh, don’t get me started!
All of this comes on the heels of my finishing a great read, Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain (I’ll have a post about HIM soon). I mentioned this culinary celeb to the owner and he had never heard of him.
That’s a shame. The book relays a scenario about how some restaurants start; the owner has already had a career elsewhere, however, when throwing parties his friends devoured his cooking with glee and said time and time again “you’re so good at this; why don’t you open a restaurant?” and so he does. His friends come and eat for free or for little money. And when times get bad and the freebies cease, the “friends” disappear.
I’ll stop by the restaurant again. I don’t want to see them fail. The owners seem like really nice people!
