4. Don't forget the ‘social’ in social media
Think of social media as a way to “work with” your guests and fans, Swanson said, adding that concepts should find ways to help their audience tell their brand story.
Restaurants can “share [their] wins” by sharing a positive restaurant review with their larger social audience, in addition to fostering engagement by commenting on customers’ posts and leveraging reviews, hashtags and check-ins to find new fans and followers, Swanson said.
Social media should also be used to surprise and delight guests in real time, he said. Concepts can have an employee monitor the restaurant’s social accounts and use check-ins to identify guests currently in the dining room, whom the restaurant can then surprise with something special, such as a comped dessert.
A bonus: If those customers are active social media users, they’re likely to share the experience online.