My previous posts that provided tips on how to grow restaurant business using Facebook and Instagram have already established the importance of Social Media in the present scenario. In this post, I will inform how the already established or aspiring restaurant owners can use another highly popular application, TWITTER to up their game in the market.

 

Restaurants generally avoid using Twitter as a part of their promotion game, due to a number of reasons. Most of the people are not familiar with the idea of Twitter yet and do not know how to use it smartly. The ones who try to use it to their advantage, gradually find out that this platform is full of noise, rants, bickering, and shouts that become overwhelming at times. The consistent tweeting, following the trends, and creating the network requires too much work, and so users generally give up when they do not get the expected responses from the ‘tweeples,’ that is, the ‘twitter people.’ Another reason is that Twitter feels like too much work- people at times, lack the patience and are not ready to accept the fact the since they are new to this platform, it will take some time for them to accumulate a good number of followers and begin getting attention. People generally are of the opinion that it is futile to be on their toes for a good number of 40-50 days for a mere 100-150 followers on a social networking site like Twitter, but trust me, it is worth the patience and efforts! Twitter works like magic if one is smart enough to know how to use it.

 

Understand this: Twitter is a place where the noise is too much since it is a very fast paced news website (Yes, it is listed under ‘News Website’ category on all App stores). Twitter is the fastest in breaking the news among all the Social Media platforms, because almost all the news channels and celebrities have their accounts on this site. Things go viral on Twitter in a few minutes and are later shared on Instagram, Facebook, and other sites. This is the very reason why you should be on Twitter!

Read on:

 

• Twitter gives you the platform to add to the noise in the already noisy world. Most of the people on this site like to tweet on the latest happenings round the world using hashtags. For instance, during an India versus Pakistan ODI, tweeples normally use the hashtag, #IndvsPak in their tweets that causes it to trend. Most of the tweeples have their eyes more on their mobile screens than on their TV screens during the match since they are more interested in reading the tweets on this hashtag. So, here is your idea: Take the advantage of the situation and start posting about your restaurant services using this hashtag in your tweets. Connect the happenings of your restaurant with the ODI in a creative manner. For example, you can post a picture of the customers in your restaurant focusing towards the TV screen during the match. You can also post a small video of the staff members dancing in delight when an Indian bowler takes the wicket of a Pakistani batsman. As people would see such tweets on this hashtag, a lot of them would RT it and you will reach wider audience on Twitter. People might start checking out your profile then, check out the location, and you know the rest.

 

• Interact with people: Offer free food/drinks to people whose tweets you have personally liked. Offer them vouchers as a humble gesture. Take care that these people have a good number of followers, are highly active on Twitter, and are from the city where your restaurant s situated.

 

• Ask food bloggers and photographers to visit your restaurant and write about it. Offer them free drinks and be very humble and generous.

 

• Target Twitter celebs. They have a good number of followers and are the ones who generally start the trends on Twitter. Twitter celebs are highly influencing people who can make or break the image of anybody within minutes.

 

• Invite multiple Twitter users from your area at the same time. Call it a tweet-up that provides them free drinks! Be their host in a way. People from same city on Twitter seem to create Twitter groups. Study their interaction and target them accordingly.

 

• Direct Message: Approach people in your area through DM. It is very effective!

 

• Organize quiz contests on Twitter every week that provides free vouchers to the winners. Make these contests fun and creative! Ask the participants to RT all the tweets related to the quiz.

 

• Post about the service requirements like, “Graphic Designer Needed. Interested person can DM us. Please RT.” Such tweets make your restaurant sound genuine to the tweeples.

 

• Make threads (a series of tweets on a particular topic) about things like, food myths, types of coffee or Indian spices. Teach people about new and unique stuff related to cooking. When people will read interesting and informative stuff, they are more likely to RT it, that is, share it with their followers which in turn will gain you more followers.

 

• Tweet at least 10-15 times a day. Tweet more during high-noise hours. Now, there is a thin line between spamming and tweeting a lot. Be aware of that. \

 

• Be witty and humourous in your tweets but avoid being sarcastic. The key to attract the crowd is to sound fun and interesting, and at the same time, positive.

 

• Keep your location open in your profile. Your ‘Pinned Tweet’ should contain something informative about your restaurant. Use smart display and cover picture, and write appropriate stuff in the Twitter bio. Do not forget to include the link to your Facebook or Instagram handle in your Twitter bio.

 

These are some of the tips that can surely get you attention on Twitter. This surely requires a lot of work since you have to be constantly active on this app to make business, but it is worth all the efforts as Twitter can get you a lot of customers, a lot more than Facebook and Instagram combined; I am not joking. Point is, that you have to be patient and consistent with this app. And I guess, to make sure your restaurant business is not harmed financially, you’d be willing to do.

 

Drop in your comments in the section below for any queries. Have fun tweeting, and take care!