Tips and Tricks

Implementing a Social Media Plan for Your Restaurant

Posted on by Sarah Hoffman

implementing a social media strategy for your restaurant

1. Determine an overall budget

Think about how much you can realistically invest in social media advertising, whether it is $30 a month or $600 a month. Having an overall budget will help you plan what you can afford which will, in part, determine where the best place to put your money will be. If you can only spend $1 per day, you will not be able to use Twitter or LinkedIn. Facebook is your only option (it’s a good option and something that I recommend every restaurant invest in).

2. Create a Social Media Marketing Plan
A social media marketing plan will keep you focused and on track when it comes to your social media. I prefer the Brandeo Marketing Calendar because it covers all the bases. I update the categories based on the business. It’s a great template for dividing up your work and spreading it out evenly. Remember: Marketing isn’t just about social media. A good marketing plan has elements of social media, direct marketing, SEO, and email marketing.

http://www.brandeo.com/content/2014-marketing-calendar-template

Filling Out Your Social Media Plan

  • You can change the headings on the side. For a restaurant, I suggest adding a coupon line as well as a photo feature line.
  • Space out your blog writings as much as you need to. There is a great content generation tool at http://www.portent.com/tools/title-maker. Use this to come up with interesting topics. If you want to do a blog topic on food, enter the subject and voila!
    • 5 Ways to Become the MacGyver of Food
    • Unbelievable Food Success Stories
    • The Evolution of Serving Food
  • You can also enter special menu items in here.
  • Use the top line for key holidays and other key dates so that you can be prepared for upcoming holidays.
  • Commit to your keywords (see below).
  • Set aside time each week to answer customer reviews and complaints (the sooner the better).

3. Schedule Carefully
What tends to happen with a lot of small businesses is that they invest heavily in social media for a while and then quit. That is one of the worst things you can do as a business. Make sure that whatever you commit to, you can maintain. It is far better to post good quality content once a week or every two weeks than to go hot and heavy and quit.

4. SEO Is Not a One Time Investment
SEO is a twisted and wicked web. Many businesses find an SEO company to handle their search and then expectations fall short as it does not help with visibility. It takes time to build results. It takes time to get listed on Search Engines. If you use keywords, that takes time as well.

The algorithms are always changing for Google, Bing, Facebook, etc. 2015 is all about local and custom content. There is a tool called Moz Local (https://moz.com/local) that can help you. It is $84 per year and is a pretty sound investment. It will help you register your site and resolve any conflicts that exist in your information. Note: You lose Google points if you have duplicate information so clearing that up can be doubly helpful.

5. Custom Content – YES! YES! YES!
If you really want to commit to custom content, hire a writer. You can usually find a writer on www.thumbtack.com for about $30 per article. Commit to having new content once a month or every other month.

Take a lot of pictures. The restaurant / bar industry is great for pictures! People love food. They also love knowing what other people are up to.
Video is all the rage! Everyone has a camera on their phone these days. Take some video. Uploading a fun night, a funny karaoke performance, or cooking tips will take your social media from bland to fantastic.

6. Switch up your Social Media Headers
I put a space in the calendar for this. It’s a reminder to do it in the beginning of the month. Use hi-resolution pictures.

The monetary and time commitment to social media does not have to be over the top. It is a commitment though – you need to invest what you can without it becoming overwhelming. Remember it isn’t about quantity its about consistency and quality.

$30 a month and 15 minutes a day will help! Just don’t let it fall off your radar. Start considering social media as important as ordering food.

Keep Your Floors Shining Like the ‘Top of the Empire State Building’!

Posted on by cleansetec

restaurant floorNeed floor cleaning tips?

Cleaning floors in your kitchen can be one of the most grueling and time consuming daily chores every restaurant faces.  Keeping your floors shining can seem nearly impossible.  But no one wants slippery or sticky floors when the kitchen staff are in full force on a busy night.  The smart folks at Restaurant-Hospitality.com came up with a surefire guide to cleaning floors properly and efficiently so your tired crew can go home at the end of the night.  Besides regular maintenance, make sure to check out their 7 Tips for Cleaning Commercial Kitchen Floors and ask your Cleanse Tec Rep for more tips and products we can offer to help make your life simpler and your wallet thicker.  Our floor products can help you maintain that cleanliness and shine that will set you apart.

Prevent Food Poisoning: No one wants to puke after eating at your restaurant

Posted on by cleansetec
food poisoningYour restaurant has all the makings for success: a great space, a top notch chef, a wonderful staff.  You’re reputation is spreading like wildfire and business is booming!  When suddenly one of your guests is struck by food poisoning.  Bacteria left behind from raw meats and seafood are among the leading causes of food poisoning in restaurants.  And no news spreads faster than negative press — this one incident can significantly damage all of your hard earned accolades in one fell swoop.
Preventing this type of scenario is possible.  Keeping food at correct temperatures, hands washed, and surfaces spotless are essential.   Having a soap dispenser and sink within reach of a food prep area makes hand washing a breeze, even at the busiest of times.  Here are some more details about preventing food poisoning from the wise guys over at wiseGEEK.

Are You Flushing Profits Down the Toilet?

Posted on by cleansetec

bathroom cleanersAt Cleanse Tec we often focus on kitchen cleanliness, but unkempt bathrooms can send customers running faster than just about any other reason.

Considering all the media exposure to dirty establishments on TV reality shows, and the many choices of places to eat on every city block, patrons are now extra cautious about cleanliness.  First impression is everything. Your customer may never see how clean (or dirty) your kitchen is, but they will likely see your bathrooms.  If a bathroom is dirty or soap dispensers are empty, then they will likely assume the same is true (or worse!) in the kitchen.

Ed Zimmerman of http://www.thefoodconnector.com/ suggests having a checklist that your staff uses daily to ensure every aspect of your restrooms and entire establishment, are properly and regularly maintained. His point is clear in stating, “Clean bathrooms might be the most important marketing job in your restaurant”.  According to a recent survey by Harris Interactive, nearly 3 in 10 consumers surveyed said there are no second chances with dirty restrooms — and they would never return to the restaurant again. If the public-facing restrooms are unkempt, of course patrons will have doubts about the standards in the kitchen.

And probably worst of all, you can be sure that restaurant patrons who have a negative experience with a bathroom, from dirty toilets to grimy soap dispenses to bad odors, will tell friends and family about this experience, guaranteeing they too will think twice before coming to your restaurant.  Sparkling bathrooms, kitchens, tableware and more is the first line in ensuring your restaurant’s success.

Cleanse Tec can help keep you on the path to clean bathrooms and happy customers!  From our professionally maintained dispensers to all the best cleaning products on the market, just let us know how we can help make your restaurant sparkle.

Keep Pests Out of Your Kitchen!

Posted on by cleansetec

kitchen pestsSpring is Here– And So Are the Pests!

Ahhh.. spring.  The snow has melted, the sun is shining, the flowers blooming…and rats, mice and racoons have come out to play.  Not all critters are welcome guests, especially when you are trying to keep a clean and sanitary kitchen.  Pests can really put a damper on your reputation as well as your budget.  If they get into your kitchen, they can ruin your food, leave droppings and other messes and can scare customers away faster than you can say “rat poison”.  Here are some tips for keeping your establishment pest free.  And, of course, your Cleanse Tec representative is always available for tips and advice on ways to keep your kitchen spotless!

  • Pests are not invited to this party: Be sure to make that clear by cleaning up food scraps and other sources of food, repairing water leaks, and increasing ventilation.
  • Not getting past this velvet rope:  Make areas less accessible to pests by repairing holes and installing barriers.
  • Trap those buggers: If despite your best efforts, those pests still find their way into your business, use traps to catch and release them for a more humane way to treat the problem.
  • Exterminate when necessary:  Especially in old buildings like many in NYC, pest problems may have been going on for years and the problem is bigger than a few traps and precautions can handle.  As a last resort, bringing in the heavy artillery (exterminators) may be your best solution.  It is certainly better than trying to run a food business with a pest infestation!
  • In this case, trash is trash: Although we are typically an Earth friendly company, any products contaminated with pesticides should be sent directly to the landfill and not for recycling or reusing.

Keeping pests at bay is an ongoing and seasonal issue that affects almost every commercial kitchen.  Make it part of your business to ensure you follow the tips above and keep your space sparkling clean with products from Cleanse Tec