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Has your QSR's social media strategy got a hole in it?

A digital marketing expert speaking at the Mid-America Restaurant Expo this week said many restaurant brands have voids in their social media marketing strategies. Fortunately, she also explained how to fill those holes.

Photo: iStock

February 27, 2020 by S.A. Whitehead — Food Editor, Net World Media Group

Is there a void in your brand's social media marketing strategy? A digital marketing expert told a crowd of restaurant leaders at the Mid-America Restaurant Expo in Columbus, Ohio that for many independent and chain food service brands, that is exactly the case. The problem, she said, is that all too many restaurant brands are talking, but failing to do the critical social media listening that can really boost the traffic and sales all restaurateurs covet. 

Leah Eaton, of the multi-food service brand digital communication agency Belle Communication, told a packed house that the Columbus-based company has helped brands like The Halal Guys and Shake Shack shake things up with their customers, via social media by helping brands first develop and execute the best strategy for their goals. And she said that begins with saying nothing at all for a while. 

"Social media is a two-way conversation, and as in any conversation, listening is more important than talking," she explained to the gathering of restaurateurs. "Now, most brands are listening sporadically, but the way they're doing it lacks strategy."

Belle Communication's Leah Eaton speaks to a crowd at the Mid-America Restaurant Expo in Columbus, Ohio on Monday. (photo: S.A. Whitehead)

In Eaton's view, it's essential that restaurant brands of all ilk, but particularly QSRs, build social media strategies that actively manage and proactively engage their social media communities by first intently listening, then responding to the comments, questions and needs of those posting. 

She said brands need to actively seek ways to fill the needs of those on their channels, as expressed in those endless slice-of-life musings sharing sentiments  like "What should I have for lunch today?" or even, "We're gonna make pizza at home this weekend." These are like business opportunities served up on a silver platter, in Eaton's view. 

And customers have come to expect such responsiveness from restaurant brands, she said. In fact, increasingly, consumers see social media as the primary channel to a restaurant brand. As such, they expect brands to respond to even their most seemingly innocuous throw-off kinds of comments in order to win them over. 

"Today, 72% of millenials say that they would be more loyal to brands that respond to feedback via social … so it's really important (for brands) to be there with an answer ready," she said. 

The restaurant social media community management trifecta

In order to both be responsive and convert customers, Eaton said there are three main areas to focus on first in managing your brand's social media audiences, including:

• Create an FAQ response guide for team members who have access to the brand's social media channels with as many of the common types of consumer questions as you can think of, along with the best ways to respond. Then, she said, draft, perfect and get that document approved and circulated to all who need it so they can engage customers with the right responses in real time to questions as simple as, "Where do I park near that location?" or "Do you have plant-based 'meats' on the menu?" 
• Respond quickly and personally within less than 12 hours. And here, Eaton said, time is of the essence, just as much as it is that brands don't just "cut-and-paste" their answers to social media followers, but instead work hard to fashion responses that sound like they're coming from real live "blood-running-through-the-veins" people, as opposed to "the brand" or a robot.
• Solve the issue right there on the social media channel. That's right, without leaving the particular social media channel where the comment or question was originally posted, respond and solve any problems for the consumer, even if you must take it to a direct message. 

           "A lot of times, we see brands that refer (customers) to a help line or other resource," said Eaton. "That just turns people off … since they feel like they've already gone to the trouble to share their issue there. … If referred to another venue, they turn off. Then you end up with a customer whose most recent experience was maybe some sort of issue, and then on top of that, it wasn't resolved."

Those three actions are a start, but they are by no means the end of the line when it comes to how the best-performing brands are listening via social media. In fact, Eaton said mastering the art of proactive engagement via these channels can be the critical difference because it really "raises the bar" when a brand's team actually go out and read, then join in others' conversations in ways that help consumers solve everyday problems and concerns. 

To give the audience an idea of the potential ways to "strike up a conversation" with a follower, Eaton pointed out that recent data shows that every month on social media there are at least 14,000 searches that start with the words, "Can anyone recommend …?" while at least 30,000 searches each month start with the words, "Where can I buy?"

As far as exactly how a brand can intervene in these possible conversation invitations, Eaton said first and foremost, social media personnel at any brand must, as previously mentioned, remember to talk to followers on the channel like a human being, not the almighty voice of the restaurant brand. Further, social media team members should strive to be both friendly and helpful to whatever the consumer's expressed concern is and have some fun with it, when appropriate. 

"Also, keep it going," she advised. "You have a touchpoint and you should respond …wherever you can to continue the conversation."

As an example, she pulled out a visual showing a post by one Facebook follower for a restaurant brand lamenting, "I'm so tired." 

"So here, (the brand's team member) might say, 'Hey, I saw you're feeling tired; love to send you a sample of our … energizer product,'" she told the crowd.

As she explained, this type of response is helpful, builds a relationship and even introduces a brand's juice or other energy-inducing product. She said it goes a long way further than simply inserting a comment, like "Sorry to hear" or even "hope you feel better."

But in this case again, Eaton pointed out that it's critical that brands not make the consumer work for that promised freebie by sending them a code to enter on the website or a number to call. Instead, ask the consumer to go to direct messaging so you can obtain their address and send the product sample to their door. Then do it. 

One other benefit of this type of listening is that it gives brands an eye into their customers and trends taking place among them. 

"Then you can analyze those trends," she said. "You're getting an unfiltered view into what's on your audience's mind … what they're wondering about and worried about, so document that and take it back to the social marketing team. … You'll have a leg up on things and know what's on their minds."

(Editor's Note:Next Tuesday, we'll continue on this subject of restaurant social media audience management with some thoughts on how to handle tricky situations on social, as well as ways to convert followers into lifetime brand lovers and, maybe more importantly, paying customers.)

About S.A. Whitehead

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Pizza Marketplace and QSRweb editor Shelly Whitehead is a former newspaper and TV reporter with an affinity for telling stories about the people and innovative thinking behind great brands.