Do You Use Social Media For Business?
I had an interesting thing happen to me the other day while out for a business lunch with a colleague at a restaurant we frequent near our home office. We arrived at the same time and proceeded to our table where I did the thing I do everytime I go to a restaurant. That is, I take a photo of something interesting (to me at least), check-in on Foursquare and tag the restaurant in the Foursquare Tweet. Yes sometimes I also post it to Facebook, Path and Google+ too but not every time!
Does Your Staff Know You Use Social Media For Business?
Even though I had been to the restaurant before for some reason their Twitter handle escaped me. After having already crafted the post, uploaded the photo and set the check-in to go I was too lazy (you’ve all been there) to leave the current screen on my iPhone 5 to open Safari and look it up. That and the fact that our server was on her way to our table with beverages (yes, the adult kind). So I asked her what the restaurant’s Twitter account was?
Know Your Twitter Handle!
The response I got was a surprise, “I don’t Twitter and don’t think our restaurant does”! I assured her that the business did indeed use Twitter (I’ve conversed with them on the platform before). Somewhat puzzled, my colleague and I watched what happened next…
Give the server credit, she went on a mission to find this Twitter information out. She went and asked a bartender, we saw her head shake no. She asked another server, again another head shake no. (We are sure that she was inquiring about Twitter each time because she and her associates looked over at us). Finally she picked up the telephone. After a short call she returned to our table and explained that “the person upstairs who would handle this was on the phone, but she would check again in a few minutes”. She did check again and came back shortly with a tiny piece of paper with the Twitter handle carefully written on it.
The Moral of the Story…
If you are using social media marketing for your business and customers are trying to share or promote you… your staff needs to know every platform you use and what your name on each platform is! If I asked someone at your business the same initial question, what would be the response?
In case you are wondering… here is our Twitter handle 🙂
Jeff & Tara Ciecko of CK Golf Solutions write two blogs on their website, one is their 19th Hole Blog where they share personal experiences and the Biz Blog where they share business best practices and golf industry related opinions. They have owned CK Golf Solutions for 5 years and provide marketing, social media and business services to the golf and other industries.
Good advice. I have had this experience in places I have gone to as well and knowing there is a value in getting mentioned on FourSquare or Twitter or Facebook it surprises me that many businesses think they should be there, but don’t talk to staff about their presence.
Another thing I think businesses, specifically restaurants, don’t understand is the value of having WiFi access for customers. For example, when I am travelling on holiday or business I will often pick a place to eat based on a web review. When I get there (and am out of the country so no data plan in place) I would like to use wifi to take a photo and check in. Alas, I often can’t – even if there is a wireless access point, it is locked and staff don’t know the password.
I agree Bob. Having WIFI and promoting it is a great sales tactic in 2013!!