Social media is a constant and growing buzzword in marketing, advertising and public relations today. Restaurant marketing through these new channels is no different.
According to a recent report released by Restaurants and Institutions, several new delivery channels are becoming popular with consumers. These new channels provide new opportunities to take marketing to the next level while providing consumers with discounts and coupons.
Social Media Offers
The report indicates offers made by restaurants via social media channels work well. As an example, 63% of respondents to the survey said coupons and discounts are what they want when connecting to a restaurant’s Facebook and Twitter pages.
Restaurants Getting Creative
Restaurants are finding creative, interesting ways to connect and market to consumers via social media channels. For instance, blast announcements of last minute happy hour and various restaurant discounts are popular ways to attract more business. These tactics are not only driving traffic to the establishments, but social media strategies develop their communities and followers via viral messaging.
Groupon, the New HOT Trend
Groupon, a relatively new coupon delivery system, has taken off with over 4 million subscribers. Groupon is a growing powerhouse in the electronic coupon niche. Subscribers receive a daily email with a special offer in their city for restaurants, events, or activities.
These discounts include restaurant meals, such as half off the standard price of a meal by using a “Groupon” (or coupon). The offer becomes the main subject of a daily email which typically includes photos, information about the business, and links to its website. There is no upfront cost for businesses to participate.
New audiences tapped
Groupon does the processing of the transactions and retains a portion of each “Groupon” sold. The daily deal and email quickly become viral and are forwarded via email and announced via Twitter, Facebook and several other popular social media channels.
Restaurants report the program is a viable marketing vehicle and is helping them reach new audiences and communities. Typically the growth is with younger, web savvy consumers. This is a low cost way for restaurants to do strong marketing through social media channels.
Jim Balis' Blog 
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