Overview and Analysis of Social Media Platform
Tay Tai Thai is a Thai restaurant located in United Kingdom. Their specialty is the authentic Thai menu that they offer their customers, among which the popular dishes are Pad Thai, Pad See Yew, Pad Kee Mao, 3 Spring Rolls and Green curry. The marketing platform in social media that they have chosen for their promotional activities is mainly done through Facebook. Businesses take up the help of social media platform to gain attention because it can easily catch the attention of the customers (Hays, Page and Buhalis2013). However, the following sections will recommend what more this restaurant can do to flourish their business through the social media platform after analyzing their chosen track.
Facebook has been chosen as the pivot social media platform for Tay Tai Thai Restaurant because Facebook is among the top most social media platforms, which comes along with various advantages to the business (Hansson, Wrangmo and Solberg 2013). Facebook is not only a low cost marketing strategy but rather they can target a million of customers who can be shifted into potential consumers. The facebook page of this restaurant has been found to have rated five star from the followers which is an advantage for this restaurant. However, apart from this the analysis was difficult because it was observed that the admin of this page does not post anything regarding the restaurant. The visitors who went to this restaurant mainly tag the posts that are found on the timeline of their facebook page. People’s rating is mainly found to be positive in this page but the restaurant lacks acknowledging those reviews. Moreover, the last post that has been done by a visitor is a year back. No pictures, videos or any information can a follower get from this page of the restaurant. Thus, it is very clear that this restaurant is not at all using this social media platform effectively. Thus, having analyzed the Facebook page the following recommendations are prepared (Sashi 2012).
Facebook Live is a new feature that has been added recently to this app, which allows the users to gush with video on the user’s Facebook page. Motivated from the now outdated sites like for instance Periscope, this new feature of Facebook called Facebook live is a clever marketing tool that can be very useful for small business owners like this restaurant named Tay Tai Thai Restaurant. The impact that a restaurant can have on its customers through Facebook live is that it can specially include cooking manifestations, virtual visit to their dining rooms, meet the employees along with going live on Facebook with events and promotions that are going on in the restaurant. This will help the customers keep a track of what is going on in the restaurant and make them curious to know about the restaurant. They can further go live with one of their chefs creating their signature dishes for their followers. Along with this, they can also make live videos where the bartender will show how the most popular drink of the restaurant is being mixed. Moreover, the restaurant can also show how they celebrate the special days like Christmas, New Year or Halloween so that the customers feel the fun and enjoyment that is there in the restaurant. Thus, in a way the customers will not only get associated with the restaurant but will also get the indirect invitation to visit the restaurant at least once to witness all these personally (Kwok and Yu 2013).
Recommendation 1- Facebook live for restaurants
It is all about conversations in the social media that can encourage the customers on the Facebook page. The Facebook page must act like a platform where even the customers who have visited this restaurant can share their experiences and can share stories about their visit. In every post of the restaurant in their Facebook page thy must ask their customers or followers to share or to do something. For instance if the restaurant is uploading the picture of a Thai salad say Som Tum, then they customers can be asked that what is their favorite Thai salad, or if they want any kind of experiment or variation in taste in this particular Thai salad. People usually like to feel that they are also part of a conversation and so they feel good when they share their personal opinions. However, they will not say anything until and unless they are asked. Therefore, the engagement must be from both the sides and it is important to reply them back whenever they are sharing something. If they come up with any queries then it must responded as soon as possible, their concerns must be addressed properly along with acknowledging them whenever they are commenting or posting on the restaurant’s Facebook page by managing time from their busy schedules (DiPietro et al. 2012).
The biggest advantage of Facebook promotion is that the restaurant can do so much, which is unique for them starting from displaying their food items, giving recopies, describing the origins of the dishes in their menu along with shooting videos with the chefs. These contents in the Facebook pages can never get too old and these contents do not even have to be original like these are so many videos in YouTube, thus to educate the customers the restaurant just need to excavate the right staff and put it for their customers. Thus, to educate the customers the restaurant owners can show those things in their page from which the customers can gain certain values as well as get aware of the restaurant related activities (Andzulis, Panagopoulos and Rapp 2012). As this particular restaurant, which is, specializes in Thai, cuisine must show some easy ways though which one or two Thai dishes from among their menu, which can be made at home and eaten with the family in a busy day. Therefore, this can make the customer get associated with the restaurant as well as learn a simple recipe. Along with this, the page can educate the customers not only about cooking but also on fresh shipments, the preparations of their food that they are using any kind of artificial or harmful ingredients or not and where they coming from and so on. As people are interested to know that whether they are eating freshest, tastiest and healthy products thus, giving the proper information will definitely help in positive promotions.
The restaurant is a business and the main aim of the restaurant is always to make profit but that does not mean that they should always hard sell via Facebook. Customers or the followers of the page will are mainly interested to hear about newly included items in their menu, latest offers but they don’t want to interact with those who indulge into self-serving. Thus, a diverse set of content should be acknowledged keeping the focus on the brand and then the appropriate mix of promotions, educations, engagement and customer service must be find out. There can be another alternative through which the promotion of the restaurant can be done which is by letting others do it for the brand because the most genuine marketing is word of mouth marketing of the restaurant. Customers must be motivated to become the ambassadors of the restaurant by serving them well, interacting with them, listening to their words, informing them along with being engaging and captivating (Ashley and Tuten 2015). If this can be done properly then the loyal customers will deliver the words on behalf of the restaurant be online or in person. This will make the customers crave for the restaurant whereas, the restaurant is also not desperately screaming out to them to visit their place. Therefore, loyal customers will help the restaurant in their marketing promotions just if the restaurant tries and keep sharing fun facts about their cuisines as well as their teams to keep the customers excited.
Recommendation 2- Encouraging the customers on the Facebook page
There is a latest feature in Facebook that permit the advertisers to target their customers based on the zip codes that means that the restaurant can storm the advertisements to those customers who live near the restaurant or within the walking distance to the restaurant. Advertisements, videos and posts related to the brand must be regularly posted so that it is always in front of the customers whenever they open their Facebook app. Facebook provides certain tricks to the trade through advertising in Facebook. Thus, it can be an impactful way through which a restaurant can grow more customers for their restaurant. Customers should have a clear idea through the promotions they are getting in Facebook because if the scenario as explained to them in Facebook varies with that of the reality then the customers may feel cheated after visiting to the restaurant once and by which the restaurant will lose their valuable customers. Therefore, communication through posts and videos must be real and true for the customers (Malthouse et al.2013). These information that are supplied to the customers must be consistent with all other platforms as well be in social media or in reality. As if inconsistency appears, then that can guide to customer’s confusion and frustration as they might think that the restaurant had made false promises to sell their product and earn profit. However, if proper content is shared with the customers through the videos, customers can be made to become engaged with them, and then they will not think twice in sharing it with their friends and bringing more business to the restaurant.
Conclusion
Thus, from the above sections it can be concluded that Tay Tai Thai Restaurant whose chosen social medial marketing platform is Facebook can be hugely benefited if they utilize this platform in an appropriate manner. Facebook not only can save their budget for marketing but also can attract millions of people towards their restaurant. Through this platform, they can enhance their communication skills with their customers as well as satisfy them by reaching many people at short span of time. Therefore, after analyzing the Facebook page of this restaurant the recommendations that seemed most necessary are that they must take full advantage of the recent added feature in Facebook known as ‘Facebook Live’ and post live videos of the activities going on in their restaurant. Then they should encourage more and more customers through their page provide the customers some value related to their items in the menu as well as the services. However, they must also give attention on how interesting they can make themselves rather than just aiming on how they can sell their products. Lastly, advertisements and videos must be posted most frequently for the targeted customers.
References
Andzulis, J.M., Panagopoulos, N.G. and Rapp, A., 2012. A review of social media and implications for the sales process.Journal of Personal Selling & Sales Management, 32(3), pp.305-316.
Ashley, C. and Tuten, T., 2015.Creative strategies in social media marketing: An exploratory study of branded social content and consumer engagement.Psychology & Marketing, 32(1), pp.15-27.
DiPietro, R.B., Crews, T.B., Gustafson, C. and Strick, S., 2012. The use of social networking sites in the restaurant industry: Best practices. Journal of Foodservice Business Research, 15(3), pp.265-284.
Hansson, L., Wrangmo, A. and Solberg Søilen, K., 2013. Optimal ways for companies to use Facebook as a marketing channel.Journal of Information, Communication and Ethics in Society, 11(2), pp.112-126.
Hays, S., Page, S.J. and Buhalis, D., 2013. Social media as a destination marketing tool: its use by national tourism organisations. Current issues in Tourism, 16(3), pp.211-239.
Kwok, L. and Yu, B., 2013. Spreading social media messages on Facebook: An analysis of restaurant business-to-consumer communications.Cornell Hospitality Quarterly, 54(1), pp.84-94.
Malthouse, E.C., Haenlein, M., Skiera, B., Wege, E. and Zhang, M., 2013.Managing customer relationships in the social media era: introducing the social CRM house.Journal of Interactive Marketing, 27(4), pp.270-280.
Sashi, C.M., 2012. Customer engagement, buyer-seller relationships, and social media. Management decision, 50(2), pp.253-272.
Shen, B. and Bissell, K., 2013. Social media, social me: A content analysis of beauty companies’ use of facebook in marketing and branding. Journal of Promotion Management, 19(5), pp.629-651.
Tuten, T.L. and Solomon, M.R., 2014. Social media marketing.Sage.
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