Issue of the month QSRs & Social media: The good, the bad & the ugly! Part 3
In part 3 Melissa Webber from Holy Cow gives us her insights of the do's and don'ts.
QSR Media: Is the use of social media right for every QSR?
Melissa: Quick service restaurants, like all other businesses, should decide whether or not social media is right for them. However, given that the a large section of most QSR's typical customer base engage in social media communications at some level, it is important for them to explore whether a branded presence in this space would enhance their profile and raise their brand awareness.
QSR Media: What are the benefits of using social media?
Melissa: A strategic presence on social media websites provides you with a clear voice in a competitive industry and allows you to develop an instant relationship with your audience – you automatically have direct and immediate contact between you and your customers.
Social media platforms also allow you to promote your brand with low-cost online campaigns. If you carefully maintain and build your fan base, for example with 'Likes' on Facebook and ‘followers’ on Twitter, you have direct access to a captive audience that already knows about your brand and feels favourably towards it. Social media communications also compliment existing digital infrastructure and can be used to drive customers to your website quickly and easily.
Simple, well executed campaigns with a sound strategy also have the chance to 'go viral' or 'trend' and can rapidly expose your messaging to a far greater audience than many traditional forms of advertising.
QSR Media: What are some of the downsides?
Melissa: If a QSR does something that the public disagrees with, they will let the world know – before you know it, all your fans and all of theirs can be made aware of something that you have done or that a disgruntled customer has posted online. In order to minimise the fallout, it is vital to have a strategy in place so that these occurrences can be managed quickly and effectively.
Your social media pages need to monitored constantly and posts need to be responded to in a timely manner to maintain contact with your audience and to address any negative feedback which, without a clear strategy, can fast become a drain on resources and rapidly turn into a full time role.
It is also important that your online tone of voice is consistent with your brand and with other forms of advertising, and that the right people in your organisation are responsible for your social media posts – don't give this task to your new store manager just because she has hundreds of friends on Facebook! Ensure that you have a strong social media policy in place with a clear mandate, company-wide.
QSR Media: When shouldn't a QSR use social media?
Melissa: QSR's should not engage social media just to engage in social media. While it may seem necessary as 'everyone else is doing it', it can be far more damaging to a brand to participate in an ad hoc manner without a clear strategy.
You would not book advertising space in a newspaper without knowing exactly what you were going to promote, so given the immediacy of social media, it is important to ensure that your original content is forward-planned – if you don't know what you are trying to accomplish, there will be no way to measure your success.
QSR Media: Are there any social media sites that are better for QSR's than others?
Melissa: Because of its quick and accessible nature, Twitter is the top source of mentions for QSR brands as well as for generic QSR online conversation. Facebook and Pinterest are second and third respectively.
If you would like more information about social media, please contact Melissa at Holy Cow! on 02 9212 4676.
