Last Thursday the Massachusetts Restaurant Association's Symposium, "#Let’s Talk About Hashtags: Marketing & How to Make Social Media Matter," brought together restaurant owners and managers to share how to best use social media and online marketing to not only expose them to new guests but keep them coming back for more.
With a live Twitter feed exhibiting the activity around the event hashtag #2014MRA on two giant projector screens, the room was buzzing with social media activity to catalog and chirp in on the topics of the day. I've compiled a few that capture the highlights of each symposium session. Enjoy!
Our Founding Partner AJ Gerritson kicked off the symposium with "Social Media as Part of Your Marketing Mix." In his presentation, AJ dove into how restaurants can leverage social media to engage with their community, trends in social media marketing that affect restaurant owners and what defines a successful social media campaign.
.@AJGerritson makes key point about social: you MUST have a strategy first. 100% correct. So many miss this, and fail as a result. #2014MRA
— David Ginsburg (@DavidGinsburg) May 29, 2014
"Posts with pictures get 3x as many clicks as those without." #2014MRA — Rin Conley (@rinnconnley) May 29, 2014
"If you're known as the 'discount brand' then you're discounting your brand." - @AJGerritson #2014MRA — Jessica D Bolandrina (@JessBolandrina) May 29, 2014
"Peer to peer recs are the #1 factor driving new customers to restaurants." - @AJGerritson of @451Marketing at #2014MRA #truth — Front Burner Social (@FrontBurnerSoc) May 29, 2014
@AJGerritson: you're sharing a moment with your guest. Essential wisdom for bringing hospitality online. @451Marketing #2014MRA — Susannah Grossman (@susannahcg) May 29, 2014
Our SEO Account Manager Melissa Sciorra followed suit with "What's in Your Electronic Toolbox," in which she ran through the basic search and social tools with which to use to set a restaurant up for online success, from time management through analytics.
"Social media is no longer the exception; it's the expectation." @mel_arroics. 100% right. Great #quote. #2014MRA — David Ginsburg (@DavidGinsburg) May 29, 2014
"no more than three hashtags per tweet" thank you for this rule @mel_arroics #2014MRA #hashtagspeak — Amanda Malone (@Ms_Malone) May 29, 2014
"Show you care & let other people see you care." @mel_arroics of @451Marketing on responding to all customers on #socialmedia. #2014MRA — Front Burner Social (@FrontBurnerSoc) May 29, 2014
A panel of social media success stories featuring Boloco Marketing Manager Alexandra Dunk, Boston Chef and Restauranteur Jason Santos and Ninety Nine Restaurants Director of Marketing Jason Goodrow was up next:
"Keep your content relevant to your platform & keep your audience in mind." - Alexandra Dunk from @boloco sharing wisdom #2014MRA — Jessica D Bolandrina (@JessBolandrina) May 29, 2014
@chefjasonsantos "makes cold food hot" @woodmans_essex "We fry cold clams" @MassRestaurants #2014MRA — Woodman's of Essex (@woodmans_essex) May 29, 2014
"There are people who cure cancer. That's important. At the end of the day, I make cold food hot." @chefjasonsantos earned chuckles #2014MRA — Jessica D Bolandrina (@JessBolandrina) May 29, 2014
"Be true to your brand." ~@jgoodrow at #2014MRA. #TRUTH — David Ginsburg (@DavidGinsburg) May 29, 2014
Damien Smith, Community Manager for Yelp, then took to the stage to showcase how restaurants can boost their reputation by taking control of and engaging reviewers through Yelp.
"The internet is also an archive. Not just a live feed." - Damien Smith from @yelpboston with a wise warning for social postings #2014MRA — Jessica D Bolandrina (@JessBolandrina) May 29, 2014
The most successful businesses on Yelp have reviews raving about great service more than anything else. #2014MRA @yelpboston — Christie Bellany (@ChristieBellany) May 29, 2014
Keynote Speaker Jim Koch, co-founder of The Boston Beer Company, capped off the symposium hilariously with a brief history of beer and the story of how he founded the company that revolutionized the American beer industry.
A leader without followers is simply out for a stroll #2014MRA — Pampan Zhang (@pampanallday) May 29, 2014
"If you want to drink all day, you have to start early." - @SamuelAdamsBeer Founder/ #2014MRA Keynote Speaker Jim Koch #wisewords — Front Burner Social (@FrontBurnerSoc) May 29, 2014
"Today 90% of our beer industry is owned abroad." @SamuelAdamsBeer #2014MRA — Rin Conley (@rinnconnley) May 29, 2014
"Good ideas tend to be pretty simple." - Wisdom & gifts from Jim Koch of @SamuelAdamsBeer #2014MRA pic.twitter.com/sxwKRUvJ1q — Jessica D Bolandrina (@JessBolandrina) May 29, 2014
"Wine all tastes the same. Who can really tell the diff between a pinot & a merlot. And who cares?" - Jim Koch @samueladamsbeer #2014MRA — Pampan Zhang (@pampanallday) May 29, 2014
Going over all the info from yesterday's #2014MRA and all in all, I've realized I can't get enough of Jim Koch. @SamAdams84 — Colleen Fleming (@coltom527) May 30, 2014
"It's like a sobriety test naming all 10 ingredients in Cold Snap." - Jim Koch @SamuelAdamsBeer #2014MRA — Hannah Huke (@HannahHuke) May 29, 2014
To answer a question posed during a Q&A, an audience member shared his advice for food photography.
#2014MRA when struggling with #photography of your own restaurant/food remember lighting is key! — izzy berdan (@izzyberdan) May 29, 2014
Last but not least, Chef Nick Calais of the Colonnade wow'd the crowd with his sophisticated and stunning spread throughout the symposium.
Few lunch pics @MassRestaurants #2014MRA pic.twitter.com/ablnwAFHPo
— Chef Nick Calias,CEC (@ChefColonnade) May 29, 2014
Wedding dress diet #fail. Weak for Nutella. so worth it. Thank you @ChefColonnade #2014MRA pic.twitter.com/NjjMeBw3Vh
— Amanda Malone (@Ms_Malone) May 29, 2014
Pretzel buns, whoopie pies, toaster strudel. For real, @chefcolonnade? Can I eat like this every day? #2014MRA pic.twitter.com/iNo2DAMOS0
— Pampan Zhang (@pampanallday) May 29, 2014
What were your highlights?