This is it, opening week! Not for all of you I know but for many. GOOD LUCK to those of you that are opening & even if you are not, there’s loads of good examples & ideas for when you do, coming up.
Before we start, I’ve developed a new, social media content calendar especially for hospitality venues, in fact it’s the one I use with my clients, so it is tried & tested! It will:
· Help you to be more organised & productive 📅
· Enable you to focus & stay consistent 🤔
· Help you generate content ideas that work 💡
· Reduce stress & saves you time. 🕒
It’s just £10 (the price of a couple of drinks down your local) until 4th July. I guarantee it will make your life a hell of a lot easier.
You can download this by simply clicking HERE
‘USEFUL ARTICLE & INFO’
As you’d expect there are quite a lot of articles out there about re-opening, with lots of advice. I’ve included some of these in my round up this last week:
Just in case you haven’t, for some reason, seen them as yet. Here are the full Government guidelines on ‘Keeping Workers and Customers Safe during Covid-19 in restaurants, bars and take-away services’.
There are then a number of articles that either summarise this or give their thoughts:
‘Bar Life’ gives their take on this in ‘Government Re-opening Guidelines Published’ (be warned, there’s a bit of colourful language in this!)
‘Staff Canteen’ have also summarised for you: ‘Everything you need to know about reopening restaurants, bars and pubs from July 4th’
I thought this was a really interesting read. It talks about: ‘How hospitality in Europe is faring as they reopen after lockdown’. You just might pick up a few nuggets on what has been working & what has not.
Other useful bits:
If you’re looking for another way to show customers that you are ready & taking all the necessary steps to protect them, then ‘Visit Britain’ have a UK-wide industry standard & consumer mark to provide a ‘ring of confidence’ for tourism & hospitality businesses as they re-open. It’s called ‘We’re Good To Go’ & it means you can demonstrate that you’re adhering to the guidelines & have carried out the necessary Covid-19 risk assessment. You can then display on your premises & on social media. CLICK HERE to complete. It’s a no brainer really!
This resource from ‘MIA’ is brilliant. They have developed a ‘Roadmap for Re-Opening’ & much more, to help support the industry. Based on extensive national & international research. A highly recommended read, packed full of advice.
I highly recommend this 5 point hotel marketing checklist that Shona Whitehead (Cogent Blue Hospitality Consultancy) & Claire Rowland (The Afro Marketer) have been doing this week on Linkedin. They both have tonnes of experience & some great advice. This is the LINK to the intro video, where you can then look up each subsequent, well worth it.
You can now request their full ‘Ten Point Post Lockdown Marketing Checklist for Hotels’
‘PBP POST PICKS’
I’ve focused mainly on the many different ways that venues have announced their re-opening & getting ready this week. As usual my ‘PBP Post Picks’ this week should give you lots inspo! (CLICK THE IMAGES TO BE TAKEN TO THE POSTS THEMSELVES ONLINE):
I really liked the way ‘Foxhill Manor’ talked about their re-opening. Such nice language & such a fab, unique pic:
I really like those that have come up with different ideas to announce they are re-opening rather than just a boring, designed post. Like this from ‘Calcot & Spa’, where they have kids running into the hotel (CLICK THE IMAGE TO WATCH THE VIDEO):
Also just a simple, ‘The Door is Open’ image from ‘Wild Rabbit’:
This is a lovely image to share (taking followers on the journey) from ‘Matt Healy x The Foundry’ showing menu planning, not just showing the menus & that they are re-opening. Great behind the scenes shot:
‘Grumpy’s’ in Farsley once again talk about re-opening with their personality & authenticity. It includes emotion, fun & gratitude – perfect:
What are you doing that is new? Let your customers behind the scenes, even something as simple as a new floor can get people talking! Like this post from ‘Bramble Bakehouse’:
Similarly ‘Never Enough Thyme’ showed off their amazing new sign, showing what it was like before & after too. Think this went down well somehow!:
‘The Potting Shed’ have been counting down the days showing what they are doing to prepare for re-opening. Also showing their Visit Britain standard mark I mentioned above.
Love the honesty of all posts from ‘Rafters Sheffield’. They share so much & take us every step of the way. For example this behind the scenes shot which also mentions how you can book:
‘The Ticket Office’ are showing off all the extra measures they have put in place to make followers feel more comfortable, which is key at the moment. This is a new thermal imaging camera that will take customers temperatures on entry:
I also liked this nice little video they had put together (CLICK THE IMAGE TO WATCH THE VIDEO):
Finally, this week. Getting ready to open is also about encouraging the excitement about returning. This competition from Everybodys, who I’ve helped during lockdown, certainly seemed to hit the nail on the head & got an amazing reaction. It does help that is it also a unique product that everyone loves.
‘CONTENT IDEAS’
Head on over for the last few weeks ideas on my previous blog posts HERE.
This week your content needs to:
- Re-introduce the team & any new products or services you are offering, including new menus. Show images if you can too to tempt taste-buds.
- Keep shouting from the roof tops that you will be opening & why people should come to you. Plus, how excited you are. How can you show this on pics & videos? Tell everyone your opening times & how to book.
- Show what you are doing on a daily basis to get ready & the measures you’re putting in place. Include team meetings, training, safety measures being implemented, cleaning happening etc.
- Show stock arriving & in place. i.e. Full Back Bar, Beer Barrels etc.
- Include ‘thank- you’s’ to key workers & local community by giving discounts i.e. NHS
- Talking about your products & services & what you will be offering.
- Ask customers to check in & share their own images to your social media. Ask them to use a special hashtag
- Show customers back in your venue enjoying themselves & how social distancing is workingFinally, you will inevitably be busy & YOURS & YOUR CUSTOMERS SAFETY MUST COME FIRST but please try to NOT GO OFF THE BOIL WITH YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA – COMMUNICATION IS STILL ABSOLUTELY KEY THIS WEEK, so ensure there is always someone around to answer questions via social & that you let people know what’s going on!
Continue to be heartfelt, honest, candid & yourselves.
Good Luck this next week or so!
Stay Safe. #keephospitalityalive and #keepsocialalive
