Week 4 of my ‘Keep Hospitality Alive’ blog. This sunny weather can be both a positive or a negative. It certainly lifts my mood & as long as we’re sensible, at least we can enjoy it in our garden & on long walks. Many of you are probably thinking how your customers would have thronged to your bars, hotels, B&B’s, outside spaces, though during this time & it is indeed sad!
One thing I would say though is that if you’re still on site at your venue, for whatever reason, it’s a great time to gather some content. B&B’s – Think spring flowers & animals around you, your properties gleaming in the sun. Bars – Think summer drinks & outside spaces.
Even if it’s not new content it’s a good time to share any past sunshine content.
Don’t forget you can also book a FREE ‘PBP POW WOW’ with me every Wednesday. If you fancy a brainstorm or have a couple of questions you’d like to ask me, I’d love to help where I can. Just drop me a line to beckyleach@pbpconsultancy.co.uk
‘USEFUL ARTICLES’
Here are some of the bits & pieces I have come across from experts in our field on social, marketing & more this week. I thought you might find these useful or at least give you food for thought (no pun intended!).
Firstly – How can your hospitality business survive this pandemic? Love some of the quotes in this article from E-Hotelier particularly:
“It may not feel like it right now, but the hospitality industry is well placed to ride this contagion out. Why? Because deep down we’re thoughtful and care about our guests and the people who work with us. These vital traits are missing from many commercial organisations, but at times like this, their absence is obvious through their bad behaviour”
Mark McCulloch has some fabulous You Tube video modules from his Pub and Restaurant rebirth programme. These are excellent & topics range from marketing to writing a menu to SEO etc. Highly recommend.
If you’re still offering a take-away or delivery service or it’s something you’re thinking of doing then this is a very useful article from Big Hospitality: Takeaway and delivery: eight questions answered
The Caterer got it spot on this week with this entitled: Be helpful not promotional right now, say social media experts. Excellent advice, of course we shouldn’t be overly promotional in normal times but this is even more important at the moment.
I am super excited to have been asked to be part of a ‘Virtual Summit’ this Friday 17th 9am to 1pm, with a great line up of ladies who have various specialisms in the events & hospitality sector. I’ll be talking all things social media & Kate the organiser & founder of ‘Selling Savvy’ will be heading up the line up with ‘How to convert Enquiries’. Other guests include Kerri L Watt on PR, Caroline Cooper with Customer Experience & Emma Gaymer talking about ‘Marketing for Life’. You can see the full line up, agenda & register HERE NOW. This is totally FREE to attend. Hope to see you there!
Finally, just a reminder not to forget to register for the Facebook grants offer:
REGISTER HERE
If you come across any articles, groups, emails etc around hospitality you think might benefit others please do let me know so I can include.
‘PBP POST PICKS’
Once again I’ve found some amazing content out there on hospitality social. Here are my ‘PBP Post Picks’ this week:
Rafters Sheffield picked up on the weather which was topical (topical posts do well on Facebook) by showcasing a backyard BBQ (Click the image below to watch the video):
I am rather biased about Wildcraft Bakery, both as a coeliac & the fact that they have attended one of my ‘PBP POW WOW’S’ in the past. I absolutely love them & their food is delicious! They are also a joy to follow on social media. Their personalities shine through & they are so honest, which is really the key to getting people to buy into you & your venue/products.
This post shows their raw emotions which we can all relate to:
Talk about taking us from one end of the emotional spectrum to the other. The last post made us understand & empathise this next one made us smile. It shows the people, products & encourages engagement. Perfect!:
Deeva in Farsley are delivering meals to a local hospital & shouting about it on their social, as they should be. Great idea & a well deserved shout out from me:
More good deeds from Matt Healy X The Foundry. They are also producing meals for the NHS & have received a lot of media attention, which they’ve shared on social. They’re also sharing their deliveries & videos of them making the food. Think of the content you can get out of one gesture?! (Click the image below to watch the video):
I absolutely loved this from Humblebee Farm, genius. This they posted on April Fools Day & then a follow up too. Brilliant humour.:
More humour from the Ticket Office Ilkley created in their branded colours:
They also started a weekly quarantine cocktail first sharing the ingredients in the morning so followers can gather what they need, then posting a ‘How to make it’ with a pic, also asking people to show their creations. Really creative & also encourages engagement, whilst still showcasing their products:
Following an awful break in at Everybodys in Guiseley, they posted this image with their neighbours Morrisons in Guiseley, who had helped them out in their hour of need. Even though the circumstances behind it are horrible, it’s a great post as it shows the local community, people can relate, sympathise & it is a heart-warming story.
I’m a little biased over their posts this last week as I’ve been helping them out with their social during this tough time! I’ve enjoyed it, it’s so nice to be able to help where I can.
They also did well with a give away that promised everyone a free drink if they’ve missed celebrating their Birthday in April. This encouraged engagement, looked great for the venue & also should hopefully encourage people to come back in when they re-open
One of the ideas we had which has worked well was a kids colouring competition for Easter. Could you do similar?
I mentioned last week about asking your followers for their opinions to generate engagement & buy-in. This is exactly what The Potting Shed in Guiseley & Bingley did, whilst also showcasing their product:
‘CONTENT IDEAS’
“Don’t you forget about me!!”. No, not just a fab 80’s song by Simple Minds but also a good ethos for your social. Don’t let your followers & customers forget your existence. We want to be first in their heads when all this blows over for somewhere to have a drink, a meal, a stay, visit, host a party etc.
Here are a few other things you could do on your social this week: – (You can also check out my last few week’s ideas on my previous blog posts.)
- Jump on this lovely weather we’re having for content ideas. Share past content of the beer garden or summery drinks such as Pimms & Sangria. Recipes for summer drinks & dishes, your team sitting out in their gardens in the sun, how to BBQ etc.
- Have a look at national days for the coming week. Here’s some you could use for inspiration: 10th April – National Farm Animals Day – Perfect for B&B’s in the countryside. 10th April – National Siblings Day – Show us pics of you & your brothers or sisters, maybe a competition or a thank you? 11th April National Pet Day – Post pics of your team & their pets, dogs that have come into your venue in the past, ask followers to post pics of them & their pets either just for fun or as a competition. 16th April – National Wear your Pyjamas to Work Day – Need I say more?!
- Easter is nearly upon us, could you do a virtual Easter Egg hunt with clues or a colouring competition for the kids?
- If you’re still delivering, shout about it by showing your team making your products, when they’re ready to go out, actually delivering them etc.
- Could you do something for the local community, charity or NHS & shout out abut it on your social?
- Introduce a cocktail happy hour weekly with post of ingredients, & then the recipe & image or video of how to make it, ask people to share their pics too.
- In a similar way can you do an online gin or wine tasting on Facebook Live, maybe ask the brands to help you with this or do some for you?
Remember above all else keep being heartfelt, honest, candid & yourselves. With lots of people pics & those that generate emotions.
We can do this peeps & come out fighting the other side!
Stay Safe,
Becky
P.S If you want any advice on your social media during this time, give me a call on 07711 999123 or drop me a line to beckyleach@pbpconsultancy.co.uk or sign up for a Wednesday POW WOW!
