Week 5 of my ‘Keep Hospitality Alive’ email & blog.
This week I wanted to get you all thinking about what you’re going to do differently when you re-open & how you’re going to celebrate? I specialise in launching hospitality & tourism businesses on social media & building up awareness & excitement. It struck me the other day that when you re-open this is almost going to be like a re-launch. Will you be ready? Will the venue look it’s best? Will the team all be trained? Will that new menu be ready to go? Will you have organised a re-launch party or offers? Will you have all your photography done? Will you have your website up to date? Will you know what you’re going to continue posting on social media & have your content buckets ready? Take this time to plan this all properly, you might not have this opportunity again!
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.
‘USEFUL ARTICLES’
Here are some of the bits & pieces I have come across from experts in our field on social, marketing & more this week:
E-Hotelier are with me when it comes to the advice of getting things done whilst you’re closed! This article ‘What should hoteliers do regarding marketing?’, suggests all the stuff you can do during this quieter time including: mini audits, brand photography, gather reviews (sometimes on videos), gather social media content, work on your online content such as ensuring your website is up to date etc.
Another E-Hotelier article which resonated with me was this one: ‘Caring is the new currency: guest messaging for today.’ This quote really stood out for me: “Take the time to build loyalty now. Keep reaching out to people, stay top of mind and reap the rewards once the industry is back in the game and for years to come”
You can also now access their webinar training recording they did last week here entitled ‘Bringing order to chaos’
I totally agree with this piece written by Morning Advertiser entitled: ‘Doors closed, DM’s open – social media hints & tips for pubs during the Coronavirus shutdown’. Some great advice which I 100% endorse. I especially love the quote: “A steady stream of authentic news will keep your business front of mind helping you push through the crisis and hopefully come out stronger when we emerge”
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’
Still lots of creative content out there on hospitality social, plus a few more venues I’ve found & love what they do! Here are my ‘PBP Post Picks’ I found this week:
Wildcraft Bakery, one of my faves, continue to get it right. This post shows us what they are doing on a daily basis & behind the scenes of their business, working on an Easter Monday to get orders sorted for all their loyal customers. It’s a double whammy as it’s also a Facebook Live which get’s more engagement generally & informs your followers. Click the image to see the video:
Rafters in Sheffield also continue to get it right showcasing the produce they are growing to use in the restaurant. Followers love to see where food comes from, it’s very topical:
Another belter of a week for Grumpy’s in Farsley who just always seem to get it spot on. There are a few bits & pieces in here that I have previously suggested as content ideas on my weekly emails.
Firstly, with the fab sunny weather we’ve been having, they used this to generate simple nostalgia. No words necessary we all know that they wish this was full of people enjoying the sun & we all wish we were there too:
I loved their simple online quiz idea that anyone could do, even if you have a phobia of being in front of a camera, this is a fab alternative:
This idea has been previously mentioned but it’s such a great one & I loved how it was executed by them. Great for engagement:
They then followed it up, which really makes this work, with a thank you & a video of one of the team members dancing to the tunes!: Click Image to view video:
New to this week’s post picks are ‘Popalong’ in Pudsey. They always get the human element just right in their posts & the way they interact with their followers. I loved this simple idea for the community:
Show what you are all still doing during closure. Humblebee Farm are lucky as they have so much content right there on their doorstep but they still utilise it so well. Do you have anything on your doorstep you could include on your posts? Click the pic to watch the video:
Something I have been encouraging my clients to do is film themselves when doing their ‘Clap for Carers’. Once again Humblebee did this very well: Click the pic to watch the video.
OK, I have to admit that I have a new social media crush, what a find! Healing Manor in Lincolnshire are storming it! Head over to their Facebook page & check them out!
Their nominate a neighbour idea is genius:
They then delivered food to people who they felt deserved it, including this couple who should have been celebrating their wedding, amazing!:
They thanked their suppliers (whilst also showing that they support local & where there food comes from!):
Finally, they are even preparing food care packages for their teams. This is just the sort of thing which will encourage customers to go & stay with them after lock down – great publicity!:
Last week, I had the pleasure of chatting to Tor the owner of William’s Den, a visitor attraction over near North Cave. Again, they are very lucky as they have all sorts of content on their doorstep, but they are being very creative still with their social media. Check out this message they made with some of the den materials:
Similar to what I mentioned last week, they also did a kids Easter Egg decorating competition. This is how they built up excitement:
Then the competition itself:
‘CONTENT IDEAS’
I’m sure you’ve been inspired loads already with those ‘PBP Post Picks’, but just in case you need more, head on over for the last few weeks ideas on my previous blog posts HERE.
Also……
- What have you got on your doorstep you could use for content? Think countryside, animals, local community, unusual objects, gardens, buildings. What can you make using what you have around you?
- Show people what you are doing, it might seem mundane to you but it might be fascinating to your followers. Are you growing ingredients? Planning events? Feeding animals? Going on daily walks? Home-schooling the kids?
- What can you create or display in your windows that helps the local community or entertains them when they are out on their daily walk? Quizzes, art, puzzles, wildlife hunts?
- Can you give some shout outs to your suppliers? Especially those that are local
- Do you have a regular DJ? Can you ask them to do a live DJ set?
- National Days you could have fun with this week include: National Lookalike Day on 20th April. Do any of your team members have a doppelganger out there? Have a bit of fun & include your followers.
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. #keephospitalityalive and #keepsocialalive
If you’d like any further advice or would like to book a chat contact me on 07711 999123 or beckyleach@pbpconsultancy,co.uk
