Social media opened up many possibilities for restaurants both good and bad. It’s a great way to get your name out there and advertise, often for free. It’s also a great way for customers to put their thoughts out there for the world to see and sometimes it’s not always pleasant. A negative review can spread even faster than a positive, making it vital that you have good reputation management.

In the face of today’s global pandemic, restaurants need to manage their reputations in order to stay afloat. So how do you do it? Check out our top tips.

Pay Close Attention to Reviews

Customers love to leave reviews – both positive and negative. Staying aware of the reviews left may help improve your business. Good reviews are great – they help boost your business. You can even use them as highlights in your own posts. Bad reviews open up the opportunity to make things better. Truly listen to the review, do they have valid points? Take the emotion out of it and really focus on what they’re trying to say.

Stay Engaged

It’s important to respond to customers with both positive and negative reviews. A ‘thank you’ goes a long way as does a response to a negative review. Make the response public so everyone can see that you’re trying to fix the situation and make it right for the customer. If the issue carries on, you can keep the conversation going in a private email, but make sure you ‘make good’ with the customer in a public way too.

Use Social Media to Promote the Good you Do

Does your restaurant help the needy? Does it host special events, fundraisers, or even have specials that may help consumers during this difficult time? This too is a part of reputation management. The more you are ‘out there’ and showing the good you can do for the community that you are a part of, the better the reputation the community will have of your establishment. It’s all about the reputation you create and follow through on in person.

Reputation management is the key to any restaurant’s success today. In these trying times, consumers have limited resources and spend their funds wisely. Using social media to help promote your restaurant’s reputation increases your chances of being the place many consumers choose to spend their hard-earned money during these difficult times.

To review your Internet marketing strategy and explore options new and old, contact us now.