How Facebook's Graph Search Could Affect Your Restaurant

Since Facebook started beta testing in January, using social media marketing has been turned on its ear. Previously, those business owners, particular restaurant, service and hospitality businesses, which had a national presence tended to expend marketing efforts on the corporate pages with little attention paid to local markets. It is useful for business owners and managers to understand how Facebook's Graph search could affect your restaurant.

Graph Search uses photos, likes and check ins to identify local restaurants that have been recommended by "friends" in the area. It is based on the concept that prospective patrons are more likely to try out a new restaurant if it is liked by a friend who has tried the eating establishment. The product is currently in beta testing and is showing good results for those restaurants and other businesses that are shifting marketing resources to emphasize the "Parent-Child" relationship with local bricks-and-mortar establishments, if any.

The search software is the third leg of the Facebook platform. Previous elements of Facebook marketing are Timeline and News Feed. Timeline is used for posting content to Facebook sites, while Newsfeed is used for the purpose of distributing content. Like the other two elements, Graph Search uses connections between friends, locations and liked brands to return search results to users.

For restaurants without a brand presence, building the social networking "likes" and "check-ins" is an opportunity to take advantage of Facebook's new focus on the local firms. It appears to be a deliberate action of the part of the social networking agency. Prompt action on the part of restaurant owners could place them in a position to ride the wave of users turning to Facebook as a type of search engine. It is uncertain at present whether Facebook will be able to provide serious competition to the existing search engines in this niche, but it is certainly boosting the rankings of those firms that are making use of the features.

Specifically, owners and managers should take action to update contact information on local pages, categorize the type of bricks-and-mortar establishment, and include the geocode.  Dave Lipson of ReservationBooks.com suggests that existing customers should be encouraged to like the restaurant and to recommend it to their friends.  Tagging photos is also another way to build presence on the internet. As a restaurants brand owner, you can publish content on local pages to enhance visibility of both.

Learning how Facebook's Graph Search could affect your restaurant increases the likelihood of discovery by referral traffic. In turn this generates new patrons to receive offers. All the local diners need to do is like the page, check in regularly, rank the service and tag photos. This becomes a virtual circle that is highly successful in growing your customer base.