How Facebook's Graph Search Could Affect Your Restaurant

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMLq5M9xmHQ5sQXerdinG8BLU647IsEs_1zJ1Szx-M8A5JYAFX8fdt3UBPtQIPkqTrMsQ3tdGcgSlw99jpsoaf2QtldeuTWjmooCCAe_avaIfiXGxEkv-E6aIVvwkqz_aJwSJvm-_N1X8/s1600/facebook-graph-search.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMLq5M9xmHQ5sQXerdinG8BLU647IsEs_1zJ1Szx-M8A5JYAFX8fdt3UBPtQIPkqTrMsQ3tdGcgSlw99jpsoaf2QtldeuTWjmooCCAe_avaIfiXGxEkv-E6aIVvwkqz_aJwSJvm-_N1X8/s320/facebook-graph-search.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px;" /><br style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px;" /><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px;">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.</span><br style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px;" /><br style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px;" /><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px;">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.</span><br style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px;" /><br style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px;" /><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px;">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.</span><br style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px;" /><br style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px;" /><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px;">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.</span><br style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px;" /><br style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px;" /><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px;">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 <a href="http://reservationbooks.com/">ReservationBooks.com</a> 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.</span><br style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px;" /><br style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px;" /><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px;">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.</span>

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, ...

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Why Your Restaurant Needs A Blog

<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoCd7aaQAxh7WkRXZN9_HyMm5PSC99E43sjsE209DvxwKe7ooFphqMl7GN824LkDhqkYQbpPNG7YxtAiJ1f2sb-bOHbNK-KEv47taPSQF_Eb2bV_LN17HDXonvSRwnf9E6XahyCCBAYB0/s1600/blogging.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoCd7aaQAxh7WkRXZN9_HyMm5PSC99E43sjsE209DvxwKe7ooFphqMl7GN824LkDhqkYQbpPNG7YxtAiJ1f2sb-bOHbNK-KEv47taPSQF_Eb2bV_LN17HDXonvSRwnf9E6XahyCCBAYB0/s320/blogging.gif" width="228" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">A<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>blog<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>is a<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">journal</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial;">published on the<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">World Wide Web</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial;">consisting of posts typically displayed in reverse chronological order so the most recent post appears first. Blogs are usually the work of a single individual, occasionally of a small group, and often are themed on a single subject.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">A blog by no means is a short term marketing solution.  It is however a long term marketing asset that will bring you traffic “or eyeballs” to your restaurant website.  <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Now I know how busy restaurant time can be and there is very little time for sitting down and writing about things to post online.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">However here is a cool fact:  Companies that have blogs have 55% more website visitors.  Can you restaurant afford to not use this indispensable marketing tool?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial;">At the end of this video and in the text below <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Ill</st1:place></st1:state>give you some inexpensive tools to use to make blogging a little easier.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">So you might be wondering what do blogs do and why do I need them for my restaurant?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Well, Blogs are used to earn peoples trust that your restaurant is the place they want to dine.  <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Now it is up to you how many times you blog.  The more the better but in this busy world; who has time to continually be writing while running a restaurant?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">You need to add some sort of value for the reader. Entice them with a coupon.  Show them why your restaurant is the place then need to be.  Post pictures, Build a relationship with them.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="266" mozallowfullscreen="mozallowfullscreen" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/v83LgNOZ2mI?feature=player_embedded" webkitallowfullscreen="webkitallowfullscreen" width="320"></iframe></div><br /><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Now when setting up your blog for you restaurant I suggest you set up 5 or more blogs. Let me explain.  The more written original content there is online about your restaurant the more Google will think you are an authority.  Meaning they will put you higher up on Google when people search for you.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial;">Now, you may be wondering how Google picks your restaurant to show on Google. It is done by keywords and similarities to what the user is looking for.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">So the 1^stthing you need to do is figure out what are the best keywords to use for your restaurant.   What would a person enter into Google to search for your restaurant?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Maybe <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Wing night<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Restaurant on YOUR Street<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Restaurant at YOUR Mall<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Live music in YOUR city<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Your restaurant feature like Martini Mondays</span></li></ul><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">So now that you have a keyword list you can start to build your blog.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">I suggest having 5 blogs that you use for advertising purposes and setting these up in Blogger.com. Now I suggest using Blogger.com as it is owned by Google and … Do you get how using their tools may help your efforts?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Now the key to remember is to use one of the keywords in the title of each blog you set up.  So for instance here is a blog that I have set up as “Kanata Irish Pub” because <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Kanata</st1:place></st1:city> is the city the restaurant is in and Irish Pub is one of the keywords that a person might use to search<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Now, in blogger you can pick nice background images and change the appearance of the blog to suit your tastes. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">So once you have this done you can set up your 1^st blog posting.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">So go ahead and write about what you think will be of value to your restaurant audience.  In this example we talk about the restaurant and the deal of dinner and a movie.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Make sure you add compelling images that catch the reader’s attention and draw them into your story.  This also helps by breaking up the text and making it easier to read.  You can even embed your YouTube videos.  This makes for a very compelling story.  Imagine a restaurant without a blog and a future customer is searching for where to eat and one of the websites they come across is your blog and it contains fabulous stories and videos of your restaurant. Then there is your competitors page that just has one plain Jane website with very little content and imagery.  Where do you think they will dine?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Now do not forget somewhere in the blog to put a link to your website.  <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Also you will see labels listed at bottom, these are important as well.  Insert your keywords here and always put more than one.<o:p></o:p></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Also one image per post and rename your image one of your keywords before you upload it.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Your good blog should be on your domain like www.restaurantname.com/blog<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">To do this you will need to get your website administrator to install Wordpress on your domain and use this for your professionally written blogs. The ones you add to your advertising and links form your website.  The reason you use Wordpress and attach it to you restaurant domain is that it will build up the reputation of your domain name but it needs to be hosted on your website address <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Now make sure you do not always just talk about your restaurant. Readers do not always want to read about your restaurant.   <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Here are some great things your can blog about for your restaurant<o:p></o:p></span></div><ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Your neighbourhood and other businesses in and around yours.<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Your city that you do business in.<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">A team you sponsor.<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">A regular customer.<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">A staff member that went above and beyond to please a guest.<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Your family story<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Blog with images about past entertainment like bands in your bar, even maybe a video<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Special events like St. Patty’s day<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Charitable events that your restaurant participates in.<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Now don’t for get the title of a blog post is very important.  It needs to capture the reader’s attention.  It also needs to contain one of your restaurant keywords like your restaurant name, where your restaurant is etc.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Here are some resources<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Blogger link up </span><a href="http://www.bloggerlinkup.com/">http://www.bloggerlinkup.com/</a><span style="font-family: Arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Here is a cool blog I have learned tons from <a href="http://www.ppchero.com/">http://www.ppchero.com/</a><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Blog writers <a href="http://www.iwriter.com/">http://www.iwriter.com/</a><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Use the<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>Google keyword tool to assist with your research <a href="http://www.googlekeywordtool.com/">http://www.googlekeywordtool.com/</a><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div>

Why Your Restaurant Needs A Blog

A   blog   is a   journal   published on the   World Wide Web   consisting of posts typically displayed in reverse chronological order so th...

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