Brad Golchin has some online marketing tips to attract more punters during this year’s rugby tournament.

Facebook

This is where you engage with people, where you get involved in conversations, where you find out about your customers. It’s about emotions and associations, not about transactions. Facebook allows you to attract ‘club members’ where you can talk about the RWC and generate excitement for the trip down-under. You can invite your existing customers to join you to share in something in a genuine two-way conversation about them including what, where and how they like to eat (in between rugby games).You, in turn, can engage them in activities such as recipe swapping and rugby conversations. You can show your staff in action and keep it fun and interesting. It’s your shop window.

This way you can find out who is coming to New Zealand next year and with the relationship you are creating they may come to your restaurant because they will be familiar with you; your food and your staff. Facebook is not the place to conduct business however; it’s the place for emotion and associations. Leave the business end to your website.

Your website

This is about your business – your website will be where your Facebook friends make their bookings. It is the printed marketing tool, creating the perfect visual image of your restaurant, bar or hotel – a beautiful, highly crafted place of excellence, an exciting night out or a warm and welcoming destination – you set the tone and create the image. This is the business end, with contact details, menu specials, discounts and giveaways – whatever your customers need to get themselves to your restaurant.

Make it easy for overseas visitors by linking to foreign currency calculators, having local accommodation information available and links to a map of your location. Check out these websites for ideas about linking with overseas travellers in 2011: www.foursquare.com, www.tripadviser.co.nz and www.google.com/places. Remember that your website is the first reflection people will have after getting to know you on Facebook, so make it just that – a reflection of you and how you want people to see your business.

Twitter

Twitter is about immediacy and humorous engagement with your customers – it’s brash. Think about who would be best at it – your barista may be a whiz. You establish the frequency and what you will offer to fellow tweeters, set it in motion and as long as there are parameters about professionalism, tweeting can continue through the RWC. Be sure to find new daily customers through promotions such as: ‘The first 10 customers who visit … and say “Webb Ellis” get two free drinks and a pizza.’

Brad Golchin is the managing director of a new advisory firm called Hospitality Advice: www.hospitalityadvice.co.nz.