The hospitality trade is at a turning level the place authenticity is trumping movie star standing, and probably the most profitable eating places are fully re-imagining their influential advertising and marketing technique.
On this recap of Social Pulse: Hospitality Version, Alexandra Seward shares her real-world expertise. She’s a digital advertising and marketing powerhouse who’s managed social media for over 50 restaurant manufacturers and present social media chief for the Briad Group and former advertising and marketing strategist for Atlas Restaurant Group.
[Listen to the full episode below, or read along for the transcript of the Social Pulse: Hospitality Edition, powered by Agorapulse. Try it for free today.]
Share an instance of a micro influencer marketing campaign that, in your opinion, outperformed a type of movie star partnerships that you just would possibly’ve had in your eating places
Alexandra Seward: Completely. I can consider the largest one. We had a grand opening for a brand new rooftop that we’ve in San Diego. It’s above a gorgeous lodge, a really form of popping space. It was on Fifth Avenue in Gaslamp. So we had a media evening the place we invited quite a lot of influencers. We had micro influencers with 5 to 10,000 followers. We had health influencers that’s an enormous factor in San Diego. We had a bunch of Padres gamers, Housewives stars. We had some celebrities from The Bachelor, an enormous group of them reside within the downtown San Diego space.
And so after this occasion, we requested everybody to publish the content material. So we began to see all of the posts coming in. And we began to check and distinction, and the publish that carried out the most effective was from an influencer who lived in downtown San Diego, steps from our lodge, and he or she had 15,000 followers, and it was a gorgeous video. She did a voiceover. It was a minute and a half lengthy showcase, and your complete expertise began to complete. It was unbelievable. It was so top quality, filmed on her iPhone. After which we had a Bachelor star with thousands and thousands of followers and a Padres participant with thousands and thousands of followers, they usually simply did one little static publish that they shortly deleted. In all probability inside two weeks of the occasion. And we have been in a position to seize some engagement from that, however it didn’t practically carry out pretty much as good as that micro influencer. She was about 25, 26, simply native within the space.
In order that was very telling. I used to be blown away by her engagement in comparison with the celebrities.
Alexandra Seward: Completely. We take a look at The Briad Group via a bunch of various standards. So the primary is viewers relevance.
I wish to ensure that, are their followers, are they foodies? Do they reside within the space? Do they like elevated eating experiences? How are their followers interacting with their food-targeted posts? That’s at all times very attention-grabbing to see the viewers’s relevance. The engagement high quality I need to see is the feedback from each followers which can be similar to one little emoji, and it’s a pretend follower, or are they full sentences, lengthy, full conversations taking place within the feedback from actual followers? Actual engagement. That’s at all times necessary to see. I like to see the content material fashion and consider that. Are they genuine, high-quality visuals that align with our restaurant aesthetics? I like to see a number of Reels. Is that this influencer solely doing static posts? We’ll most likely not work with them. If the influencer is doing voice-overs which can be 30 seconds to a minute lengthy. We like to see that. I additionally love to take a look at the situation. Are these influencers? Have they got a powerful presence in our restaurant’s goal geographic space, our rooftops at The Briad Group?
We’ve got the Concourse Membership in Woodridge, New Jersey, about half-hour exterior town. After which we’ve the Bradford Rooftop, which is about an hour and a half exterior of town. So we do have a number of them. New York Metropolis influencers are reaching out to us for staycation collaborations, which I’m truly very open to. We’re seeing a number of staycation influencers reaching out to get out of town, attempt one thing new.
However exterior of that, we’re solely taking a look at influencers in our area as a result of it simply makes probably the most sense for us. I additionally like to take a look at. Persona. Are they enjoyable? Are they humorous? Is it actual?
I additionally wish to see their earlier partnerships. I need to see if they’ve a observe report of working with related eating places? Are they working with a bunch of chains? Are they working with beverage manufacturers? For us, we’re very elevated. Rooftops we’re open at 5 o’clock. We’re closed Sunday, Monday, so we don’t need brunch, breakfast, or daytime affect.
We wish the elevated nightlife, nighttime influencer. And we additionally wish to see the viewers demographics. It’s very attention-grabbing from the restaurant accounts. I like to see, do we’ve any mutual followers? Are we following a few of the identical? Tourism accounts for Go to New Jersey. Are we following New Jersey Digest a few of these large media accounts? I wish to see if we’ve any mutual followers there.
In order that’s the factors that we take a look at for evaluating these potential partnerships.
How are you structuring your partnerships? How are you approaching that relationship with these micro influencers?
Alexandra Seward: I believe greater than ever, transparency is essential. I’ve now develop into virtually over particular with all of the clear deliverables that I need to see from influencers as a result of I’ve made the error of not specifying what I need, and I get disillusioned with the end result of the standard of the content material. It’s a must to specify every thing. Now, whether or not it’s a publish, a static publish versus a Reel, and the way lengthy the Reel is. I had an influencer as soon as publish simply, it was like a ten-second video clip of a burger, and it simply didn’t showcase the restaurant. The vibe, the ambiance in any respect, and it didn’t do something for us.
So I wish to specify the particular content material codecs before everything. Okay. We wish a minute-long Reel. In addition to a posting schedule as a result of oftentimes these influencers have a bunch of name offers that they’re working with or a bunch of collaborations, and your posts would possibly get pushed to the underside of their to-do checklist, so I need to ensure. Okay. Can this be posted inside three days of your go to? Perhaps per week. All of it is dependent upon your private content material calendar, however for me, I wish to see the publish exit inside three to 5 days of the go to, specifying the tagging necessities for us. Our rooftop venues are situated on prime of motels, so I need to ensure the influencer is at all times inviting each the lodge and the rooftop to collaborate. If we’ve an enormous chef that we need to showcase, tag the chef as nicely. That is all essential to specify, at the same time as little as what dishes you need them to showcase.
In order that form of comes right down to the compensation. I like to put out the offers of their complimentary eating expertise. For probably the most half, we’re working with influencers who need to collaborate for a free meal and the free eating expertise, free brunch. So with that, you even should specify what number of dishes they should get, and what number of cocktails they should get.
Please kindly tip your server, lay all that on the market, as a result of I’ve had the influencer stroll in, attempt to order the entire menu, and simply stroll out with out tipping your server. As particular as potential with the compensation. After which I like to take a look at the long-term relationship constructing, if it’s an influencer, the place I’m enthusiastic about this partnership, and I need to see if we will collaborate on many occasions, holidays, women ‘ evening outs, no matter it’s. I like to take a look at whether or not there are multi-visit alternatives reasonably than only a one-off publish. And for us, we discovered this sister duo that’s primarily based out of New York Metropolis, and we’re like their go-to staycation collaboration vacation spot. And it’s been superior.
They’ve celebrated birthdays with us, now they’ve celebrated holidays, they usually’ve carried out in a single day stays on the lodge. So it’s been superior, and it’s was an superior partnership for us. And lastly, simply the cross promotion, simply to ensure that they’re at all times inviting you to collaborate, tagging, posting on all platforms, Fb, TikTok tales, all that’s necessary.
So necessary to construction the clear deliverables upfront.
Do you ever work with a number of influencers on the identical time, the place you’ve gotten them collaborate along with the manufacturers?
Alexandra Seward: Truthfully, I’ve by no means carried out that earlier than. That’s truly not a nasty thought as a result of a number of them are buddies. Which I’ve discovered good once we’ve had these media nights or grand opening occasions, they’re all buddies, all of them come collectively, all of them hang around the entire evening. They’ll seize a drink afterwards. So that’s an space of alternative for certain, to only invite a pair and do one large collaboration with a number of influencers. That’s an excellent thought.
Mike Allton: I stole it from Adobe. I took that from Adobe. It’s one thing that they do with their annual Adobe Summit. They’ll invite a cadre of influencers, they’ll pay for his or her journey, they’ll convey ’em out to, I believe it’s Las Vegas. To their occasion. So a few years in the past, it was people like Goldie Chan, Leon, perhaps Rodriguez, I believe was there, and a few these are large names in advertising and marketing, proper? It’s significantly B2B advertising and marketing, they usually all know one another. And they also present up, they usually all have the identical occasions. They’re taking selfies with one another. After which most significantly, they’re interacting and interesting with one another’s social posts and tagging one another. So that they’re all amplifying one another’s posts and Adobe’s posts. It’s an excellent tactic. I’ve used it many instances for Agorapulse. So that you, everyone listening, positively take a look at how you might usher in a pair totally different or three totally different influencers without delay. Introduce ’em in the event that they don’t already know one another and get ’em to collaborate with one another.
What’s the largest shock that you just’ve found by working with micro influencers versus celebrities?
Alexandra Seward: Yeah. I believe there are a number of micro influencers who’re keen to collaborate free of charge. They’re within the eating expertise. They need to attempt a brand new restaurant. They need to convey their buddies, they need a free dinner. And a number of influencers have these full-time day jobs the place that is their pastime. It’s a separate account for them. It’s enjoyable, and I typically favor working with all these micro influencers versus these whose sole job and first supply of earnings is their influencer platform that tries to cost you loopy charges, hundreds of {dollars} for posts. In order that’s most likely one of many greatest surprises: discovering the influencers who’re keen to collaborate free of charge.
Additionally, it’s simply higher content material high quality. I discovered they produce extra inventive, genuine content material than celebrities. They’re creating the content material themselves. I’ve discovered some celebrities who rent exterior content material creators to completely supply the content material for them. I believe additionally there’s only a stage of relationship depth that you just get with these micro influencers. They typically construct real connections with not solely their followers but additionally the restaurant. They like to get to know the chef, they need to go within the kitchen. It’s a really actual relationship that may come out of this partnership.
Additionally, the continuing engagement. These influencers typically proceed to advertise your restaurant organically after the partnership ends. I discovered this with so many influencers the place they may are available for a go to they usually’ll rejoice their birthday there a number of months later. They’ll proceed to come back again, they’ll come again for brunch. They’ll nonetheless tag you. They’ll nonetheless publish simply because they love the spot that a lot. Additionally, these micro influencers have a fast turnaround, they usually can launch campaigns in a short time. There’s no want for any prolonged contract negotiations, and typically with these bigger celebrities, they only take some time. It could possibly be months earlier than you see the precise content material come out. And I discovered that you just at all times should comply with up. And typically. Nonetheless by no means see the publish. It simply will get misplaced in translation and the shuffle of all their different model offers that they’re working with.
These are all large surprises that I discovered whereas working with these micro influencers.
How are you measuring success general with these micro-influencer campaigns?
Alexandra Seward: Yep. So we use Resy for our rooftops, so I’m always taking a look at my Resy app on the backend, and I can see reservation spikes after campaigns go reside. Oftentimes, the follower will increase and impressions general are the three large ones. We take a look at the brand new menu efficiency as nicely. So we’ll discover if an influencer is speaking about one dish particularly, or one cocktail particularly, the gross sales for these particular dishes will go up tremendously.
We’ll additionally take a look at simply web site visitors evaluation on the backend. What number of clicks? Web site faucets, and I’ll at all times comply with up with the influencer afterwards to ship us a pleasant recap of the analytics from her finish and evaluate that to ours. And I believe the follower will increase and the reservation spikes are the large ones that I discover. I’ll observe these, I’ll benchmark these, and take observe for future influencer visits. And it’s good to check and distinction with a bunch of influencers that you’ve got in and see who’s performing the most effective, however it’s unbelievable the influence that they’ll have.
What are some widespread errors that you just see different eating places making after they’re making an attempt to work with influencers?
Alexandra Seward: I’ve some buddies who’re additionally within the house, and I discovered that these eating places are prioritizing follower rely with these micro influencers versus their engagement high quality and the viewers relevance. They’re taking a look at simply the variety of followers, they usually’re not trying on the shares, the feedback, the saves.
And that’s all tremendous necessary to take a look at, and I’ll favor the influencer with so many shares and saves over the influencer with a whole bunch of hundreds of followers all day lengthy.
I additionally discover that these eating places are offering simply inadequate model pointers whereas nonetheless anticipating very particular outcomes.
So it goes again to the clear deliverables there. I discover that eating places are additionally anticipating instant outcomes with out permitting time for the content material to carry out. So I believe eating places get hasty, they usually count on straight away that they’ve to realize 100 thousand followers after this publish goes reside. Nevertheless it takes a minute, it takes 5 days for it to hit the algorithm. Perhaps you enhance the posts, see how that goes, however you possibly can’t count on instant outcomes. And I believe these eating places get hung up on that. And I believe they’re focusing an excessive amount of on the quick time period with these collaborations versus the long-term results of the posts and the long-term relationships.
I particularly discover that with actual collaborations that we do, that are not less than a minute and a half lengthy. We’ll discover the followers are available sluggish and regular, however it’s sluggish progress there, however it’s well worth the wait. Undoubtedly.
Has that [unpolished iPhone look] impacted your influencer advertising and marketing technique?
Alexandra Seward: Sure. So we’ve labored with wonderful videographers and for horizontal web site movies which have carried out superbly on our web sites. Nonetheless, with Reels and stuff. It seems to be an excessive amount of like an advert. It seems to be too business. And we’ve discovered that customers simply aren’t partaking with the skilled video. At the very least with our rooftops and motels.
I believe the iPhone simply reveals extra character. Such as you stated, it’s much less polished. And I believe the iPhone is simply extra for the time being. I like when influencers will publish a bunch of Tales reside within the second from their iPhone tagging us whereas they’re taking that first chunk of the burger, and we’ll get a number of eyes on these posts solely simply because it’s iPhone, it’s actual, it’s within the second and it’s genuine.
So I positively agree. The iPhone is simply performing higher. I’ve checked out different manufacturers, carried out some analysis, and I’ve seemed on the likes I’ve scrolled down, and there’s not a number of likes going for these high-end movies. So I positively assume it’s price it for the web site for certain. However positively not for Reels.
Be taught knowledge and insights from hospitality consultants in each episode of Social Pulse: Hospitality Version.
Alexandra Seward: Yeah, there’s a lot occurring, so I very a lot simplified my sources that I’m utilizing.
- Hey Orca is an incredible e-newsletter that I get emailed each week. Additionally they have weekly webinars the place they’re at all times speaking in regards to the newest app updates. They’re speaking about developments, they’re speaking about every thing. In order that’s an unbelievable useful resource, Hey Orca.
- I additionally attended the Social Media Advertising and marketing Summit in New York Metropolis final yr, they usually had a bunch of audio system, and it was in individual. It was wonderful. A fantastic number of audio system from totally different manufacturers and industries, however they positively touched on influencer advertising and marketing loads in AI as nicely.
- And lastly, podcasts: The Advertising and marketing Completely happy Hour, the Influencer Advertising and marketing Lab, the Skinny Confidential, these are my three large ones, the place they typically have a number of influencers, micro, macro celebrities which can be at all times speaking about social media. The developments, the dos and don’ts. It’s all nice podcasts there.
Thanks for studying the highlights of this episode of Social Pulse: Hospitality, powered by Agorapulse.
And don’t overlook to seek out the Social Pulse Podcast: Hospitality Version on Apple, in addition to different editions just like the Retail, Company, and B2B.
