Instagram can help you connect with new customers and promote your products and services. In fact, more than 60 percent of people said they use Instagram to find things that they want to purchase or obtain in real life.
In some cases, you can do this without even creating a single post. If you’re able to create an experience that your customers want to share on their own Instagram accounts, they can do much of the work for you. By setting up Instagrammable places and creating products that people would love to post on their feeds, your customers can help your brand gain more buzz on Instagram.

​Here are some of the specific strategies you can use to create a truly Instagrammable business.

​Even the coolest decor won’t show up well in photos if your lighting is poor. You need to have high quality light fixtures that create an even look throughout your interior. It also helps to have plenty of natural light during the day. So try to keep shades open and consider even adding some skylights or extra windows if your space is especially dark.

​People love sharing their fun experiences on Instagram. So if you host some special events, it could bring more people to your business and also encourage them to share in their Instagram posts and stories. Some interesting event signage and decor can also go a long way. If you want to take it a step further, you might even encourage people to wear costumes or dress up so they’ll want to take photos of themselves.

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

• Landmark study first to combine transaction and online review data from more than 200,000 U.S. small businesses in one comprehensive analysis
• Findings uncover the financial impact of online reviews on small business revenue

Womply, a marketing and CRM software provider for small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), today published its Impact of Online Reviews on Small Business Revenue study, the first comprehensive look at the correlations between online review patterns and sales revenue at American small businesses.
Among the major findings, the study revealed low ratings on Google are more damaging to small businesses than poor ratings on Yelp or Facebook. Companies with an average Google star rating of 1 to 1.5 average 33% less revenue per year than the average business. For comparison, businesses with the same star rating on Yelp or Facebook average 19% and 9% less yearly revenue than the average business, respectively.
To compile this study, Womply’s data science team conducted an in-depth analysis of transaction and online review data for more than 200,000 U.S. small businesses in every state and across dozens of industries, including restaurants, retailers, lodging places, salons, auto shops, and medical offices.
The findings are publicly available on Womply.com and shed light on a number of questions facing small businesses, including:

• Which online review sites have the greatest impact on the bottom line?
• Does replying to reviews impact revenue?
• How valuable is a 5-star rating?

“Every business is more successful when they can make data-driven decisions, but small businesses have historically not had access to good data," says Womply Founder and CEO Toby Scammell. “This groundbreaking study ensures that small business owners don’t have to rely on conjecture when making critical decisions about how to manage their online presence and engage with their customers online.”
Other key findings from the study:

• It pays to have an open dialogue: Businesses that reply to at least 25% of their reviews average 35% more revenue than the average business.
• Recent reviews have more value: Businesses with more than nine “fresh” reviews (reviews posted in the past 90 days) earn 52% more revenue than the average business. Additionally, businesses with 25 or more fresh reviews earn 108% more than average.
• 5-star ratings aren’t all they’re cracked up to be: The star-rating sweet spot for revenue is between 3.5 and 4.5 stars. In fact, 5-star businesses actually earn less on average than 1-star businesses.
• It’s okay to have a handful of detractors: Businesses that average 35-50% negative reviews earn nearly the same as the average business.
• Response rate matters: 75% of small businesses don’t respond to any reviews, which is a problem, since businesses that reply to more than 20% of their reviews earn 42% more revenue than businesses that don’t respond at all. Consequently, businesses that reply to at least half of their reviews earn $166,000 more in annual revenue than businesses that don’t reply to any reviews.
• More is better: Businesses with more than the average number of reviews (83) earn 82% more annual revenue than businesses with review counts below the average. In addition, businesses with 200+ reviews earn twice as much in revenue compared to the average business.
• More profiles claimed equals more revenue: Businesses that claim their free listings on at least three of the major review sites (e.g. Google, Yelp, Facebook, and TripAdvisor) average $107,000 more annual revenue than a typical business, and $179,000 more than businesses that don’t claim their listings on any review sites, a 60% swing in revenue.
• Consumers are kinder than you think: Nationally, 81% of online reviews for a typical business are positive.

Of all small business categories, Americans are kindest in online reviews to chiropractors (95% positive ratings), followed by religious organizations (92%), art galleries (91%) and dance schools (91%). Americans are the harshest to taxi and shuttle services (65% positive ratings), followed by hotels and motels (67%), real estate businesses (67%), and auto wash and detail business (67%).
“This study gives small businesses insight into where to spend their efforts online,” says Scammell. “We’re excited to democratize this level of data analysis, giving small business owners unparalleled visibility into the financial impact of online reviews so they can better understand their patrons and run more profitable businesses.”
Womply’s Impact of Online Reviews on Small Business Revenue study is now available on Womply.com. For more information, contact [email protected].
About Womply
Womply’s mission is to help small businesses thrive in a digital world. Our AI-powered data platform enhances our comprehensive small business management software, which includes the world’s only pre-populated CRM plus small business intelligence, reputation management, marketing automation, and integrated payments. Every day, we serve more than 150,000 small businesses across 400+ verticals, in every corner of America. To learn more, visit www.womply.com or email [email protected].


View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190723005207/en/

Expert Panel, Forbes Coaches Council
Top business and career coaches from Forbes Coaches Council offer firsthand insights on leadership development & careers.
Small business owners can sometimes find it impossible to compete against massive corporations. Big businesses can typically leverage millions in advertising budgets and can outsupply and outpace small businesses at every turn.
However, small businesses shouldn't be so quick to throw in the towel. Some experiences that less expansive, more niche businesses can offer, large chains fail at doing because of the very things that drive their success. Below, 11 members of Forbes Coaches Council discuss some of the advantages that give small businesses the competitive edge over large corporate entities, and how those advantages can help shape their success.
Forbes Coaches Council members share what advantages small businesses have over their larger competition and how they can use them to their benefit.
1. Custom Approach
Small businesses can offer a more personalized and customized service. With large businesses, there is often a "one size fits all" mentality. Small businesses can use this to their advantage by taking the time to get to know the potential customer, evaluating their needs and developing a solution that is perfect for the customer. - Amy Modglin, Modglin Leadership Solutions

2. Emphasis On Disruptive Innovation
Your small business likely exists because larger companies are not serving customers effectively. Wherever possible, you should highlight and exploit every innovative aspect of your products or services. Emphasize those unique elements that set you apart from large corporations. Then, show them the path to innovate and disrupt their own industries by working with your firm. - Mark Nation, Nation Leadership
Big-name companies often need to focus on consistency, whether it is internal with staff or external to customers. Approval processes can take a lot of time in a large organization. Small businesses can be more flexible in how they reward or recognize staff and how they deal with customers. They can add the personal touch both internally and externally. - Kathy Lockwood, Blue Water Leadership Coaching
4. Creativity
Small businesses can win through creativity. That is largely stifled at a big company. Think of the approval and response process—those things take time and are made to be generic. Think also about how the customer feels on the other end of it: like a number. A small company can react faster, build creative solutions and still stay inside their own lane. - Dominic Rubino, BizStratPlan
5. Level Of Care
Small businesses provide a level of care and involvement by name-brand people that most corporations aren't structured or can't afford to provide. The type of people who choose to start (or work in) a small business is often motivated by a deep love for their craft, which they continually invest in honing for your benefit. They invest in you as well as the business, because you are the business. - April Armstrong, AHA Insight
6. Adaptability
Business is all about people, and small businesses have the advantage of knowing each and every client really well. They have the ability to provide a one-on-one, personalized experience that clients really value. You also have the ability to be flexible and adapt to customers’ needs, including more easily bringing in new services and products, which could bring potential new revenue sources. - Andy Bailey, Petra Coach
7. Passion With Purpose
Passion with a purpose ignites possibilities. Successful small businesses have no shortage of passion. When they connect with a customer's passion, the energy accelerates desired outcomes into impact. The impact is the full realization of a promise made and kept and the foundation of a long-term relationship. - Cyndee Blockinger Lake, Blank Page
8. Active Listening
Unlike large companies, small businesses can differentiate themselves by providing a feedback loop that enables two-way communication. That two-way communication can publicly influence future product design and the scope of services. In addition to the obvious benefit of public interactions, this particular method paves the way for consumers to become stakeholders and advocates. - Kamyar Shah, World Consulting Group
9. Speed And Agility
Stop trying to be something you aren't. Be the company who can make decisions faster, deliver small batches of products without issue and customize to meet demand. You can be a trusted resource when your customer needs help or wants to feel special. Be the hero to your customer as the one who is able to respond in small ways when the big guys are too busy trying to cut through their red tape. - Erica McCurdy, McCurdy Solutions Group
10. One-On-One Magic
The advantage that smaller businesses have over larger companies is their ability to connect one-on-one with their clients. These connections are always deeper in nature than those from larger companies and it is something small businesses can thrive in. Having the right people communicating to clients gives your company a personal touch that large corporations simply cannot match. - Jon Dwoskin, The Jon Dwoskin Experience
11. Intangible, Unique Benefits
By focusing on the broader benefits offering, small business owners can compete with larger companies. Intangible benefits like access to senior leadership, flexible work schedules or relaxed dress code are often unique to smaller organizations, and candidates may be swayed by the opportunity to take advantage of these benefits in lieu of a higher salary from a larger organization. - Rick Gibbs, Insperity

By PHILLIP VALYS| SOUTH FLORIDA SUN SENTINEL |JUL 16, 2019 | 5:15 PM
​
Tilted Kilt Pub and Eatery, the national “breastaurant” chain known for serving up objectified women along with shepherd’s pie, has closed its final South Florida location in Boca Raton.
The nearly 5-year-old Tilted Kilt outpost at 3320 Airport Road, located along an access road behind the Boca Raton Airport, announced its abrupt closing on Tuesday afternoonin a Facebook post to followers.
“Hey everyone, the time has come that the Tilted Kilt of Boca Raton has closed,” the social-media post read. “We would like to thank all of our incredible customers that we have met over the past 4 and a half years. We’ve made some great memories that you can take some time to reminisce on.”

Phone calls to the restaurant on Tuesday went unanswered. Customers left brief remembrances of the Tilted Kilt below the Facebook announcement, with a few bemoaning its food quality. “Sad to see another establishment close, good or bad. Had many good meals there and fun times,” wrote commenter Diane Wotring Israel.
The restaurant’s closing marks the end of the Scottish-themed sports pub’s presence in South Florida, after shutting down its Fort Lauderdale location in early 2017 (now the German-style beer hall Township).

Employees of the Tilted Kilt in Boca Raton pose for one final group photo before the restaurant shuttered its last South Florida location on July 16. The Tilted Kilt franchise was founded in 2003 but was purchased in 2018 by Jacksonville-based the ARC Group. The tavern specialized in sports-pub fare – flatbread pizzas, chicken wings and hamburgers – served by so-called “Kilt Girls,” scantily clad waitstaff in mini-kilts, white stockings and midriff-baring white tops.

Whiskey Tango closes in Hollywood, Twin Peaks (with new balcony bar?) on the way »Despite the closing, these so-called chain “breastaurants” remain popular across South Florida. A Twin Peaks restaurant is scheduled to replace longtime bar Whiskey Tango in Hollywood in early 2020. Meanwhile, OG breastaurant Hooters still operates 10 locations from West Palm Beach to Doral, while Twin Peaks has outposts in Davie, Pembroke Pines and West Palm Beach.

Reggie Connell - July 17, 2019
Marketing is a crucial factor in creating a long term successful business. There are many different forms of marketing and most you can tailor to the specific needs of your business and its type. With that also comes both online and offline marketing strategies that should both be taken into account when it comes to building a business. The growth depends on the efficiency of the marketing strategy you choose to implement. 
For small businesses, it is especially important to have a significant amount of focus on marketing. Online marketing strategies are extremely beneficial for those smaller businesses. You want to focus on getting the right group of customers or clients to your products or services. Sometimes small businesses can rely on advertisements online or offline, but other marketing methods have been proven to give significant results for businesses looking to expand their growth. Most customers and future customers are online and a vast majority of the population spends a vital amount of time online. 
If you have a small business and you want to expand your customers and outreach, you must find some room for online marketing methods. Here is a list of the most popular forms of online marketing. 

• Social Media

Social media is quite crucial to the growth of small businesses today. Many companies have adapted to the new way of communicating with their customers and have seen a growth in their success due to it. You must have an active social media for your business and you must post quality content as well. You want to get your audience engaged in your business and you can do that easily through social media. 
You can focus on having all of your social media accounts up to date or you can focus on the social sites that are most beneficial or convenient to you. Many businesses have a Facebook account but not all have an Instagram account. Those that want to be heavy on photographs like restaurants or boutiques should focus on Instagram rather than sites like Twitter, for example. Your online presence is important and should be personable as well.
Utilize your social media account to create and build relationships with your current and future customers. It can be easy to build trust with your customers through comments, likes, and even reposts on your social accounts. You can even use the direct message feature on certain apps and sites that allow your direct contact with your customers. This causes for an easy and convenient exchange for customer communication and service. 

• Link Building

Link building is another online based marketing strategy that takes your business’ website to new levels. Link building stands out against other methods of SEO building as it is Google’s heavily weighted factors of online marketing tactics. Search engines like Google like to rank websites based on trust, authority, and relevance. Many websites aren’t either credible enough or lack expertise for them to be located a higher page counts when searching. The more links people have back to your site, the more authoritative and credible your website is to Google and other search engines. 
Your website will rise to higher rankings on the search page when you have multiple links back to your specific page. Make sure to research link building to be prepared on how it works and how to use it to your advantage. There are link building agencies out there to help assist you along the process.  

• SEO Marketing

Though link building is a part of SEO marketing, it isn’t the only form of online marketing that effectively works. Online marketing consists of ways businesses can grow their customers and profit through exposing their business and the likes of their work to the outside world. Online marketing expands to broader audiences and is effective for small businesses. 
SEO, also known as search engine optimization, is a highly profitable marketing method and is growing and becoming a primary way online businesses market to their targeted audience. What SEO marketing does is optimize your content and structure of your website to make it easier for search engines to use keywords to rank your website. Like we learned before, search engines use certain algorithms to rank the sites on a search. 
Many local businesses use this method to increase the number of locals view their web page and the amount of people who visit. Many customers are constantly searching on their mobile devices for local services and products, and you can optimize your relevance to these searches through local SEO.  

• Email Marketing

Email marketing is something that has been effective in the past when it comes to business growth and is still considered one of the most effective marketing methods. A major part of building a business is creating relationships with your customers and clients. Though you can do that directly through social media, you can also utilize emails to help build strong relationships. Customers are more than likely not going to purchase from your site when they first visit, so having an email to follow up helps bring customers back. 
Companies that use this form of marketing find that it is best to figure a lead magnet first. This means you must find the type of audience you are looking for and offer them some kind of incentive for giving their email over to you. These are usually special promotions and discounts but could also be webinar access and special content. 
You can have specific types of content in your email to help decipher the types of customers you have. Associate certain customers with the links they click to help organized and distinguish the likes and dislikes of your customers. Include attention-grabbing content in your emails as well. It is always good to include: 

• Infographics
• Ebooks
• Blog posts
• Interesting copy
• And more content
• Blogging 

Many businesses are lacking when it comes to blog marketing. This can be a greatly beneficial method of marketing. Blogging helps get people to your site through interesting and quality posts on your website. It is always good to have a blog added to your website as it helps users and customers get familiar with the values and workings of your business. Blogging allows for an educational lesson on the business while giving a personalized copy. 
Blogging also helps you convert the traffic you get into the leads you can use for better customer understanding. Having blog posts on your website also brings authority. Those who have more educational content and access to knowledge on their site have a higher probability of getting more customer traffic. 

By Beth Anthony Special to The News-Post, Jul 14, 2019

​There’s no denying it: Entrepreneurship is on the rise, and small businesses face stiff competition as they look to capture the attention of consumer markets.
In fact, the internet has become the great equalizer when it comes to accessing information, allowing consumers to connect with businesses of any size in just a few clicks. But even if your business offers a unique product or service, you could find yourself lost in the digital clutter. While there are many tactics small businesses can use to stand out, few will prove more effective in today’s digital age than video marketing.
Capitalizing on popular social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter provide businesses the opportunity to reach new and existing customers, often at little to no monetary investment. But according to a study done by Wyzowl, 48 percent of people said they’d be most likely to share video content with their friends ahead of any other type of content. This means if you want to drive higher engagement and more interactions, a portion of your posts need to incorporate video. In addition, videos in Facebook, Instagram and Twitter automatically play in your newsfeed, making your posts more eye-catching to consumers than just text.
But it isn’t just social media platforms garnering the attention of video. Google now owns YouTube, and that in itself should mean a lot to any business owner. There are varying statistics regarding how many times more a website with embedded videos gets exposure, but most put this figure above 50 times. This means if you’re looking to capitalize on organic traffic, the only way you’ll get to the top is with video, and considering 75 percent of people never venture past the first page of search results, adding video to your website is well worth it.
In addition to boosting your online presence, video also provides an opportunity for businesses to connect with consumers on an emotional level. According to Medium, 94 percent of respondents said they would be “highly likely to recommend a brand they were emotionally engaged with.” This means using video to connect with consumers on an emotional level will help increase audience engagement, while also providing the opportunity to promote your product or service. In fact, 80 percent of viewers can recall a video they’ve seen within the last 30 days. Can anyone say the same about a blog post or Facebook update?
There’s no doubt that the internet has become an increasingly crowded space to advertise in, and when it comes to online marketing most small businesses change their marketing strategy based on the audience they’re trying to reach. For example, younger users spend more of their time on Snapchat, while millennials dominate Facebook. That isn’t the case with video marketing. From the youngest to the oldest internet user, everyone loves video, which means your small business can reach any audience at any time.
Yet even with all the evidence and statistics that demonstrate video marketing is essential for propelling your business forward, a surprisingly large number of small-business owners still shy away from video, presenting a huge advantage to their competitors. The fact is if you’re not using video, you should be. On average companies who use video grow 49 percent faster than those who don’t. Conversion rates nearly double for websites using video and 72 percent of consumers say they’d rather watch a video to learn about a product or service. Bottom line: Video marketing is the most effective and powerful tool a small business can use to advertise, increase sales, and expand their customer base. Whether it’s a product review, a testimonial or a webinar, having video content will surely grab your audience’s attention and keep them wanting more.
Beth Anthony is a SCORE subject matter expert. She has worked in the video production industry for more than 15 years and specializes in digital content creation and video marketing.

By Tim Newton - July 11, 2019

The marketing and advertising world is evolving quickly. And you need to evolve with it. How you used to successfully market your business ten years ago… five years ago… even last year, needs to be different today so you can reach more customers for less.
Things are moving REALLY fast and the terminology and science of advertising is moving along with the technology. The shift to online marketing is profound.
Just imagine you put a display ad in a local newspaper a decade ago. How many papers were printed? Where were they distributed? How many were sold? Would the reader even turn to the page with your ad on it? Who read the ad? What age were they? Were they even interested in what you were selling? Answers to most of these questions were impossible to answer.
Your ad wasn’t linked to your website or Facebook page, it was static and, well, the paper quality wasn’t fantastic so the glossy photo you gave them looked a bit disappointing by the time it was printed.
And you paid good money for the pleasure to advertise in a newspaper ten years ago!
The caveat to all this is that magazines, newspapers, radio, billboards and TV are still valid and strong means to advertise. But the audience is much more difficult to measure and the cost is high, compared to the modern alternatives. For bigger businesses, with broad appeal and a budget to match, the traditional forms of advertising still have a value and appeal. But the move online is happening very fast
Now, for a LOT less, you can deliver your ad right into the heart of your customer target. No longer are you randomly spraying your message to an audience you can’t even measure.
Even if you’re a small volunteer organisation you can reach out to your constituency, with even a tiny budget, much more effectively than in the past.
Here are our Top 10 tips for successful marketing and advertising in 2019 if you’re a small to medium business.
Who are your customers?It’s difficult to plan a good campaign if you don’t know precisely who your market is. Age, sex, where they live, what other products they like, what do they spend on similar products or services? We bet most small to medium businesses would have little idea who their buyers are.
In the past, most advertising was sprayed out across a broad audience, loosely defined, and you just hoped some of your message would fall in the right laps. Now, the more you know about your customers, the better you can plan a reliable and efficient marketing campaign. A little research is going to make everything else much more successful and predictable.
Because you can highly define you ads in 2019 you also need to highly define who your customers are.


Unless your mother owns the radio or TV station, go onlineDisplay ads in newspapers, billboards on the side of the road, theatre advertising, even radio advertising. Think about it…. how many of the people hearing, seeing or reading your ad are actually interested? You’ll pay big money to reach a whole lot of people who couldn’t care less about what you have to offer, in the hope of reaching a few that do. It’s inefficient and it’s wasting a lot of your money.
The incredibly broad scope of online advertising allows you to spend less and reach more of YOUR buyers, specifically.
Traditional banner ads are, mostly, a waste of time… for advertisers and website owners. The idea of an advertiser placing a banner strategically on your website is really just a lazy online version of the old magazine or newspaper days. Instead of display ads in print, they’re just display ads on the website! 
With all the tools and tricks available today you need to weaponise what your money and advertising can do online. And why do we really bother what it looks like on a desktop or laptop anymore. Most people, the vast majority, are going to see your online ad on….
Smartphones: The window to the world in 2019Every day an older consumer of media, sadly, dies. And another 1000 smartphones will be purchased. This is a harsh and relentless march into the future. Depending on the age group (the younger, the more likely they are to consume information and entertainment on a smartphone), you need to be making sure you are reaching people on smartphones.
The damn things are ubiquitous, perhaps even annoyingly-so. But you can’t deny their astonishing ability to reach eyeballs and ears. You don’t need us to remind you that people, of all ages, are glued to their handheld device long periods every day. 
You will be hard pressed to find people not using smartphones every day, in some capacity. You don’t have to deliver them a paper, leave your magazine in their doctor’s waiting room, sit them down in a theatre or wait for them to turn on the radio in their car. They’re carrying their smartphone with them wherever they go and probably sleep with them on the bedside table charging overnight. They are the first things they look at in the morning and last things they look at before going to bed.
Reality.
You can point to the negatives of this situation but it doesn’t change the facts. Smartphones are a vital part of modern life in developed and undeveloped countries.
In the case of The Thaiger 84% of our pages are read on a smartphone, not a desktop or tablet. That figure, maybe less with some websites aimed at older readers, is more or less where things are at in 2019.
Which platform?But the internet is HUGE, how the hell can I choose the right platform or website? This is relatively easy although it may first appear over-whelming. Why? Because you have valid information freely available online – lots of it. Website owners will charge you to advertise on their pages. Facebook, YouTube, Google, Line, Instagram – they’re all just website/webportals. There are so, so many ways your can creatively use any website to reach your audience – they all offer different angles and opportunities.
Maybe it’s a website about topics relating to your business or service. Then you already have a defined target audience. If you sell motorbikes then place an ad with a website that has motorbike reviews or motorsports results. If you sell skincare products advertise on health and fitness website.
Read up about each of them, visit their websites and see the way other advertisers are using them. Research about what advertising opportunities they offer. It’s really an entirely new science and the more you read up, the better decisions you’ll make and the better success you’ll have with your marketing dollar/baht/pound.
With the ‘biggies’ like Facebook, Google and YouTube, you can advertise on these as well and it’s not that difficult, complicated or expensive. There are many variables and specific ways you can point your advertising dollar directly at your potential buyers.
The bad news about Facebook.
Facebook, especially in Thailand, is incredibly popular. It’s free to post and reach out to your customers with engaging posts – right? Well, not really. Say you have 10,000 followers on your shop, service or organisation Facebook page. When you do a post, how many of your followers will see the post? Sit down… it’s probably only around 2% of your followers. So out of your 10,000 followers only 200 will see the post on their page feed! Of course there will be others who like your page and may visit your page and read it there – but they are not the majority.
So, with Facebook, if you’re not boosting your posts your pretty much wasting your time using Facebook as a marketing tool. It may be free but the effort you’re putting into your witty, clever or beautiful post may be better spent boosting in a targeted, clever way to reach your customers more efficiently.


Check the numbers, it’s all about the numbersThere is now an incredible amount of data available about website traffic and who is reading what. This information is available to you so that the mysterious world of advertising is much more transparent now. The amount of papers or magazines sold, the number of listeners and viewers, was mostly a number given by an enthusiastic salesperson in the past. NOW you can check and sift through the marketing hype to make educated, professional and strategic decisions about YOUR marketing spend.
For websites, check similarweb.com and type in any website to see an approximation of their last six months of web traffic. If they don’t have at least 12,000 visits a month, they won’t even register on their traffic counters. Unless they are a highly specific website aimed at YOUR customers in your area, best steer away from low-traffic websites if you want to maximise your spend.
Our experience is that similarweb.com usually under-reads traffic by 10-20% but the trends, general insight and trends are invaluable if you’re going to do online marketing. The more traffic, the more people that may see your advertising, but it’s not as simple as this and now it starts getting a bit more complicated. Brace yourself.
For Facebook or social media platforms there are other ways to get traffic numbers. In some cases it doesn’t matter because, in Facebook’s case, they’ll distribute your ad to a specified target audience for you – you don’t even have to choose the Facebook pages, they do it for you. Facebook ‘boosting’ of posts is quite easy and relatively cheap. With practice, and learning the tools available, you’ll get really good at delivering very targeted ‘boosts’ on Facebook.
Different websites or social media pages will have slightly different audiences. learn about the sorts of people that use certain websites and social media. Where are YOUR customers?
Forget banner ads, go for PPC (pay per click)Ever heard of Google AdSense? If you’re doing any sort of modern marketing or advertising you need to get your head around AdSense or similar products to weaponise your hard-earned marketing spend. For AdSense, Google becomes your modern advertising agency. The products you will use are all online and there are many, many tutorials to guide you how to use it most efficiently.
There are also other online services who will place your ads on the best websites to give you the best return. The best place to find them, for your region or country, is… guess… Google. Just type in “Best PPC in Thailand”, or US, or Australia or wherever you are.
Pay–per–click (PPC), also known as cost per click (CPC), is an internet advertising model used to drive traffic to websites, in which an advertiser pays a publisher (typically a search engine, website owner, or a network of websites) when the ad is clicked.
In this case you pay to have your banner seen or clicked on a certain number of times on particular websites – specifically or broadly – reaching out to your customers. You could pay $100 and AdSense, or a similar product, will place your banner strategically, a certain number of times. You are paying for specific clicks on YOUR ad – you only pay when they click, it doesn’t get much more targeted than that!
There are hundreds of variables in this situation giving you remarkable flexibility to get YOUR message right in front of your customers eyeballs.


You still need a brand, logo, great graphics or videoThe method of reaching your customers may have radically changed but the need for good branding, messages, artwork and media hasn’t changed. But remember, in the modern world, it’s most likely your message is going to be seen on a hand-held smartphone, not an IMAX screen or A4 glossy magazine page. So plan accordingly.
The online ad is just the start of the journey for your customerThey like the look of your ad, they’re interested, they click.
Now where do they go? To your website, Facebook page, YouTube clip or a page listing all your products and shop address. This is now you’re time to shine.
The readers have limited time and you’ve got them in your online showroom. Make sure your message and branding is clear, your products well laid out, an opportunity to purchase is clear and the photos and media are top class. All this should be in place before you start getting people to click on your ad. Need help with your marketing? Again there are hundreds of online services to help you and tutorials to help you do it yourself.
Don’t be bamboozled by slick salespeople – you’re now in controlThe one HUGE advantage of modern advertising and marketing is that YOU are in control, like never before. In the past there used to be advertising agencies to help you wade through the marketing world and help you to maximise your advertising spend. Now there are e-media companies who understand the online world and how to best prepare media for your internet-based campaign.
But you can do it yourself if you’re prepared to do the homework. There is a vast, incredibly detailed, library of tutorials, informative websites and examples to give you the information you need, in most languages. The more you learn the smarter you’ll become in navigating the modern media world and making choices that will sell more of your products, faster and for less advertising cost.
One thing we can promise – you will get MUCH better value spending your dollars on specifically targeted online advertising, aimed DIRECTLY at your customers and it will cost you less. This is true wherever you are in the world.

By: Adam Guild - July 10, 2019
Have you ever heard the saying that "People eat with their eyes"? It used to be that you didn't know what a dish looked like until it was set down on the table in front of you. But now restaurants and customers alike post tantalizing photos of delicious food on social media daily.

Instagram, as a completely visual platform, is the place for restaurants to focus their marketing power. Food and beverage users are more engaged on Instagram than on any other social media app


Further, 90% of Instagram users are under 35. And Millennials eat out more than any other generation!
I can't think of any reasons not to use Instagram for your marketing. But if you're still on the fence about where to focus your marketing efforts, here are 7 reasons Instagram is the best social platform for restaurants.
1. You can save moneyLabor is expensive and margins are tight. So any marketing platform must be affordable. Instagram is 100% free to use, unless you decide to do any advertising. It doesn't get much more affordable than free. Also, you can test what works and what doesn't without sacrificing your hard-earned cash. And your reach is virtually unlimited.
You can find the locals looking for somewhere new to add to their regular haunts. Or you can find the tourists planning a trip to your town. With 26% of domestic travel expenses spent on food, this is a huge market!
You can share new menu items, changes to your hours, or upcoming events. And you can experiment to figure out the best Instagram captions for your restaurant – all without spending a penny.
You don't even need an expensive camera. Most smartphone cameras these days are capable of taking high-quality photos. Just make sure you have enough natural light and you'll be good to go.
2. You can work with influencersInstagram didn't create the "influencer." But it did give non-celebrities a new platform where they could grow a big following. There are thousands of food influencers. They range from micro-influencers with 2,000 followers to huge accounts of 150,000.
Fact: 49% of consumers count on influencer recommendations when making purchasing decisions. This is great news for the restaurant industry.
These tastemakers aren't focused on Facebook, Twitter, or Snapchat. In fact, 91% of influencers say that Instagram is their #1 platform. This is especially true for food bloggers and influencers. People love food photography!


Find some of the popular influencers in your area and start interacting with them on Instagram. Liking and commenting on their posts will help them remember your restaurant's name.


Soon, you can reach out to see if they'd be willing to do a post about your restaurant in exchange for a free meal. If they see you as a fan, they may be more likely to work with you.
If you can find an influencer willing to work with your restaurant, you can gain access to their followers without a big investment. That could be thousands of new potential customers, all without spending any money.
3. You can reach millionsInstagram has 1 billion active monthly users and 500 million daily users. And those users spend a lot of time on Instagram – an average of 53 minutes per day.


Compare that to Facebook's daily users, who spend about 41 minutes per day on the app. That's 22% less time than they spend on Instagram. This level of use provides businesses with unprecedented levels of access to potential customers.
And users aren't interacting only with their friends and influencers: 80% of accounts follow at least one business on Instagram. And 75% of users take some kind of action, like visiting a website, after looking at a brand's post.
With that kind of reach at your disposal, you'd be crazy not to start posting!
4. You can easily talk to customersOne of the key benefits of all this activity is that you can interact with your customers after they've come and gone. When people want to communicate, they turn to Instagram. Just look at the numbers.
There currently are 184 million total Yelp reviews. Compare that with more than 95 million new Instagram posts per day. And people interact with brands on Instagram more than any other platform. They actually want to hear from you!


When people post photos of their meal or experience, reach out! Let them know that you appreciate them coming in.
If someone makes a complaint on one of their posts, you can send them a message to get more information about their visit. And you can follow up with an apology or a gift card to get them to come back.


If a customer took a great photo during their visit, send them a quick message and ask if you can re-post it on your feed. They'll usually say yes as long as you give them photo credit. That's free user-generated content for you.


This kind of rapport can turn customers into advocates and encourage repeat business.
5. You can use geotags to attract new customersOne of Instagram's key benefits is how easy it is for users to find new accounts to follow. Unlike Facebook where you have to actively seek out content, Instagram suggests posts you might like in the "Explore" feed.
By using geotags on your posts, you make your content visible to users who search for that location. Geotag your restaurant address so that anyone searching for your location will see your content.
Also geotag your street, neighborhood, or city. You'll provide an opportunity for users searching those locations to discover you. Local Instagram users may tag the same areas, and those common geotags will make you more likely to show up in their searches.
Geotags can also help your visibility with tourists. Visitors to the area search local geotags to get an idea for what is going on in the neighborhood. If they're staying at the hotel down the street, you want to make sure that your restaurant is popping up when they are exploring on Instagram.
The benefits of geotags aren't limited to what the restaurant can do with them. Customers can also use your geotag on Instagram. And all geotagged content will appear when users click on the tag, whether it was created by the restaurant or the customers.
These geotag results show delicious food and customers having a great time. There's also an important piece of news: the restaurant is closed for repairs.


This was an easy way to communicate with anyone checking out their geotag.
6. You can use hashtags to attract new customersHashtags are another great way to attract new customers. You can use local hashtags with your business name, street, neighborhood, or city to help people nearby find you.
You can use restaurant or food hashtags to attract the notice of foodies and people looking for somewhere to eat.
Instagram allows you to use up to 30 hashtags, so you can really expand your reach. Different guides to Instagram have differing opinions on how many hashtags you should use on each post. Experiment with different numbers to see what gets the most engagement.
People can also follow hashtags on Instagram. Your content can appear in a user's feed if you use a hashtag they follow, even if they're not following your account.


I'm not following this account. This post appeared in my feed because I'm following #ramen.
7. You can expand your reach with easy advertisingIf you'd like to take your marketing to the next level, using Instagram ads is simple. Your ad can be a single photo, photo series, video, or slideshow. They can appear as posts or stories.
You can control how much you spend and customize the audience you're trying to reach. You can pause your campaign at any time, and you'll get detailed analytics of how it performed.
You'll create your ad through Facebook's Ad Manager, which will walk you through the process step-by-step.


Besides the benefit of getting your ad in front of more users, you'll also be able to include a link with your promotion.
Currently, Instagram doesn't allow links in your posts for most accounts, and you only get one link in your profile. But if you use a paid ad, you can include a clickable link right there. This will provide an easy way to get visits to your website, event page, or menu.
ConclusionInstagram can be a challenging platform for some industries. If you don't have an attractive physical product, it can be hard to build an interesting feed that gets engagement. But for restaurants, Instagram is the best way to get out there.
Engagement is high and more people sign up every day. Users are looking for new content, and it's free! Take some beautiful photos of your food, and you'll have the kind of content people keep coming back for.
More followers leads to more brand awareness. And then it's just a short step to customers in seats and money in the bank.
So now you understand what a powerful resource Instagram can be for restaurants.
Are you going to take advantage of this tool to grow your business? Or are you going to let yourself be outpaced by your competitors who do?
It's up to you!