How to cook up some attention for your restaurant!
It drives me crazy when restaurants don’t use cooking videos on their social media—it’s such a missed opportunity.
Restaurant owners, you have a unique advantage, but many of you aren’t taking full advantage of it. Posting videos of your chef preparing dishes is one of the easiest and most powerful ways to grab attention online. Sure, you’re likely posting beautiful shots of your food, but there’s something captivating about the process of making it.
There’s a psychological appeal here—watching someone cook allows viewers to imagine how the food tastes. It creates an emotional connection that makes them want to experience it for themselves. Just look at the numbers: 70 million people watch the Food Network because they love seeing how food is made. Whether you run a fine dining restaurant and want to showcase your chef’s mastery, a pizza place with a great dough-twirling technique, or a bagel shop with the satisfying crunch of slicing into a freshly baked bagel, you can make people crave your food simply by sharing the process.
Start making cooking videos! Share them on your social media, post them on your website, and even offer recipes in exchange for email addresses to build your marketing list. Invite people to watch, imagine, and then come in to taste for themselves.
You’ve already got the food—now use it to sell your restaurant!
And hey, if something about running your business is frustrating you, drop it in the comments. We’ll help you find the answers you need!
Unlock the Secret to Retaining and Motivating Retail and Restaurant Staff Part 2
In part two of this series, we’re diving into a critical aspect of leadership—employee training. What does your training program say about you as a business owner? If you’re not providing proper, ongoing training for your staff, it sends the message that you don’t value the job they’re doing. It implies that the role is so low-level it doesn’t require skill or improvement. Yes, that’s some tough love, but it’s the truth.
To attract better employees and become a better leader, you must train your team to perform the way you expect. In part one, we covered the milestone ladder—how to offer opportunities for advancement and recognition. Now, let’s focus on the training itself.
Many of you might be thinking, "I don’t have time for that," or "We already do onboarding." Here’s the issue: onboarding is just general information to help new hires get acquainted with your business—it’s not job-specific training. No amount of motivation or pep talks will replace proper training. Well-trained employees perform better, enjoy greater job satisfaction, and, in turn, become better, more engaged team members. Isn’t that what every business owner wants?
If your training program lacks substance or isn’t applied consistently, you’re doing a disservice to both your staff and your business. Yes, training requires some time, but not as much as you might think. I’ve put together a four-week training program outline that you can plan for the entire year in just 30 minutes and roll out each week.
Want to learn more? Visit my link in bio and click on the "How to Build the Team That Builds Your Business" tab to access my blog. There, you’ll get step-by-step instructions on how to create a training program that benefits both your employees and your business.
From Coffee to Cocktails: A Simple Strategy to Expand Your Network and Spark Creativity
Take your brochures, menus and display to a whole new level with video. Find out how
from Ryan Kugler, President of Ideal Content
Are you feeling stuck in the day-to-day grind of running your business? Whether you’re managing a restaurant, retail store, or working from home, it’s easy to get caught up and forget to step outside for fresh perspectives. Here’s a fun and effective way to grow your business, build your network, and keep your sanity.
Stop Burying Your Head in the Business
One common mistake entrepreneurs make is getting too absorbed in their business. You might tell yourself you're working hard, but isolating yourself can stifle your creativity and limit your insights. It’s crucial to get out of your store, restaurant, or office to meet new people and see things from a different angle.
Instead of relying on feedback from the same group of customers or employees, step out and connect with new perspectives. You’ll be surprised how refreshing this can be.
The Strategy: Coffee or Cocktails?
Here’s a simple idea: grab your favorite beverage, whether it’s coffee or a cocktail, and invite someone new for a 30-45 minute chat. Think of customers, fellow business owners, community leaders, or even your property manager or leasing agent. These individuals can offer unique insights into your market and community.
No Agenda, Just Conversation
The goal isn’t to land a sale or pitch your business—it’s about gaining perspective. During your conversation, ask open-ended questions like:
How have your shopping habits changed with inflation?
What’s a product or service that would make your life easier?
Where’s your favorite place to shop or eat, and why?
What changes in our business community have you noticed and don’t like?
What do you do for fun in the local community?
Follow Up and Build Relationships
After your meeting, send a thank-you note. Add their contact information to your database. You never know if this person will become a customer, referral source, or even an ambassador for your business. Plus, you’ll leave the meeting with new ideas and a fresh outlook—something you can’t get from staying inside the four walls of your business.
Two Ways to Transform Your Loyalty Program into an Effective Marketing Tool this Holiday Season
Here are two ideas for turning your loyalty program into a powerful sales driver this holiday season!
Create some bonafide good will and excitement for your business by inviting your loyalty program members to donate their points to charity. This not only gets those points off your books but also builds incredible goodwill with your community. Here's how to set it up:
1️⃣ Determine Point Value: First, decide how much your loyalty points are worth. Pro tip: It doesn’t have to be dollar-for-point! Think bigger—like “100 points = a Thanksgiving dinner for a family of 4” or “a bag of pet food for the local shelter.” 🦃🐾
2️⃣ Partner with a Local Charity: Team up with a local nonprofit to make it tangible and heartfelt. ❤️
3️⃣ Set the Promo Duration: Run it for a day, week, or the whole holiday season! 🎄
4️⃣ Train Your Team: Make sure your POS system and staff are ready to promote and process donations with ease. 🛍️
5️⃣ Promote, Promote, Promote! Use your website, social media, email blasts, and in-store signage to spread the word. 📲 Don’t forget to ask your charity partner to help promote too!
The second idea is to invite members to use their points to enter a contest. For example, they receive one entry for every 100 points redeemed.
Now, the key here is the prize has to be significant and buzz worthy!
It can be merchandise from your store, or you can work with your retail/restaurant neighbors to create a package of prizes that will appeal to your target market. For example, if you own a women’s boutique, create a makeover package that include clothes, hair, nails, spa, etc. worth $1000. Think about your customer avatar and what’s important to them. A vacation? A room makeover? A luxury car rental for a week? Don’t be ordinary!
Get creative this holiday season with your loyalty program and give back while boosting customer loyalty!
Driving sales even when there are no customers in your store!
Endear is a tool that allows your sales staff to proactively drive sales simply by using their cellphones to communicate with their clients in a personalized way. Results for those using the app are an astounding 77 percent faster repurchase rate and a 30 percent higher lifetime customer value.
Did you know stores are idle for 40% of their opening hours?
As frustrating as an empty store can be, that doesn’t mean your sales staff can’t be actively creating strong relationships with their customers that result in more sales. An 18% increase in fact, by using Endear, according the Leigh Sevin, co-founder.
Endear is a tool that allows your sales staff to proactively drive sales simply by using their cellphones to communicate with their clients in a personalized way. Results for those using the app are an astounding 77 percent faster repurchase rate and a 30 percent higher lifetime customer value.
Listen as Sevin explains how to drive sales, even if there are no customers in your store!
Download a podcast transcript
Subscribe & Review in iTunes
Are you subscribed to my podcast? If you’re not, I want to encourage you to do that today. Click here to subscribe in iTunes!
Now if you like what you hear, I would be really grateful if you left me a review over on iTunes, too. Those reviews help other people find my podcast and they’re also fun for me to read. Just click here to review, select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” and let me know what your favorite part of the podcast is. Thank you!
Leigh Sevin, Co-founder