Running from 2-8 June 2014, #RestaurantWeek will see Twitter ‘shine a light’ on the UK & Ireland’s restaurant industry and encourage operators to give customers some insight into the day-to-day running of their business.
Restaurants from across the UK and Ireland are being asked to take part by tweeting with a specific hashtag each day. Every day’s hashtag will cover a different aspect of the restaurant industry and Twitter said participating businesses can join in ‘with as few or as many as they like’.
Twitter is also holding a free webinar ahead of the week to educate restaurant owners, managers and marketers on how they can use the digital platform effectively.
The webinar will be free to join on two dates in May, with topics to be covered including customer service, offers and deals, converting followers to customers, and tips of how get more followers.
Social engagement
#RestaurantWeek is being supported by the British Hospitality Association, OpenTable, and the Restaurants Association of Ireland.
BHA chief executive, Ufi Ibrahim said: “Culturally, eating out is now part of everyday life — 20 million of us eating at least one meal out of the home every single day. This provides the industry with the most amazing potential to engage customers more deeply via social media.
“That’s why we are so pleased to be working with Twitter to support our members in tapping into this potential via #RestaurantWeek. We are confident that the webinars will offer our members a fantastic and highly beneficial tool for communicating directly with their customers and bringing their restaurants to life online.”
#Socialchef
Restaurants’ use of social media was a key topic of discussion at this year’s Hotelympia, with Karen Fewell, marketing director at Digital Blonde, suggesting that chefs should get involved with social media networks to promote their businesses.
A report from Digital Blonde revealed that just over 90 per cent of chefs believe social media is a great way to increase footfall for their restaurants, and a poll conducted by BigHospitality confirmed that people believe chefs need to move with the times and connect with their customers online.
