Social media tools like Twitter and Facebook allow a restaurant staff to accomplish that connection, building loyal customers through communication and relationship building online.  Building this rapport through social media is not only smart, it’s efficient, cost-effective and FUN!

Today we wrap up the 3-part series of The ABCs of Social Media for Restaurants, tackling the tricky letters S through Z, in the third and final course of your experience.  We hope you’ve enjoyed the tips and tricks and are ready to turn your casual fans into walking, talking online billboards for your restaurant! Read and enjoy!

SOCIAL MENTION
The website socialmention.com (similar to Google Alerts) monitors 100+ social media platforms and will email you with content that mentions you, your restaurant or whatever words you choose. It’s important to monitor your reputation and to get ahead of any issues/bad blog mentions you might be unaware of – or to see good things you might not have seen yet!

TWEETUP
A tweetup is a meeting at your restaurant of fans/potential fans that follow you on Twitter.  It’s a great way to bring fans into the restaurant, get to know them better, show off some of your tasty treats, provide a place for them to mingle, and guess what?  While they are there, they are posting updates about your restaurant and photos of your food, which is great visibility.

USE FACEBOOK AS PAGE
You can use Facebook as a business (as opposed to your personal name) so you can post messages on other businesses pages with your company name/logo attached.  This is great for visibility and marketing and community building, as your business logo/name shows up on these other sites in front of other people who might not know you yet.  This is one of my most popular requests for training, since most businesses aren’t aware of this powerful feature!  If you don’t know how to “turn yourself into your business page” on Facebook, call me stat!

VOICE
What is your brand or style – classic, uptight, irreverent, fun, just the facts ma’am?  On social media, it’s best to pick a voice and stick with it!  Based on “who you are” as a restaurant, you create messages consistent with that so people can get to know you better and it will also attract new fans.  I think the example below from Grand Central Bakery is a perfect example of a fun, “we don’t take ourselves too seriously” voice:

Bread Curling (noun)/Def: a sport invented by GCB managers on icy/snowy days using bread from cancelled orders. http://t.co/2tqO2qT9

January 19, 2012 11:58 am via webReplyRetweetFavorite

@GrandCentralSEA

Grand Central Bakery

WEBSITE
I hope we don’t need to say this, but a website is a must have.  This is your online presence, which should including the basic info (menu, location, contact, etc) and it’s also where you gather  contact info from fans for your mailing list so you can keep in touch. You want to be “findable” on the web, so check out this list of search engine optimization tips.

XCLUSIVES AND XTRAS
People will follow you on social media because they get inside info and/or special offers that others don’t get, almost like a special club. For example, you could post a message on Facebook and offer a free dessert to anyone who comes in and says the “secret word of day”, or you could Tweet that the first five people that come in to try tonight’s special cocktail will get a free appetizer, etc.  Followers/fans could be offered first chance at special events, or you can do giveaways just for them.

TOP POT 5th Avenue! 50% off all mixed dozens until closing or run out! Downtown only. Please mention this post. http://t.co/A0qwCVOz

January 20, 2012 1:24 pm via Twitter for iPhoneReplyRetweetFavorite

@Toppot

Top Pot Doughnuts

YOUTUBE
Videos are extremely popular and people love to see what you are doing in the kitchen. You could post videos of your chef making today’s special, or an interview with your new sommelier, or a fun look at a company party, road trip, birthday that was held at your restaurant.  Videos are also much better at communicating your style and personality, leading to more interest and more business.

Blue Moon Burgers "Secret Squirrel Burger" Photo: Kelly Cline Photography

ZIG ZAG
Every social media platform has its benefits, but I find zig-zagging between Twitter and Facebook gives a nice mix of fans and information. Facebook business pages can help get good conversations going, allow fans to vote on menu items or favorites, and show off your beautiful food photos.  Twitter is more “of the moment”, with constant chatter about what’s new today, people looking for something new or suggestions on where to dine tonight.  If you only use one platform, you’ll be missing an entire audience that wants to get to know you, so spend a little time on both to get a well-round experience.

Thanks so much for reading The ABCs of Social Media for Restaurants – I hope you’ve taken away some solid information on how to make your social media activities more fun and profitable!  And remember, you need a little help I’m a Social Media strategist and trainer for restaurants – let’s get connected!

Peruse Part 1 of the ABCs here!
Peruse Part 2 of the ABCs here!

That brings us to today’s “second course” of The ABCs of Social Media for Restaurants (part one here), as we examine the sexy letters J through R – more important tips, tricks and tools to keep you engaged and productive with Twitter and Facebook.

JOIN THE CONVERSATION
Don’t be a lurker!  Social media platforms are about dialogue not monologue, so it’s not okay to just post your updates and never interact.  Be sure to comment on other peoples posts and show interest in them…and guess what? They will do the same and now we’ve got something going on!

KEEP IT CURRENT
Daily interaction on SM is a must to keep your fans engaged and updated.  If you only post once a week, you are not only losing visibility but your info looks old and stale…not good characteristics of a restaurant!  Just like you make new food every day, create new messages every day that are tasty and fresh!

Snowpocolypse has nothing on us. We are OPEN. With a freshly shoveled sidewalk (thanks to me). So you won't slip. Like I did yesterday.

January 19, 2012 11:49 am via webReplyRetweetFavorite

@RN74Seattle

RN74Seattle

LISTEN
Show up – every day! – to read what people say about your posts, learn what customers talk about (when it’s not about you!), find out what competitors are doing, see what the food bloggers/media are writing about or looking for.  It’s not all about you, remember?

MENUS
A universal dislike – menus in PDF form! The majority of people are viewing your info on mobile devices, and they don’t want to download your menu, they want to see it. Now! Make your menu viewable, easily accessible, and formatted for mobile devices.  Here’s why your website needs to be mobile!

NO AUTOMATION
Each SM platform is a unique animal, so fight the urge to automate your posts and just blast the same message everywhere at once.  Go to Facebook to post updates, go to Twitter to tweet, etc. – they are all different platforms with different audiences that require a different language.  And you must return to each one often for follow-up, or else people will write you off. Posting a tweet that directs me to your Facebook page to read the info is a big turnoff!

ORGANIZATION
It’s hard to follow thousands of people on Twitter and see what’s important to you, but using organizational tools like Tweetdeck really help.  They allow you to put people in “lists” to turn down the noise and allow you to find information you actually want or need to see. It’s a simple tool to download and set up, maybe 15 minutes tops.  Trust me…

PHOTOS
People eat with their eyes first – how many times have you heard that? Or how about “a picture is worth a thousand words?” Now if we just had smell-o-vision! Seriously, you are in the business of selling food and people want to see how delicious it looks!  Statistics have shown there are 3-4 times higher click thru rates on updates that include a photo.  Show us your delicious food and compel me to show up tonight to taste it!

QR CODES
These small  ”quick response” codes, placed on a flyer or your front door or an advertisement, can take the viewer to short videos or special website pages or other destinations to give them additional info.  These could include a video showing your chef explaining this week’s special, or details for an upcoming special event or perhaps a secret promotion.  Here’s an article about 16 ways restaurants can use QR codes.

RESPONSIVE
In this age of SM and rapid fire text messaging, people expect answers quicker than ever.  If someone on twitter or Facebook asks you what’s the fresh catch tonight, they can’t wait days for you to reply!  By being present and attentive, you can respond to questions while they are relevant and turn them into diners tonight.

yes we are! And 1/2 price burger night! “@King5TracyT: any places in SLU that are open for dinner tonight???”

January 18, 2012 4:44 pm via Twitter for iPhoneReplyRetweetFavorite

@BlueMoonBurgers

Blue Moon Burgers

So we’re 2/3 of the way through The ABCs of Social Media for Restaurants – hope you aren’t full yet, because there’s one more course to come tomorrow! Oh and if you just can’t wait to get started, I’m happy to help you…what, you didn’t know I’m a Social Media strategist and trainer for restaurants? Shame on me…

Did you miss Part 1 of the ABCs? Click here to read now!

So build a bridge and get over it!  Restaurants are one of the most social businesses around, and you have much to gain by being active on social media – new customers, repeat visits, customer loyalty, visibility, “buzz”, and the holy grail – more income!  This is an opportunity not to be missed, and I’m here to help you make sense of it all.

Today I start a three-part series on the ABC’s of Social Media for Restaurants, to help you understand the tools, tricks and tips to connecting with people and maximizing  your experience online.  Since I know you are busy people, I’m doling out the goods in three “courses”, if you will, so on to the first course!

ACCESS
Just like the wandering quartet in Oz, people want to know what’s behind the curtain. Your fans/diners want access to hear from the chef, details about what’s going on in the kitchen,and inside information that the “common diner” doesn’t have.  Using social media is an ideal way to give them special access and build the loyalty that create long term customers

BLOG
Blogging on your restaurant website is great place not only to post new info, but to share your thoughts as the chef or owner, talk about your philosophy, and also increase your rank on Google (SEO).  It’s also a great way to bring visitors back on a regular basis, to see what you are saying today!  Wondering what would you say on a blog?  Read more here

Greg Barnes, winner of Canlis Menu Hunt Contest

CONTESTS
People love to win things!  Twitter and Facebook are great platforms for running contests so don’t overlook this one!  Contests allow you to build community, keep fans engaged, create excitement and show generosity – and keep your name constantly in the buzz!  It can be a dinner giveaway, a name-the-dessert contest, a treasure hunt (hello Canlis!) or a myriad of other fun activities.  The nature of SM lets you instantly update people on the status of the contest, giving clues, soliciting interest, etc.  Here’s 10 lessons restaurants can learn about great contests.

DAILY CHECKLIST
Don’t think you have time to fit Facebook and Twitter into your busy day? A daily 15-minute SM checklist can help you hit the most important tasks in the shortest time, so you can get back to making great meals.  Where do you get a checklist?  Hire a strategist to help!

EVENTS
Twitter and Facebook are excellent venues to post your special events, winemaker dinners, restaurant week menus, etc. Most people aren’t visiting your website every day for news – but they ARE on Twitter and Facebook daily, so reach them where they are. Here’s a post listing 11 ways restaurants can use SM for a Restaurant Week promotion.

A group of 13 Seattle-area foodies took a ferry up to Orcas Island for a lunch tweetup at Allium Restaurant

FUN WITH FOODIES
Local events that draw the local foodie community together to “taste and tweet” are great opportunities not only to promote your restaurant, but to offer product samples and meet the foodies that help you stay in business. Events like Foodportunity in Seattle offer face-to-face relationship building and remember, people like to buy from people, not faceless businesses.

GOOGLE ALERTS
It’s a must to have a Google Alert set up for your restaurant name, your chef’s name and other key phrases.  This will send email alerts about online mentions – who is blogging about you or finding restaurant reviews that you might have missed seeing.  You can even set up a Google Alert for a special dish, like “seattle crab cakes” to see who is looking for them, who is serving them, etc.  Competitive research, baby!

HUMOR
Not every restaurant can be Jerry Seinfeld (or your preferred comedian!) but humor is an effective style on Facebook and Twitter.  If it fits your brand, posting social media updates with a humorous style is a quick way to connect with fans and show you are real person behind the restaurant façade.  Food is fun and entertaining and exciting, and people respond well to that style.

An iPad in your restaurant is worth many customers at your tables

iPAD
Oh where to start with this one!  The iPad has a multitude of uses to make a restaurant staff’s life easier – wine lists, menus, point of sale system, monitor reservations – and my favorite, an effective but subtle tool to use at your front desk/host stand. It allows you to communicate instantly with customers via SM (thanks for coming in, how did your party enjoy the meal, etc) or in slow times, you can search for (and respond to) potential diners looking for dinner suggestions, etc.

So that’s it for today – are you full?  Don’t worry, I’ll be back the next two days with another pair of courses to round out your ABCS of Social Media for Restaurants training.  And if you just can’t wait to get started, I’m happy to help you…what, you didn’t know I’m a Social Media strategist and trainer for restaurants? Shame on me…

Keep reading! Part 2 of the ABCs here!

Keep reading more! Part 3 of the ABCs here!

This is truly what "sexy" looks like - the truly fabulous Linda Miller Nicholson!

I typically hate surprises – but the one that landed on December 29 might change my mind forever on the joy of being surprised!

Thanks to the lovely award-winning food blogger Linda Miller Nicholson, also known as Salty Seattle on both her blog and Twitter, I was inexplicably listed as one of the 11 Sexiest Food Peeps in Seattle for 2011 in her article on Seattleite! Yes, I fell off my chair too, so don’t feel bad if you had the same reaction!  Among a list chock full of accomplished and truly sexy colleagues, there was my beautiful mug (thanks photog supreme Tara Gimmer!!) honoring me among the beautiful and talented people, honored as “sexy celebs of the Seattle food community, for their accomplishments, as well as their raw and often silly charm.”

“Karen Rosenzweig, the lady with the unpronounceable last name, has transformed the face of food social media in Seattle. A sexy spitfire always ready with a quip on Twitter, she uses her wit to improve the online presence of Seattle restaurants.”

I couldn’t be any more shocked (sexy spitfire), thrilled (uses her wit), honored (improved the online presence of Seattle restaurants) and humbled (transformed the face of food social media in Seattle) by making this list, and I will do my best to live up to Linda’s bestowing of this title upon me

Actually, it has caused a cosmic shift in my view on how I can help people in my social media activities.  The pure joy and pride of being named to a list of top “anything” has made me realize how we all long for simple recognition and a honest “I see you” acknowledgement.  I am going to follow Linda’s worthy lead and strive every day to find a way to make people feel honored, appreciated and valued for whatever it is they are doing in life.  I hope you will join me…

P.S. Shortly after the “sexy” list hit the web, Linda wrote an even more fantastic post called “I Want To Matter” that was truly profound and inspired me to be better in 2012 – this woman is a game-changer; be sure to follow/read her for an ongoing dose of the “good stuff”!!

Seattle is all abuzz about Seattle Restaurant Week (SRW), a promotion that runs through Oct 27 at more than 150 local restaurants.  But most of the talk you hear on social media and the web is about how diners in Seattle can take advantage of the great deals during SRW -  but how about the ways restaurants can benefit from this two week extravaganza?

As they serve up delicious three-course dinners for just $28 (some offer three-course lunches for $15), it’s definitely an inexpensive way for restaurants to showcase themselves to people who are looking to venture out of their normal restaurant rut, willing to try something new, or taking advantage of great price break at special restaurants.

But for a restaurant, getting these first-time diners in the door is just step 1! The real task is turning these screaming deal dinner offers into repeat business and thus stock the pantry with diners to carry you through upcoming lean winter months. I’ve read traffic can double during RW – how do restaurants capitalize on that?

By using social media, of course!  But it’s not enough to post your SRW menu options to Twitter and Facebook – I’m already tired of participating restaurants doing nothing more than that! How are restaurants competing for hungry (and bargain-hunting!) diners with the 150 other participating restaurants?  For example, Bennett’s Bistro tweeted: “We’ve got 10 days of $28 3-crs meals ahead of us for @SeattleRW. Each day we’ll highlight one of the dishes you can get on the SRW menu!”  That promises fresh, creative info for the next two weeks, not the same old, same old!

My primary job at One Smart Cookie Marketing is offering this type of restaurant marketing strategy, helping restaurants turn social media prowess into repeat customers and raving fans. So here are 11 ways restaurants could use social media to maximize their results during SRW:

1. Follow SRW on Twitter and retweet some of their messages for cross promotion and extra visibiility
2. “Like” the SRW Facebook page and comment on their posts (and fan comments) – especially if they are about your restaurant!
3. Encourage your customers/fans to post their own pics from their SRW dinner on your Facebook page, and perhaps offer a prize for best food photo posted from your SRW menu
4. When diners check in, ask them if they follow you on FB or Twitter, and take their username; later, go post a message and thank them for dining with you
5. Don’t stop after that first interaction with new customers (see above)! Follow them back on FB/Twitter and start relationship/conversation to make them a repeat customer – people love to have restaurants acknowledge them in their online communities!
6. Make a short video of your Chef creating one of the SRW menu items – post it on your website/twitter/facebook to show what’s cooking!
7. Post status update on Twitter/Facebook to share what is the most frequent SRW menu combination ordered, and ask if customers have other suggestions – this turns into a full conversation of all your SRW menu items!
8. Welcome SRW diners prominently on the front page of your website, making it easy for them to find the info (link to special menu page) and dine with you!  Good examples of this are ART Restaurant and Rays Boathouse.
9. Conduct a raffle for SRW diners to win a behind the scenes kitchen tour with your Chef (bonus: when they enter, you have their email address and/or twitter/FB info for future correspondence with them!) – this also gives you something creative to tweet/post about
10. Offer a future deal for returning diners – I read about a Washington DC restaurant that handed out 2,000 gift certificates that entitled diners to take 50 percent off a bottle of wine when they returned after Restaurant Week.  Only 40 patrons did, an underwhelming 2%, but it is a way to encourage repeat visits and create raving fans
11. Display your Twitter/Facebook addresses prominently (in the check folio or table cards or front desk signage) – and track the increase during SRW!  That will give you a true sense of your ROI for this promotion

So, what other ideas do you have for restaurants to capitalize on Seattle Restaurant Week?  I’d love to hear your ideas!  And if you need help implementing some of these ideas for your restaurant, I’m here to help!

Would any of the following benefits be helpful to your business?

• increased exposure
• increased traffic on your website
• better search engine results
• new partnerships
• qualified leads
• improved sales
• reductions in marketing costs

Well why not have them all?! According to a recent study, you can – if you make the time and effort to use social media to promote your business.

This data comes from the recent 2011 Social Media Marketing Industry Report, where a survey of more than 3,300 businesses found a significant 90 percent said that social media was important to their businesses. And in fact, small businesses (hello Edmonds!) are more likely to benefit from social media than their big business counterparts.

In a followup article from the survey, Social Media Examiner’s Phil Merson pointed out these findings:

• The self-employed and small business owners were more likely to report new partnerships, with at least 59 percent noting a benefit.
• Small businesses were twice as likely to find qualified leads than other types of businesses.
• Forty-eight percent of self-employed and small business owners saw improved sales as a direct result of their social media efforts.
• The self-employed (59 percent) and small business owners (58 percent) were more likely than others to see reductions in marketing costs when using social media marketing.

So the question is – how are you using social media to help your business grow?  Are you looking for strategies on how to maximize your use social media tools such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and blogging? Do you need help figuring out where to start?

I’d highly recommend downloading the report to see what you can learn about making this powerful platform work for your business, and if you need more insights, please give me a call or shoot me an email at One Smart Cookie Marketing – let’s chat about how to make 2011 your best year ever!

This post was originally featured on My Edmonds News.

Guest Post by Leslie Irish Evans

(NOTE: My good friend and colleague Leslie Irish Evans is one of my favorite gourmands – “one who is excessively fond of eating and drinking” and she is a crazy active social media enthusiast.  She has built her community “Peeling Mom Off The Ceiling” to a following of nearly 6,000 Facebook fans and 1400 Twitter followers with her humor, wisdom and insights.  I wanted her to share what it’s like for a non-food professional to interact with restaurants on Twitter…because she is “one smart cookie” when it comes to food!)

As a busy mom, an internet junkie and a dedicated foodie, I’m always delighted when my worlds connect.  It simply makes life easier and seemingly more streamlined when it feels like the world is meeting you halfway.  So it’s a special feeling of “YES!” I get when I see a restaurant I love joining the social media world.

I can already hear a few doubters clucking “Why would a restaurant need to be on social media?  You can’t tweet food!”  Sure you can (in a way), and much more.

TOP REASONS WHY I LOVE RESTAURANTS THAT TWEET

1. THEY WHET MY APPETITE.

One of the many reasons I love following restaurants on Twitter is that it helps me decide where to go.  Seattle has some really great restaurants, and sometimes the choosing can be overwhelming, but the restaurant that tweets a delectable description of tonight’s special has hooked me before I even leave my couch.  “Would you like to hear tonight’s specials?” Yes, yes I would. Before I even leave the house, thanks.  Many has been the night where I was wooed by a clever establishment into coming to visit when I hadn’t even planned on going out.

2. THEY KNOW MY NAME.

Remember the theme from the TV show “Cheers”? “You want to go where everybody knows your name.”  Well, it’s true.  I remember working in my father’s greasy-spoon diner as a teenager, and he said to me “Look, people don’t come here for gourmet food. They don’t come here for the splendid décor. They come here for friendship and to be acknowledged. For god’s sake, learn their names.” It was some of the best advice I ever received.  When a restaurant I like tweets something tasty, and I respond (either directly back to them or by re-tweeting) that restaurant sees my face and my name helping to promote their business. They know who I am.  Which leads to number three …

3. THEY MAKE ME FEEL LIKE A VERY IMPORTANT PERSON!

Admit it, we all want to feel special.  Have you ever been to a restaurant, seen the chef or the manager come out to speak to a certain table, and thought: “Who are those people? They must be important!”  Well, I have had that fun and flattering experience happen to me strictly from my Twitter interactions.  I’m not a food journalist. I’m no one special in the food world. But these restaurants knew who I was from the fact that I had tweeted about them, and the extra attention and acknowledgement from the staff was definitely a fun ego boost.  Ego aside, perhaps the very best reason I love restaurants that Tweet is …

4. THEY BECOME “MY” RESTAURANT.

I love the food.  I’m now “friends” (well, Twitter buddies, anyway) with the staff.  It’s like I have a little “skin” in the game.  I now care very much about the well-being of this restaurant and I’m going to send my friends there.  They’ve got a dedicated ally in me, all for the simple reason that they tweeted about their place.

Leslie Irish Evans is the creator and host of “Peeling Mom Off the Ceiling”, heard Monday mornings on KKNW-1150AM and www.imthankful.com.  When she’s not discouraging mommy martyrdom she can be found surfing the web, looking for a good place to eat.  Tweet her up at @LIEvans, and friend her page at http://www.facebook.com/peelingmomofftheceiling

Why do so many individuals and businesses utilize automation in their social media activities? What that means is they post a message on Facebook and “push” that same message out to Twitter or LinkedIn or other platform (or vice versa). I understand it might save time and appear to be an efficient activity to cover all your SM bases, but I believe it actually undermines your credibility and can be harmful to your reputation.

If that confuses or upsets some of you, please allow me to explain. Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn are completely different forums with very different audiences that all speak different languages. What might be a perfect 140-character message on Twitter could look like gobbledy-gook on Facebook; a perfectly crafted message on Facebook will be chopped off mid-thought once it is posted on Twitter, completely skewing your message. Is that how you want to represent yourself and your business?

Another downside to automating your social media messaging is that you are not present to participate in related conversations or follow-up questions. Let’s say you are a restaurant and you post an item about your wonderful Valentine’s Day menu on Facebook. You then “push” that message automatically over to Twitter, to capture that audience as well. Nicely done, you think, I’ve just hit two birds (audiences) with one stone, right?

But then your potential customer Susie responds on Twitter with a question about your entrée (is it gluten-free?) – and guess what? You never see that message, and Susie feels ignored and makes plans to dine elsewhere. Why didn’t you see the message? Because she replied on Twitter and you aren’t actually “on” Twitter, since you didn’t take the time to log on to Twitter to see the conversations that came from your initial post. Any follow-up messages over on Twitter don’t get pushed back over to Facebook (where you started), so you appear to be ignoring those people.

People are not robots and they don’t want you to be either. If you choose to use both Facebook and Twitter in your social media outreach, you need to make time to participate on each platform individually. If you are trying to build a relationship, you need to play with people where they are – in their sandbox, if you will.

This is one of the most valuable coaching sessions I offer to my clients – determining which social media “sandboxes” to play in – and how to manage their time effectively so they can be responsive and grow their clientele. It can be done with a variety of checklists and efficiencies, and social media doesn’t need to take “all day”, as most people fear.

As the old saying goes, Visibility + Credibility = Profitability. You can be plenty Visible on all the social media platforms, but if you aren’t gaining Credibility by showing up to participate on each platform, you will find it hard to achieve the Profitability you are striving for.

The winner Greg Barnes (center) and team Teriyaki Donut

It was a day full of Willy Wonka moments.

From the playful and creative costumes worn by many of the competitors, to the crystal clear crisp cold Seattle morning, to the Amazing Race-like mad dash through the city, to the culmination on a postcard perfect day atop Kite Hill at Gasworks Park, to the big surprise gifted to the crafty winner – it was a sweet deal for all.

Those Canlis brothers sure know how to throw a party – and start off New Year’s Eve 2010 in Seattle with a most remarkable experience that would Light Up Seattle in festive fashion.

If you’ve been following along the past few months, you know that 50 winners of the daily Canlis Menu scavenger hunt were invited to compete in one final game on Dec. 31. They arrived in teams of three at the Canlis restaurant at 10 a.m. on New Years Eve, many adorned in creative costumes, ready to search for the ultimate prize – an annual dinner for two at Canlis, for life! The catch – you have to give away the dinner away, as an act of charity.

Team Scooby Doo!

After teams were finally all registered, and fueled up on donated Top Pot Doughnuts, Mark and Brian Canlis climbed the roof atop the restaurant and launched the race at 10:39 a.m. The teams bolted with five clues, each on a snippet of colored paper, and only a few rules – don’t speed, don’t trespass and you don’t need to do anything dangerous to solve a clue.

And there was one last request – unique but completely appropriate- for a social media event. The brothers asked the teams to maintain “radio silence” in terms of social media, imploring them not to post clues and/or thoughts on Facebook and Twitter. “This game is for you, not them!” Mark and Brian told the racers! Ha, I thought, 90% of life really is showing up – especially today! I know many wanna-be racers, especially those on Facebook, were upset to not be able to follow along, but they should have gotten out of bed and joined the call for volunteers. It was soooo worth it!

THE FIVE CLUES

The clues were not in any particular order, and it was up to each team to decide in what order to solve them and how to pursue them across the city. Some immediately bolted in their cars to begin the chase, but others decided to remain in the parking lot to solve all five clues first, then plot out an efficient route. Teams were allowed to have “phone a friend” privileges, so many were calling in the clues to their home teams to research on web and help solve.

Once teams figured out a clue at arrived at its location, they received a sticker for their name tags. Once they collected all five solutions/stickers, they were given an envelope with a poem (written by Mark and Brian Canlis) that would give them yet another clue. If they “solved” the poem, they would realize they needed to head to Gasworks Park, where they would find out there was still another clue to decipher to reveal the location of the magical Dinner For Life gold card.

50+ "wandering letters" roamed around Gasworks Park

CAN’T DO IT ALONE

As the teams raced off down Aurora Avenue to begin their quest, nearly 50 volunteers arrived at the Canlis penthouse about 11 a.m. to offer their services as additional “pieces” to the game. Many were frustrated clue hunters from earlier days of the contest, who wanted to participate somehow, even vicariously through the competing teams. Each was given a black t-shirt to wear, with a large white letter on the back, with every letter of the alphabet represented (except x and z). The shirts also had a slip of paper with a number (nine, two, etc) stapled to them.

“We wanted to include the whole city in our birthday celebration but we had to pare it down (the 50 clues contest),” Mark Canlis explained to the volunteers. “ But today we are including the whole city again. The teams are all hunting for something they can’t have, with the idea to give it away is better than receive. But they need your help, because they can’t do it alone. You are an integral piece of the game.”

As the volunteers, including the Canlis brothers, restaurant employees and their extended families (even me!) donned their shirts, Mark and Brian told us we were headed down to Gasworks Park, perfectly framed outside the Canlis windows, to “mill around” and essentially just wait for something to happen. Our only instructions: if a competitor comes up to you and “asks” for something, all you can tell them is the number you were given. So for example, I was wearing a t-shirt with an “H” on the back, and if anyone asked me for a clue, all I could tell them was “nine”.

The final clue - key was "light up Seattle"

THE FINAL DESTINATION

So at high noon, about 50-60 of us arrived at Gasworks, ready for anything (we didn’t know where the prize was hidden). I trudged up the frozen grass of Kite Hill, wanting to get a great view of whatever was to happen – and I kept a keen watch on both Brian and Mark, figuring they would be where the action was! Of course they were playing Frisbee much of the time so I was a little worried about how long we would be out here! It was pretty funny to watch our Zombie walking letters roaming the park, and the stunned looks of other visitors to the park, wondering what they had stumbled into here!

About 12:20 p.m., nearly two hours after the shotgun start, team #17 (finders of Menu 17 at Marsh Island near UW) was the first team to arrive, wearing a variety of racers gear. After a few bewildering glances around the park, they eventually figured out to ask the “wandering letters” if they had something for them, and began gathering pieces of the answer, and sharing them via cell phone with their helpers at home. The second team on the scene was team #39 (found Menu 39 at Museum of Flight), named “Teriyaki Donut”, and they all oddly headed for the fence surrounding ironworks, appeared to be looking for answer in there.

Team Frango For The Gold thought they had won! But no...

Next on the scene was was Team #34 “Frango For the Gold” (Menu 34 at Nordstrom) all adorned in yellow costumes. They ran up Kite Hill and began to celebrate, apparently thinking they had won and it appeared to surprise them all that just arriving there was NOT the solution! A few other teams arrived shortly after that, and quickly clued into gathering info from the “wandering letters”. Many collected all of the letters “numbers” clues, but then seemed puzzled about how to solve that info. That was the key – what kind of order do we put these letters and numbers in to find the prize location?

WHY GASWORKS?

New Year’s Eve of 1873 was the first time that gas lamps lit 42 private homes and five public streets, thanks to the Seattle Gas Light Company. The gas for the region’s first private utility was manufactured from coal, and in 1906, Gasworks was built to construct a plant to manufacture gas from coal. After nearly 50 years of gas manufacturing, the plant became obsolete (thanks to natural gas) in the 1950’s and later became a city park.

“We are always at the restaurant looking down here at the city and Gasworks,” said Brian. “We wanted to figure out how we could ‘Light Up Seattle’ and ignite people’s hearts to give back.”  So, here we were, New Year’s Eve 2010, at Gasworks Park!

BURIED TREASURE

The big prize - annual Dinner for Life

About 1 pm, I spied Greg Barnes from team Teriyak Donut”, race over to Brian and begin asking questions. He then darted off to a patch of grass behind a bench overlooking the lake and he and his teammates began digging madly and combing fingers through the grass. Others teams noticed the activity and began racing towards spot and digging too! But something was definitely wrong, as even Mark and Brian were helping them dig to no avail. Did someone steal the clue? I envisioned a dog trotting around the city with the coveted gold card.

After a few panicked moments, there was a cheer and Greg held up a small envelope – the winner! And guess what? Inside was not just one Gold Card to give away to a charitable group or individual (per contest rules) but a second card, which was for Greg to enjoy – truly a Willy Wonka moment. Yup the Canlis brothers did it again, throwing another delightful curve/prize into the game, just when it seemed they had done it all.

Solving the puzzle using a clue from the poem

THE SECRET CODE

So you are probably wondering how they knew where to dig. Here’s the story:

In the poem, the last three words were in bold, Light Up Seattle, which is the Canlis’ motto for their 2011 philanthopic campaign. If teams took the number associated with each of those letters, and put them in order to spell that phrase, it would indicate a latitude/longitude that would tell them where to dig (found by using Google maps)

L = 47 dot I= 6 G= 44 H = 9 T= 3 U=1 P= comma, space S= -1 E=2 A= 2 dot T= 3 T=3 L= 578 E= 2

That gave you the coordinates: 47.644931, -122.335782

Entering that info in Google Maps showed you exactly where to dig to find the cards

GIVERS GAIN

As I thought about the day, my overriding thought was “giving” – teams that competed so hard for a prize they had to give away; volunteers giving up 4-5 hours of time in freezing temperatures on New Year’s Eve; Canlis’ generosity for doing the contest in the first place, let alone giving a second “Dining For Life” card to the winner.

As a Social Media professional, I’m still stunned that the Canlis Menu Hunt hasn’t become a national story because it has so many intriguing elements. At the very least it’s a beautiful case study for social media contests, especially for a restaurant, although that would be so limiting to say this is unique to their industry. Any company could learn a boatload about Social Media by studying the Canlis’ effort over the past three months – building a community, maintaining daily engagement, importance of authenticity, extreme generosity, creating excitement, to name a few. And for naysayers who still think it’s still just about getting “butts in the seats” and making more money for the restaurant, I say boo-hoo to you! You MISSED IT, both the point of the contest and the amazing outcome, and for that I am disappointed for you. The Canlis brothers created a unique social media engagement model that will be copied and spun off into variations for months and years to come. And for that, we thank you!

Paula found clue #28 at the old Twin Tee Pee's site - and Brian Canlis is happy!

Obviously, every restaurant can’t be Canlis, the grand old lady of Seattle fine dining. While your restaurant might not boast a wonderful, award-winning 60-year history, you can learn some solid best practices from their current talk-of-the-town “hidden menu” contest and apply them in an appropriate way to your social media efforts. Here are 10 lessons I think all restaurants can learn about how to run a knockout contest using social media:

1. People want to feel special Exclusivity is sexy; Canlis is brilliantly using social media exclusively to distribute the clues each day, meaning you are an “insider” if you are following them on Twitter or Facebook. There’s no other way to get the info!  Insider info/access makes your fans feel special and value the prize even more.  How can you make people feel like “insiders” while trying to win your game or contest?
2. People love to play games We’re all children at heart and we’ll do crazy things to win games, even chasing all over the city looking for a rolled up piece of paper from 1950! Think about how you can position your contest in a game/competitive format, and watch as even more people will participate.Your prize doesn’t have to be as expensive or cherished as the Canlis dinner offer, but what will compel people to participate in your game, hopefully in a fun way?
3. People love attention Communicating with your fans on social media on a regular basis (i.e. every single day for months, like the Canlis brothers are doing!) builds rapport and goodwill. This frequent communication and contact leads to loyalty and relationships, and you may even get to know them by name.  And isn’t that the “Cheers” model – “sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name”.
4. People want to feel smart Canlis contestants must use their knowledge of Seattle history (or their ability to learn it quickly) to win this daily clue contest. If you can include some knowledge or info about your company as a requirement to win your game, that’s a double win!  Ala Mode Pies did this beautifully on Twitter last summer, running a week-long promotion that required people to visit their website daily to discover answers or details about the company to win free pie. What info can you impart about your restaurant during your contest, to increase your visibility and accomplish your goals?
   Clue #28: Seashells below, smoke rising above, the old Canlis landlord and a colonel unite. #canlismenus

   November 19, 2010 3:59 pm via HootSuiteReplyRetweetFavorite

   

   @bcanlis

   Brian Canlis
5. People like unique prizes/experiences Canlis is offering something quite valuable (dinner at 1950s menu prices) that has never been offered before. Rather than just giving another standard issue gift card, or a 2-for-1 offer, they made the stakes high enough to create a frenzy around winning.  And the method is a treasure hunt – you have to leave your computer to win!  If you offer a one-time prize – say, to your 1000^th follower – as soon as the prize is won, everyone stops playing and your momentum may be lost.  The beauty of the Canlis contest is that they’re doing it over a two-month span, allowing LOTS of winners and keeping the game alive. What unique prize can you offer that will be worth playing for and give extended/ongoing value to your restaurant?
6. People need people Most of us long to be part of the” bigger picture” and be a good member of our community. Canlis is helping building pride in our city and expanding knowledge about the place we call home – people are even studying state history and predicting locations where the menus might be hidden!  Also, by conducting the game on social media, people are making new friends and communicating with other fans they didn’t previously know but now have found something in common with. How can you help your fans connect with a larger group outside themselves and enrich their lives?
   @SeaCat32 CONGRATS! I just knew you would find a #canlismenus! Welcome to the Fabulous 50!

   November 26, 2010 5:27 pm via webReplyRetweetFavorite

   

   @paulaj1967

   Paula Johnson
7. People have different learning styles Canlis has done a great job of mixing up the types of clues they give – word play, puzzles, facts, dates, pictures, etc. This helps ensure everyone has a chance to win, because what might be an obvious clue to you, is a stupefying mystery to me! The constant changeup gives hope that “some day” there will be a clue I can figure out! Mix up your method and try a variety of styles, tones or tactics during your promotion, so everyone feels they have a chance to win?
8. 

   Brian and Mark Canlis (in hats) at Nordstrom with the two winners on Black Friday

   People want access to you, Believe it or not, people want to know there’s “a man behind the curtain!” Brian Canlis (and Mark) frequently respond to fan comments and questions on Twitter/Facebook, and they are extremely accessible.  They are doing all the leg work, posting messages on their social media accounts, personally hiding the menu each day, taking pictures with the winners, etc.  They are very hands-on and their fans LOVE it.  How can you put more of “yourself” and your restaurant into your contest and give people a closer glimpse of who you really are?

9. People love a good surprise While everyone thought the 50 days of Canlis menu hiding “was” the contest, the brothers threw us a curveball midway through by announcing there would be a much larger Part 2 of the contest.  All 50 winners are invited to play a grand finale game this New Year’s Eve, with a HUGE prize dangling at the end for just one winner. It was a big shock – and pleasant surprise! – and suddenly made finding one of those darn menus an entirely new ballgame!  What bonus or extra can you add to your promotion to reward your fans and extend the life of the game?
10. People want to be generous The beauty of the bonus in the Canlis contest is that the grand prize winner gets to GIVE AWAY a yearly dinner for two to Canlis FOR LIFE! Yes, people are competing to win something they are going to give away – and that’s just awesome. Canlis is allowing people to experience not only receiving a great gift (the free dinner they win by finding a menu), but more so the higher pleasure of giving that gift to someone else more deserving.  This is going to be tougher to figure out for your restaurant, but what can you do in the spirit of giving to others, beside the original prize of the promotion?

So there you have it, my advice as a social media consultant for restaurants, about how to run a smashing contest like Canlis, with or without the prestige, history or budget they obviously possess.  It can be done, with a little imagination and a generous dash of fun. I’d love to hear other ideas or lessons you’ve learned from Brian and Mark Canlis and their WillyWonka-esque contest…the comments section below is now open!

NOTE: For a comprehensive look at the various blogs, articles, interviews and videos about the Canlis Menu Hunt, please visit my other site here