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“When would I do that?”

First off, get your minds out of the gutter! 

I met with a couple running a small bakery last week; they see value in social media and Twitter but didn’t see how they would be able to make the time during the day to tweet.

Now, I’m not going to throw the sermon out about “how can you not make the time to build your business” because, well, it’s crap on some level.  Everything these 2 do builds their business; if they stop to tweet and email and Facebook, ruining the  day’s bread in the process, does that help their business?  Now sure, that’s extreme, but they do need to operate their shop.  They have to greet customers with a warm smile, listen to their needs, arrange for the cake delivery, whatever the case may be.

So yes, like many of us, they have a full day.  But that doesn’t mean they can’t do social media.  Tools abound for scheduling tweets, coordinating posts, etc.  (I use Tweetdeck myself, many folks swear by Hootsuite, and there are many others.)  I suggested they carry a notepad, jot a quick reminder when they think of something to send out, then send it when time allows.

Old school?  Maybe a little, but certainly better than just not using the media.  Email marketing can easily be scheduled for send times using any provider.  Foursquare is a bit different; you’d love to be able to personally greet the people who check in from your location, but if you miss one, make sure to thank them on Twitter after the fact.  Don’t miss an opportunity to connect – that’s the purpose of this stuff to begin with.

So yes, you are busy and you will have to make time.  But as you build connections with people, you realize that it’s just chatting.  You can chat with them face to face, but you can also talk to 30 or 40 of them at once by posting a message.  Still have 4 of your legendary cupcakes left this afternoon?  Let people know.  Having a rough day?  Your online community can provide moral support.  (Of course, if you whine constantly they stop listening – just like your other friends!)

Share your successes, share your slipups.  Be a human being.  I know you have time for that – it’s how you live your life. 

-Karl
@karlkoelle

With 10+ years in restaurants and 12 years in communications, I have learned a lot about how to successfully market a restaurant - yet I still learn something new every day and whenever I talk to a client.  Looking for help with your restaurant or small business, whether marketing or management?  Let me know, I am always happy to help.