The Power of Social Media for Caterers
Pop quiz: What is the business tool as old as business itself? If you said “referrals,” you’re right! The best business tool has always been referrals from past clients and this is still true today. Past clients are always your best resource for gaining new clients. Instagram, Facebook, and Google Plus have made past client referrals even more important. With the ability to review and share any experience with others it’s important for you to make the best use of the business you already have to gain business you want.
Past clients can be your best resource for social media postings. How you may ask? Today, people are driven by what they see and what others say about you. A well curated Instagram feed or regularly updated Facebook page can do more for your business than lengthy descriptions and endless pages on your website. Potential clients want to see your work, not read about how great it is or could be. They need visual proof. Along with that, they need to see that others think your work is outstanding. So how can you use past clients to boost your current business through social media?
Potential clients will be discovering you through your social media accounts; whether they are lead there from your website, from a quick Google search, or from a current client posting about you. The best thing you can do is post images with strong captions regularly to your chosen social platforms. What you want is to create content so captivating that people will click-through your image or post to your website to find out more about your business and your services. These posts are called Lead Postings. Using projects or events you’ve catered for past clients in these posts is a great way to gain more from already completed events. While at events be sure to capture images of well dressed plates, servers, and happy guests. Pair these images with strong, leading captions. Let’s talk about an example. You recently worked with a couple to create their dream, medieval times wedding. While dressed in your knightly armor, you snapped some photos of your creative setup for the medieval feast, fit for a king and queen. The Monday after the wedding is a great time to post a photo on Facebook with the caption, “We love when clients come to us with unique wedding themes that we can build upon. Sarah and Josh had a feast fit for a king and queen at their medieval wedding this past weekend. See more photos of this Middle Age celebration on Instagram.” This shows potential clients your creativity, connects them to two of your social platforms, and creates a lead post where they can learn more about you and potentially travel to your website. Tagging your couple in your post also gives them an opportunity to Like and share your post, and who doesn’t love when a vendor recognizes their wedding? (Be sure to get permission from your clients before using their images in a public space.)
Another way to benefit from past clients to use their reviews. Potential clients want to know that other people think highly of you and your catering work. Using reviews from past clients is two fold. They are available on your website, Google Plus page, or Facebook page for potential clients to see. Additionally, you can highlight new reviews when they are posted, creating additional content for yourself. Be sure to follow up with each guest post event to ask for a kind review if they enjoyed your service. Social media can be your biggest asset in gaining new clients and its reviews are free advertising for your business.