Many out there are probably sick to death of hearing about Facebook fans, friend requests, tweets and followers. There is plenty not to like: self-obsessed people posting pictures of their dogs napping; long-lost acquaintances looking to reconnect; friends of friends ranting about politics, cars and fashion in 140 characters or less. Who has the time, right?

Wrong. Complain about social media if you want, but it's a tool millions of people today are using to lift their voices in electronic communities, and it's something you cannot afford to close your eyes to. Social networks like Facebook, mini-blog engines like Twitter, and video sites like YouTube are the most explosive outbreaks in the information world since the Internet itself. These sites are shaking up the way the world communicates and it's having a big impact on business. Onsite foodservice is no exception.

Each of these sites is nourished by millions of users — including your customers. They're using these platforms to talk about your operation, your food, and your service, whether or not you're part of the conversation.

So, while social media may seem like a trend that's too techy or too young for you, it's a phenomenon that you can't afford to ignore, postpone or delegate.

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Building Connections

Using social media well takes more than just creating a page and hoping it takes off. “Like any other part of a business, you have to plan, execute and revise your strategy to make it a success,” says Stephanie Keith, Marketing Manager/Controller at Roger Williams University (RWU), Bristol, RI. “Social media is more about the connections you create than the sales you drive. It's great for promotions, sure, but you have to make sure your fans and followers actually care enough to pay attention to your updates for it to work.”

RWU launched its Facebook page nearly five years ago at the urging of Keith. Today, it has more than 500 fans.

“When we launched, [management company] Bon Appétit (BA) was new to campus,” says Keith. “Having used Facebook throughout college, I thought it would be a great way to introduce the RWU community to BA and get instant and immediate feedback on what customers wanted from their new foodservice program.”

She was right. By building a loyal fan base, BA at RWU is better able to connect with its customers one-on-one.

“Social media has made communicating with guests much easier, plus it's an extension of our marketing efforts. We use it to promote events, increase traffic, drive sales and communicate important department updates or company wide initiatives like BA's Eat Local Challenge,” says Keith. “We also use it to move customers around.”

With eight dining facilities across RWU's campus, students tend to frequent the cafes closest to their daily routines. As part of it's social media strategy, RWU uses Facebook to let customers know about special promotions in locations they might not otherwise visit.

“We have a convenience store in a residence hall in north campus, far from any academic buildings,” says Keith. “It's hard to draw customers to the store if they don't already live there. We use Facebook to let campus know about special promotions we're having at the store, which helps to drive foot traffic.”

RWU also uses Facebook as a means of gauging students' interest in new products. “We were recently asked by one of our vendors if we'd like to stock a reusable cold tumbler in one of our cafés,” says Keith. “I posted a picture of the tumbler on Facebook and asked our fans to ‘like’ the picture if they'd like to see them sold at the café. We got almost two dozen ‘likes,’ so now they'll be for sale this coming semester.”

At the other end of the country, The University of Texas at Austin uses social networks such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube as a way to advertise food specials, showcase new items, offer students and staff a behind-the-scenes look at the dining operation, and give updates about environmental initiatives.

“What started as a way to share photos and video, quickly grew into something much more powerful,” says Scott Meyer, Director of Food Service. “Social media gives us the opportunity to start a personal dialog with our customers that can improve customer service. It gives us the chance to respond instantly to questions or ideas.”

UT Austin's social media strategy ties into its overall marketing strategy and is fairly straightforward: fish where the fish are. “Students are already in this space,” says Meyers. “So we want to be in there as well, giving them an opportunity to keep up to date with what we're doing."