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My Best Online Marketing & Managemen . . .
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My Best Online Marketing & Management Tools for 2012 - Pt 2
The 2012 challenge is to keep up with new information, a mobile workplace, constant communication and the drive for efficiency. Here's Part 2 of my list of 11 Tools that keep me efficient and on top of a fast-changing industry:
- Twitter - yes, it's been around for a while and many venues have tried it, but the instant results some people expect don't happen if all you do is broadcast how great you are and announce entertainer of the week. Where bars and restaurants have the best success is by sharing useful information and having conversations with customers. It's OK to promote yourself, but keep it to one promo post for every four or five conversational ones. Go wider - share about the local area, industry events, causes you support and staff success. Use Twitter to keep up with industry news and insider tips at Ken Burgin Twitter posts.
- Fast Posts to Social Media with Hootsuite. It's a free online service that lets me write short posts on Twitter, add them to the Profitable Hospitality Facebook Page and track the people I follow. One great features is the ability to prepare posts for a future time - spend 10 minutes writing, and have your tweets roll out over the next 5 days! They also have a pro feature that lets someone else work on the account under your supervision - a good option for delegation.
- The iPad: it's a great sales tool for sharing event photos with clients and training videos with staff. Light and easy for accessing email and the web. You can also use a VNC app (like a remote desktop) so the iPad is a terminal for your main computer network - access important software from the bar or kitchen. Stop wondering - just get one! We keep you updated on the latest ways to use smartphones and iPads in your hotel, club, bar or restaurant.
- Facebook keeps getting better: the old term was 'database', and most people were intimidated by the complexity. That's still useful, but so is your collection of Fans - on Facebook. It's about having a conversation, not just announcing the latest specials - effort is repaid with enthusiasm and sales! Last year we predicted that checking in to Facebook would become huge, and it has. But I'm seeing lots of places with way more checkins than fans - your customers are connecting and you don't even realise! Keep up with Profitable Hospitality on our Facebook Page.
- Take Screenshots of web pages or anything on your desktop. You may want to snap an image or part of a menu for inspiration, or an excerpt from a review site (good or bad!). Free tools for screenshots are Skitch (Mac, iPhone and Android) and Jing (Windows & Mac), or the paid service Snagit. Also check this short video on how to use Jing.
- Make Photos More Attractive: most pictures taken with phones or small cameras need to be improved. Crop out an ugly side, brighten a photo that's too dark, remove red eyes. It's easy to do with a free online tool like Picnik or download Google's free Picassa software (Windows and Mac).
You can also check: My Best Online Marketing Tools for 2011 Use these Resources to Make 2012 a Great Year:
WANT MORE EFFICIENCY? 1st Class Members of Profitable Hospitality have 24/7 access to hundreds of tools & downloads:
 only US $99 to join (includes first month) plus US $9.90 per month, no minimum period.
 Aust $285 for 1 year or Aust $385 for 2 years.
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Restaurant Management
