#377 - My Best Online Marketing & Management Tools for 2012
The 2012 challenge is to keep up with new information, a mobile workplace, constant communication and the drive for efficiency. Here's my list of 11 Tools that keep me efficient and informed in a fast-changing industry - how many will you find useful?
- Evernote is free software that stores notes, website bookmarks and documents, then syncs them with your smartphone and other computers. Eg when you see a web page and want to remember it, one click on the Evernote browser button saves it to Evernote, and it can be accessed from any other computer or your phone. Add a spreadsheet or pdf to a note, and it's available on any of your devices. You can also create a shared folder with someone else eg store all the interesting web pages you find on food events, and share the folder with the chef or event manager - they can do the same. Evernote is great!
- Email marketing is still so powerful, and Constant Contact is our long-time choice for an easy system that looks good, saves your database and tracks how many people open messages. They now have additional services for Event Management & Bookings (including payments), Surveys and now great tools to upgrade your Facebook Page. There are other email services, but none that have this many useful features.
- Monitor Social Conversations - NutshellMail is a great way to track mentions of your brand or important words like your own name or location. It can monitor Twitter, Yelp, LinkedIn, YouTube, Foursquare or Facebook. Free, with a daily summary emailed at a time of your choice.
- Dropbox for sharing documents with your team, or making a download available to the public (eg a menu or flyer). Put them into a Dropbox folder and they can be securely available on other computers, phones and the Dropbox website. Eg if you're working on a new flyer or menu with someone else, store the document in Dropbox, give them access and you can both work on the same document. End the frustration of different versions being emailed back and forth, and wherever you are, it's available. Dropbox is free, and we love it!
- Manage Projects & Events with Basecamp. It's how we keep track of projects and share tasks with the team. A great way to keep 'To Do' lists, messages, files and milestones all in the one place, organised by topic. Eg you may be organising an event, with the chef, sales staff, bar manager, graphic designer all involved. You can set up sub-projects with To-Do lists for each of them, and keep all the messaging back and forth in one place. I use Basecamp every single day with my team.
>>> Continue to the rest of the List...
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.
2012 Training & Events Calendar
>>> Starting a Cafe or Restaurant Workshop Sydney 11 February or 24 March, Melbourne 3 March 2012
>>> Clubs+ Dynamic Online Marketing Workshop and Webinars Workshop in Sydney 21 Feb, or Webinars start 22 Feb
>>> Clubs+ Business Essentials Workshop - in Melbourne 29 Feb - 1 March
>>> Clubs+ Melburne Food & Wine Tour - 1 - 4 March
>>> How to Create a Great Beer Venue - Special Dinner in Melbourne 1 March
>>> Fine Food Queensland - the state's major Trade Fair 11 - 13 March
Share your Comments and Suggestions: Click on 'Leave a Comment', and add your ideas where it says 'What's on your mind...'
With warm regards -
|
Restaurant Management
