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According to recent research conducted by SavvySME, business owners and entrepreneurs in the hospitality industry lagged significantly behind those in other industries when it came to their online presence.
This may seem surprising to you if you're someone who is interested in the sector, and foodie scene more broadly, and feel as if you're constantly seeing new, well-managed, and aesthetically branded restaurants and cafes popping up on your Instagram feed.
The report, which is made up of findings over the past 12 months, shows that retail was the most prominent of all industries online.
This makes sense considering the covid-induced lockdowns retails endured, the subsequent growth of e-commerce, and the need to stand out in order to reach your customers.
Although, with the emergence of the omicron variant this year that impacted the hospitality industry - with staff shortages, reduced operating hours, and forced closures - there is an ever growing need for businesses operating in this space to increase their online presence.
Telling of the impact that Covid and forced closures is having on the hospital sector, according to an article published in the Australian Financial Review, in the last week of December Australians cut their spending on dining out by 24 percent compared to the week prior.
To combat the challenges that Covid is posing, businesses operating in this space should invest in social media as one of their most effective means of customer engagement.
Many businesses have already altered their operations to account for reduced physical interactions with customers, offering more pick-up and delivery services, as well as selling stock and retail items online.
In Australia, we've seen bars in Melbourne delivering cocktails and wine to your doorstep and restaurants offering online cooking classes.
Businesses in the hospitality sector can also offer financial incentives to lure in new and existing customers, and engage in CSR initiatives by donating meals to those in need.
When looking at alternative ways to do business, such as the examples above, it's important that this is communicated effectively online through clever social media marketing.
Having the time, the right team, and an effective overarching strategy to manage this, is the best way businesses can leverage the many opportunities social media provides.
At Yellowpanda, we work with clients to create customised strategies that identify who they should be reaching, the best way they can reach these groups are (through both the type of content that is created, and when and where it is shared), and what their competitors are doing (in terms of who they are targeting and how they are showing up online).
This strategic analysis provides our company with a broad perspective on the landscape in which you operate, ensuring that the content we create is targeted to the right audiences to yield the greatest results - heightened awareness and strengthened customer engagement.
If you're a business operating in the hospitality industry, and are interested in learning more about how you can strengthen your online presence, reach out to the team at Yellowpanda today.