You’ve no doubt heard that increasing numbers of retailers and restaurant operators are beginning to leverage social networking as a marketing tool, using sites like Facebook, Twitter, and FourSquare.  But is this worth doing?  The answer is a resounding “yes”.

Social networking is a marketing method that can and should be employed by restaurant chains and smaller, independent businesses alike. Increasingly, consumers are looking for a personal touch when it comes to communicating with the stores and restaurants they patronize. By contrast, their interest in blanket mailings and other marketing ploys is waning. Social networking adds the personal element—at a far lower price than you’d pay for other marketing vehicles.

What’s more, combining social networking with customer loyalty programs yields the hefty return on investment operators have sought since the popularity of social networking began to mushroom. Melding social networking and customer loyalty programs not only generates consumer awareness for the company involved; it also sparks sales. Even more importantly, it brings new customers into the fold. For example, several months ago, pcAmerica integrated a social networking component into the loyalty program of a frozen dessert chain that uses its Restaurant Express restaurant POS software. Customers participating in the program can connect their social networking accounts to their customer loyalty accounts. Whenever a dessert is purchased or a reward is earned, an automatic notification appears on the individual’s social networking page and/or in his or her Twitter feed.  Notifications about rewards pack a viral effect, as other potential customers wonder how they, too, can get in on the action.

For more information on how to integrate social marketing and point of sale technology, contact pcAmerica or visit www.pcamerica.com.