RESTAURANT STRATEGY

#22: Capturing Great Food Photography This week's episode is all about photography... specifically Food Photography. It's a big part of how I make my living, and an important way to attract customers to your restaurant. It's a longer episode than normal, but we've also packed a ton of information into 42 minutes. There are three main segments to the episode. First, I'm sharing the basic principles of good photography... Next, I walk you through how I set up my food shots... Finally, I'm sharing the full list of all the gear I use. To help you navigate through, I've put together a Photo Guide with links to every single item I recommend in the episode. It took forever to pull it all together, but I'm hoping you guys get a lot out of it.   *** Download the Photo Guide by CLICKING HERE! ***   CONTINUING EDUCATION: VISIT: CreativeLive

#21: Learning How to Tell Great Stories I've been telling you week after week that the key to success... the key to your success... is to answer this one question: "What are the stories only you can tell?" You have to figure out what makes you unique, remarkable... and then highlight those differences to separate yourself from the competition. In this week's episode I'm going to tell you my story, and the story of my business to make a point. I'm going to use that story to make a point, to show you how storytelling can help you can stand out. CONTINUING EDUCATION: Andrew Stanton's TED Talk - The Clues to a Great Story 

#20: Use E-Mail Marketing to Drive Revenue This week’s episode is all about the importance of Permission Marketing. Perhaps you're asking: "What is permission marketing?" Seth Godin defines it as “the privilege (not the right) of delivering anticipated, personal, and relevant messages to people who actually want them.” We are of course talking about building an e-mail strategy, but it goes beyond that I think. It’s about shifting your perspective to reconsider how we connect with our audience. Throughout the episode we'll talk about five key areas of building an effective e-mail strategy: Collecting E-Mail Addresses Building an E-Mail Strategy Segmenting the List Retargeting Customers Integrating the List with Facebook E-Mail Service Providers Mailchimp ConvertKit ZenReach CONTINUING EDUCATION: Permission Marketing by Seth Godin - a masterpiece written back in 1999 where he talks about the perspective shift in marketing... the move from "Interruption Marketing" to "Permission Marketing. Terrific book, well worth the investment of time and money. 

#19: The Do's and Don'ts of Building a Restaurant Website Think of your website as your digital home. At the very least, it should be an extension of the hospitality you provide in the restaurant; at best, it needs to entice diners to come try the experience for themselves. It should reflect the tone and aesthetic of your place, and be the centerpiece to your online presence. Articles, interviews, reviews, and all other forms of media (including social) will drive traffic here. This is where you will close the sale, so to speak. In this week's episode I'm going to talk all about what a restaurant website does and doesn't need to be. Do-It-Yourself Website Design Squarespace Wix Wordpress Restaurant Design Templates Bento Box Hire a Freelance Designer Fiverr Upwork CONTINUING EDUCATION: Building Business with Squarespace 7 - This book features 450 pages packed full of guides and insights, the best book out there if you're just starting out with Squarespace. It shortens the learning curve, and helps you launch your site quicker!

#18: Five Keys to Social Media Success Much of the work I do with my clients is Social Media Marketing, and yet I think a lot of small business owners can feel overwhelmed by it all. Just managing the three main platforms can sometimes feel like a hassle. So this week I'm going to share my five keys to success when it comes to social media. There's a ton of information in this episode so sit back, relax, and maybe even take some notes. CONTINUING EDUCATION: "Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook" by Gary Vaynerchuk

#17: Menu Magic Think about the people who dined in your restaurant last night. Couples, families, businessmen, friends, whatever... all of them were there for different reasons. They ordered different things, and in the end had different experiences. But there's one thing they all shared about their dining experience. And that was the menu. Your menu was the one thing every single person in the restaurant got. I'm going to make the case that your menu is the most important piece of real estate in your place. It can be a drag to your finances or work hard to keep you profitable. Listen in as I walk you through the ins and outs of Menu Magic! CONTINUING EDUCATION: CANVA has a menu design template you can use right on their website… CLICK HERE ADOBE SPARK also offers templates… CLICK HERE 99 DESIGNS is a site where you can search hundreds of designers to help you build something fresh... SEARCH HERE

#16: SEO Crash Course for Restaurants SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization, and it's a crazy complicated topic that would take hours to effectively explain. But just because it's complex doesn't mean we should ignore it. In fact, I'm going to make the case that SEO is the single most important tool in the Digital Marketer's Toolkit. The ability to be FOUND in a world as vast as the internet is INVALUABLE. And so this week I'm giving a crash course in SEO for Restaurants. Give me the next 25 minutes and I'll show you 8 ways you can start improving your ranking on sites like Google and Bing! SEO TOOLS: SEM Rush Ahrefs Moz CONTINUING EDUCATION: SEO expert and all around smart guy Neil Patel was a guest on Amy Portfield’s Podcast and it was absolute gold. LISTEN HERE

#15: 10 Books Every Restaurant Owner Should Read ** Click on any of the titles to order your own copy at Amazon.com ** 1. Purple Cow by Seth Godin 2. All Marketers Are Liars by Seth Godin 3. Permission Marketing by Seth Godin 4. Setting the Table by Danny Meyer 5. Start with Why by Simon Sinek 6. Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook 7. The Obstacle is the Way by Ryan Holiday 8. To Sell is Human by Daniel Pink 9. Creativity Inc. by Ed Catmull 10. This is Water    

#14: Getting Started with Facebook Ads By far the biggest question I get from clients is this: "Should my restaurant be running Facebook Ads." In this week's episode we break it all down, and share some key reasons why paid advertising works on social media. I'll show you an easy way to get started, and walk you through the most efficient ways to spend those limited marketing dollars. FACEBOOK BUSINESS PORTAL: CLICK HERE CONTINUING EDUCATION:  20 minute video about how to set up your first FB Ad. Not me, but the guy is very easy to follow.  CLICK LINK

#13: Twenty Marketing Ideas to Boost Business We've spent the past few months talking big picture ideas, establishing a strong foundation for your business. But perhaps you're sitting there wondering, "Okay fine, but how can I apply these to my work?" Well, today we're going to start putting it all together. This week I challenged myself to come up with 20 different marketing ideas you can try right away. Note: I'm not saying to put them all into practice right away. To start, just pick 2 or 3 and see if you can find a way to implement them. Want a cheatsheet? We've got one for you! CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE CHEATSHEET ** ** CONTINUING EDUCATION: Adam Grant's TED Talk - https://www.ted.com/talks/adam_grant_the_surprising_habits_of_original_thinkers?language=en Originals by Adam Grant - CLICK TO PURCHASE