Guest Article: Can Caterers Afford Not To Be Social? by Travis S. Taylor, Affairs To Remember Caterers, Atlanta

Remember when the scales of trust and sales tipped to the side of companies with websites, and companies without websites were destined for doom? I believe there are very few of us today who could even fathom doing business with a company that doesn’t have a website. Right?

We’re heading in that same direction with Social Media.

By its very nature, catering is a highly social profession. So why aren’t more caterers…Social? And just having a Facebook or Twitter account that’s not active or strategic doesn’t make one Social.

You have to engage with clients—regularly and relevantly—to be successful, and Social Media is a perfect tool for just that! The point of Social Media is to create or strengthen your business relationships…it’s really that simple.

Let’s look at an obvious fact. When we see a new relevant food, décor, or service trend, we whole-heartedly jump on it like our next paycheck depends on it. And, really, it does. We jump on that bandwagon and learn everything there is to know about that trend so that we can incorporate it into our offerings.

Ignore trends and we risk losing clients to competitors…and who among us wants that?

While catering hasn’t historically embraced technology as quickly as other industries, I’m here to tell you that times have changed!

Today, you see QR Codes on menu cards; wedding receptions are being planned on Pinterest; guests receive event invitations via Facebook…and this ‘technology’ is here to stay, and it’s only going to get more complex.

So bite the bullet and get involved now…because we know what happens to caterers who hide their heads in the sand!

How do you do it? It’s not that difficult, really. This is “Social” Media. You’ll be talking about what you do every day…and that’s not so complex, right?

Based on my experience and research, the most important thing is getting started. Choose a Social Media channel like Facebook or Pinterest and dive in. If you try to take on too many channels at once, you risk doing poorly across numerous platforms instead of being brilliant on the few that are a match for your particular business. 

Travis can be reached at Travis@affairs.com