In today’s current climate, it is more important than ever for guests, customers, and potential customers to know exactly what restaurants and venues are open, how they are serving the community, and information about the venue’s safety protocols so that guests can decide if they feel comfortable enough to visit the establishment or plan a future event with them.
We have put together these tips on how to set up your venue’s LinkedIn page with relevant information and some post ideas for you to share so guests know exactly what to expect when they visit your venue, whether it’s for takeout, dine-in or an event.
LinkedIn is one big networking event, and your venue business page acts as a booth at the event. If your business page is not complete or fully optimized, or if you are not posting content, then your customers and potential customers don’t know to visit your booth and check out what information you have to offer.
I have broken down how to properly set up your optimized business page, along with post ideas to get you started.
How to set up your LinkedIn business page:
If you are creating a brand new page (which you definitely should if one does not exist already), the first option you need to choose is, is to select either a standalone page for a small business or medium to large business or a showcase page that is affiliated with an existing page. Showcase pages are best for a location that is part of a chain or large group when a corporate page already exists.
Name: This should be the same name that you use across all of your social media accounts, and that best represents your location. If your company has several locations and you are commonly known as “Porcupine and Bear — Downtown Boston.” that is the name you should use.
Website: Your main website.
Industry: With EventUp customers, the most common industries we see used are: Entertainment, Events Services, Food & Beverage, Gambling & Casinos, Hospitality, Museums & Institutions, Restaurants, and Wine & Spirits.
Company Size: There are several options to select from with each page type. Pick the one that best represents your venue.
Logo: 300 px x 300 px — this should be the same logo that you use across all of your social media accounts.
Background photo: Use this space to showcase a professional photo of your venue set up for an event.
Tagline: Your venue tagline or slogan; this is one of the first things a visitor will see. Keep it short at 120 characters or less, and make it memorable.
About: In this section, you can go into great detail about your venue, your offerings, menu selections, and all the great things that are unique about your space. Answer common questions such as the types of events you can accommodate and guest counts for standing, seated, and full buyouts. It should always be up to date on what days and hours you are open, what you are currently serving, dine-in, takeout, or delivery, types of events, as well as contact information. You have a 2,000-character limit to brag about your great venue.
Location: Your full address so customers can easily look up directions.
Post Ideas:
- Your Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) are your most valuable content. If you have any FAQs on your main website or are often answering the same questions over the phone or on social media, turn those answers into educational pieces of content and post one question-and-answer combo per post.
- Create a checklist around your current rules of engagement and upload that as a document. This simple checklist could include:
- Make a reservation online
- Check-in at the hostess stand right outside the front door
- Always wear a mask unless seated at your table
- Use the QR code provided to view the current menu
- Create a template of your updated floor plan, all private rooms, outdoor space, or any custom setup or floor configurations that you have to offer.
- Record video tours of your indoor and outdoor spaces as well as any private rooms. Post them as video content.
- Any special promotions or events you have running at your event should be added to your page as an event with dates, times, locations, and all details. With an event, you can invite connections to “attend” the event; it also lets people share the event on their personal page to increase awareness. Anyone on LinkedIn can find and “attend” the event.
- Create polls around things your network can vote on, such as a menu or drink items, a new design feature, or even what specials to run. Polls are less commitment than a like or a share and get people engaged and excited about what’s coming soon.
Don’t forget:
- Post at most once a day unless you have a big event coming up that you are promoting.
- Invite your network to 'Like' your business page.
- Train all employees on how to use, update, and share on LinkedIn.
- If you are posting about a client or another business, tag them in the post so they will know you are mentioning them. They may share or comment on your original post, and that will give your content more exposure.
- Use visual content if possible. Photos and videos stand out more in the LinkedIn feed than text-only posts.
- You don’t have to only share content on LinkedIn about your business. Be sure to post links to articles, videos, or other content written by industry professionals or sources to show that you’re up-to-date on the latest news and issues.
Need help optimizing your Instagram account? We have you covered; check out: What Your Venue Should Be Doing on Instagram.
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