Twitter For Business – Would you like fries with that?
Local San Antonio businesses Twittering the right way.
Although some people think Twitter might be a waste of time, there has been a large increase recently in San Antonio traffic to the site. Friends, neighbors, and businesses are jumping in and learning what Twitter has to offer small, local businesses. By using Twitter effectively, some local businesses are making their mark and building a cult-like following around them. And it’s not hard…if you know how to do it and enjoy what you do.
I don’t follow everyone on Twitter just for the sake of numbers, so when it comes to businesses, I’m even more cautious. I don’t like being sold to and getting nothing but a recurring ad from a business on Twitter. In an effort to help local San Antonio businesses get their heads around Twitter, I thought I might provide some examples of businesses that are doing it right. For San Antonio locals, it will provide a list of great businesses to visit and people to follow on Twitter.
Brasserie Pavil – As someone who has spent time in the brasseries of France, I can tell you that the place looks like it was picked up off of a Rue in Paris and dropped as is into San Antonio. What I love about Brasserie Pavil’s use of Twitter is that they are always sending out notes about specials they are running that aren’t advertised on their site. Following @BrasseriePavil can actually save you money. Know for their welcoming attitude towards the social media-ites in town, Brasserie Pavil will also make you hungry with their Twitpics featuring their creations (they provided the “frites” photo in this article).
The Fairmount Hotel – A Victorian style hotel built in 1906, The Fairmount Hotel is an easily recognized landmark in downtown San Antonio. What makes me like them even more is their local tweets. They don’t just tweet about themselves, they’re constantly providing interesting facts, links, and announcements for the San Antonio area. They also provide some great local photography via Twitpics and it’s worth it to visit just for the photo of Luke, their canine concierge. They also have been doing several giveaways – everything from gift certificates for visits to the hotel to Schlitterbahn tickets.
JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country – The place isn’t even open yet and I’m chomping at the bit to go and visit. @JWSanAntonioTwitpic (do you see a pattern here?) to show off progress of construction before the resort even opens in January 2010. Using a combination of progress reports and local information, news, and friendly conversation, JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country delivers on answers to my curiosity and general local conversation. If you’ve never visited a JW Marriott before, you’ll definitely want to check this one out.
KSAT 12 News – Hard to give just one reference to the usefulness of KSAT’s various Twittering employees. From talking hockey with John Honore, to getting news updates long before the news is on, to Bernice Kearney helping me track down some info on a recent road project in my neighborhood, KSAT has become invaluable to me. There’s some really funny stuff, some serious news, and of course, talk about the weather. Follow one of their accounts and you’ll start meeting them all.
Mozie’s – I just met @MoziesGTX, but I’m looking forward to visiting. A friend recommended them to me and Mozie’s does what all the other businesses that attract my attention. They talk about local things with local people. It’s not a constant barrage of “buy our sliders” advertising and because of that, they get a follow and next time I’m in Gruene, Texas – a visit for an ice cold beer and some of those aforementioned sliders.
The Tap Exchange – One of my favorite local Twitter-using businesses. Having traveled all over the world, I love drinking different beers – all styles from all countries. When I first met @TapExchange we bonded over hockey. We were in the middle of the Stanley Cup Playoffs and we got to chatting. So what does one do when they love beer and hockey? They stop by The Tap Exchange and have a few beers with the owner and watch the Pittsburgh Penguins move forward in the series. Other than announcing what new brews they have on tap, The Tap Exchange sticks mostly to conversation, which is how they are able to engage their followers and create a very dedicated group of raving fans. The customers will do all the advertising you need if you engage them on a personal level and make them feel at home. P.S. Their food is awesome.
Whether your a local business or a local looking for great businesses to visit, Twitter has a lot of good things happening in San Antonio. Stop by, sign up, and say hello (and tell them @rerockstar sent you). Don’t forget to follow me while you’re at it! If you need to find locals in your area (San Antonio or otherwise), check out this article by Lani Rosales of AgentGenius/New Media Lab for “Six Twitter Tools to Network Locally.”
photo courtesy of Brasserie Pavil (those are the actual Frites (french fries) served in the restaurant)
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Comments
Excellent example of who, what, where, when and why (without the when because there is no “when” in twitter).
BTW: I follow @TapExchange because you introduced the two of us over hockey. Great person to follow and even better if you are a local. Nothing wrong with mixing in a few promotional tweets like:
“Up On The Roof: @Widmer_Brothers Drifter Pale 2nite at @tapexchange & you get to keep the glass! http://twitpic.com/846qn”
Good stuff!
Mike – And I follow @tapexchange because someone I knew mentioned they had Franziskaner Hefeweizen (one of my favorite beers of all time) on tap. Then he mentioned hockey and the rest is history. When you live in a town with no NHL team and you hear the word “hockey” from a local, you can’t help but listen.
I’m never against a business telling me what’s happening in their world (and @tapexchange does a lot of great giveaways like that), but when you combine it with conversation outside the realm of your business, it becomes something special.
That’s how you build brand loyalty. And these are all fine examples of it.
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