Wave Of The Future: Pizzeria Marketing Itself With Social Media

I was recently at a launch party for Blellow , chatting with Robert Scoble about his joining Rackspace and working with small business on more ways to use social media.  One of the ways he mentioned was having a restaurant employee at the entrance, Twittering about what the restaurant was serving up today, what the specials were, who was passing through the door.

And so I was happy to see the following story to know that this was already being done successfully.

According to Teresa Garcia in South Bay pizzeria marketing itself with social media :
A South Bay business has now found an innovative way to use the hottest trend in social networking to help keep the business growing.

The Pizza Party parlor in Santa Clara has been spinning pizza pies in one shape or another since 1962.

“We have so many different varieties,” said co-owner Bear Silber, who joined the restaurant in the last six months, but is already diving head in to modernize this nearly half century old business.

“You can find us on Facebook; we’re on Twitter,” said Silber.

This is a sign of the next generation of marketing.

“I’m young. I’m only 26, and I use the Internet everyday anyways,” said Silber.

Silber swears by using online social networking tools, like Twitter and Facebook, as a fresh, free, and fast way to market his small business.

“Immediately when I have an idea, I can tweet it,” said Silber.

Pizza Party already has more than 1,000 followers on Twitter and Silber sends them instant messages about different meal deals and other incentives to come in.

“On Super Bowl Sunday, whoever came in wearing their team’s jersey got free pizza,” said Silber. “Sharks games, same thing,. I’ll do the same thing. I’ll put those out on my Twitter.”.

It has become a marketing and advertising tool that is beginning to help increase business, especially critical during this rocky economy.

Silber says social media can be useful for many types of businesses. The challenge is to think, and act, outside-the-box.

“Especially within the traditional mom and pop pizza parlor, they’re so used to Yellow Page ads, doorbell hangers. These old, old marketing things that in my mind aren’t successful,” said Silber.

But it’s not just Twitter and Facebook that has catapulted Pizza Party into the 21st century. Silber has even developed a way for customers to connect by iPhone.

“We actually have an icon here. It’s its own app. It’s an iPhone app,” said Silber.

And if you really want to feel connected with your pizza, visit www.pizzapartyonline.comfrom a computer or a mobile phone, and you can watch your pizza being made live on three different cameras. Now that is one modern way to get your customers drooling.

For more information:

Reblog this post [with Zemanta]