I have been an entrepreneur for as long as I can remember, convicting in the idea of ‘making it on my own,’ thriving on risks and challenges. My recent adventure into the unchartered waters of the restaurant business, however, turned that conviction on and pushed me onto a path of a unique entrepreneurial journey.
Establishing a food business is one thing. Setting that business apart in the saturation of restaurants is entirely another mission. I realized that to stand out, it is crucial not only to offer outstanding eats but also to have a robust online presence. Tanks full of gumbo and hearty wraps cannot compensate for the lack of impactful branding on the internet, especially social media.
Hence, in my inexorable urge to succeed, embarking on a course of social media savviness was inevitable. But how could I, as a restaurant, trying to get into social media SWOT analysis, tackle this? This might seem like a lot to unpack, but let me elaborate on what Social Media SWOT analysis precisely is about.
SWOT, an acronym for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats, analysis is a strategic planning technique used to identify key factors influential to a project or business’ success. Success in social media, akin to this analysis, implies identifying how to leverage strengths, rectify weaknesses, seize opportunities and neutralize threats the social media world poses.
One of the first key insights I gathered from this was understanding the social media landscape explicitly tailored to the restaurant industry. The main strengths I identified for my restaurant were our unique fusion cuisine offerings and an atmosphere perfect for social flare. This is something that visually appealing social media platforms like Instagram and Pinterest could effortlessly bring to light. Indeed, these platforms became my social media channels of choice to present my restaurant’s strengths.
Our primary weakness was the lack of tech-savvy staff to manage and regulate our social media presence. Hiring a social media manager, someone well-versed with the intricacies of the medium, became a priority to overcome this drawback. This strategist didn’t just see to the seamless incorporation of our restaurant’s persona on these platforms but also kept us in sync with ongoing social media trends and dynamics.
Coming over to opportunities was eye-opening, highly gratifying, yet challenging. There is a never-ending whirlpool of opportunities that social media offers. We began by organizing and promoting special theme nights, offering discounts for check-ins, participating in local foodie events, partnering with popular local bloggers or influencers, and much more. Each contributed significantly to amplifying our visibility and reach to an even larger audience.
Threats were, and still are, an ongoing cause of concern. Competition from other restaurants was perturbing but inevitable. Keeping an eye on competitor strategies and customer preferences on social media is vital, as they mutate far too quickly than one would imagine. Negative reviews were another threat that could tarnish our brand image. We handled this by swiftly addressing any customer grievance online and off.
In retrospect, getting my restaurant into social media SWOT analysis was no picnic. However, the in-depth understanding it offered about my own business and the empyrean of social media was invaluable. It gave me the ability to evaluate and capitalize on disposals at my hand and potential adversities that could emerge. More so, it opened new doors for us to success on the e-commerce platform, where we started to sell our meals with remarkable results. Unique delicacies from our menu became quite a rage as online orders, and hefty sales growth started pouring in – a sure-shot sign of a successful venture.
Navigating the challenges of my entrepreneurial journey as a restaurant on social media has been an exhilarating journey. From comprehending my restaurant’s capabilities and lacunae to exploiting multifarious social media prospects and squaring threats – the voyage might have been bumpy but indeed was rewarding. This journey reminded me of why I chose to be an entrepreneur, and I still thrive on challenges. Yes, the journey was arduous, but isn’t that what brings the thrill in entrepreneurship- overcoming each challenge and achieving success?