Kevin Joyce publishes the Carlton Restaurant blog for the Carlton Restaurant in Florida.
Why do you Blog? Do you have specific goals?
We started blogging to let our guests and future guests know a little bit more about us and about the exciting new things we’re doing, special events and more. In addition, we thought it would be a great way to help us gain top billing with search engines to help enhance and expand our popularity. Our specific goals are to keep our guests and staff informed about what’s new at The Carlton Restaurant, to generate excitement for our brand and to help drive our Internet popularity.
How do you come up with new post topics?
It’s pretty easy because we’re always doing something new and exciting whether it’s a new menu feature, new wine we’re offering, or special wine dinner we’re holding. Plus, the Pittsburgh cultural entertainment and sports scene is quite active and our guests are always looking to combine a visit to The Carlton with a concert or show or cheering on the Steelers, Penguins or Pirates. Also, keeping up with the local and national news helps me provide a point of view too so our guests feel like they’re part of our family run business when they dine here.
What writing style do your readers seem to like best?
The writing style that works best for us and our guests is personal, conversational and relevant. Also, our style is best accepted when we offer true value – that is news, offers, special events and expert insight into Pittsburgh’s regional entertainment scene and food and wine tips to make their dining experience with us, at home or away more enjoyable.
What was your most popular Blog post ever?
Our Barsotti Wine Dinner Announcement closely followed by our Geyer Peak Wine Dinner announcement have been our biggest posts to date. Our guests like to hear about special events and newsworthy items of interest – again, value-added “What’s in it for them” communications is key to our success.
What’s your biggest tip about writing a successful Blog post?
Find and use your own voice in your writing and be interesting, be relevant and add value.
What is the most common mistake new Bloggers make?
The biggest mistake most new Bloggers make – and hey I was one for a while – is that they don’t plan to take the time to Post frequently and add value with their posts. And, many Bloggers stress about writing the next great novel in a post when a few simple, brief but interesting value-added comments is all that is needed.
{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
Interesting to see an eatery integrating blogging as part of their marketing efforts. Say the restaurant is owner-managed and there is no time for her/him to blog. Would a restaurant outsourcing to a freelancer blogger work as opposed to an in-house blogger?