The Use of Social Networking Sites in the Restaurant Industry: Best Practices

Social media and the use of social networking sites are defined as Internet applications that help consumers share opinions, insights, experiences, and perspectives (Kaplan & Haenlein, 2009 Kaplan, A. and Haenlein, M. 2009. The fairyland of Second Life: Virtual social worlds and how to use them. Business Horizons, 52(6): 563–572. Crossref, Web of Science ® , Google Scholar). The current study analyzes data relevant to the use of social media sites with the largest chain restaurants in the U.S. and the managers' perceptions of the usefulness of such sites for their organization. The current research shows there are no consistent social networking sites restaurant chains use, there are no consistent uses for these sites, and managers have differing opinions about their overall usefulness in restaurant operations and marketing. One consistent theme is that social networking sites are useful for advertising and marketing a restaurant brand at an inexpensive cost to the restaurant. Managerial implications are discussed, current best practices are shared, and future research recommendations are made to further explore social networking in the restaurant industry.