Of Twitter, Burgers and Hotels

[Kaleel Sakakeeny]

From NMT Images

Of Twitter, Burgers and Hotels

I don't much like case studies. The ones that business school students labor through.

I prefer the kinds of quick case studies I get in Entrepreneur magazine.

In his “Talk of the Town” column in this month’s magazine small business “thought leader,” Chris Brogan, talks about Joe Sorge who runs AJ Bombers, a burger place in Milwaukee.

Sorge does with Twitter something close to what we reported Chicago and other cities are doing with Foursquare.

He trolls Twitter and identifies travelers headed to Milwaukee. He gives them tips on what to do and see in his city..and of course invites them for a burger at his place.

By listening and responding to the Milwaukee-oriented chatter on Facebook and Twitter, Sorge says he’s gotten “great business results.”

How great?

Brogan says Sorge’s revenue has doubled in six months, that’s a 5-year goal in one year.

• He accomplished a one-day gross sales increase of 110% from a social-media only event promotion, and has spent zero on advertising.

Brogan’s article also talks about social media impacts hotels and the quality of the services they provide, meaning how their brand is affected.

He asks that the hotel industry to train their staffs with the “being on stage” effect.

In other words, hotel staff, knowing their actions and attitudes are a key stroke away from being publicized “world wide” via a guest’s Facebook or Twitter account, will inevitably perform better.

They are “on stage” all of the time for all of the guests.

And If social media helps the guests know they can reach out and connect with management personally, they’ll do that, and stop yelling at the hotel or inn’s brand publicly.