Applebee’s and Starbucks using social media

Corporations like Applebee’s and Starbucks both use Facebook and Twitter. They use the services that way users of both Facebook and Twitter can follow up on them. Many users use Facebook, but don’t use Twitter, and sometimes vice versa. If they want to follow on the latest news about Applebee’s, Starbucks, or other popular restaurants or coffee places, using both social media sites is a great way that they can follow them. Applebee’s and Starbucks each use the same cover photo for both of them.

Their audience is their patrons who love to patronize them. Some food and beverage corporations provide relationships from Facebook by linking onto other sites with Apps. On Applebee’s Facebook Apps, they do have a link to their Twitter and Pintrest Apps, along with E-Club Join and Buy Gift Cards. Starbucks, however, don’t have a link to Twitter on their Apps from Facebook, but they do have a link to their Pintrest Apps, the other apps being International and Open Jobs. So many bigger corporations are also using Pintrest. Some companies do use Google+ as well. Applebee’s and Starbucks are both on Google+. Starbucks appears to have a few Google+ accounts. Applebee’s has a Google+ account with a different cover photo, many followers, but I didn’t see anything posted. While corporations might use Google+, the major social media sites that restaurants and coffee places use to be the most efficient in posting about specials on appetizers or dinners or coffee flavors are Facebook and Twitter. Pintrest and Instagram, I believe, fall in being used a lot more than Google+, but not as popular as Facebook and Twitter. Applebee's, which is the country’s 10th largest chain by sale, planned to boost engagement with its “neighborhood” and generate some social media buzz by turning over its Instagram feed to its customers for 12 months. So some restaurant and beverage chains use Instagram as well. Applebee’s do have localized Facebook pages for individual Applebee’s locations. Starbucks have a separate page called Starbucks Frappuccino only for that drink, which may or may not have an affiliation with the official Starbucks Facebook page.

In addition to a Starbucks Coffee account on Twitter, which appears to be the official Starbucks Twitter account to follow, there is also Twitter an account called Starbucks News and an account for Starbucks Rewards, as well as for Starbucks in other countries like the UK and Canada. And of course, Applebee’s and Starbucks do have on their official Facebook pages and Twitter accounts, a link to their .com websites. On http://www.applebees.com/ they have a section that says “JOIN THE CONVERSATION” with icons linking to Facebook, Instagram, Pintrest, Twitter, and YouTube.

So that is how .com websites can be helpful to their website views, that they can also link to their social media pages, follow on Twitter, Like on Facebook, and post their comments. On http://www.starbucks.com/ however I didn’t see a link to any social media sites. While Starbucks are giving their social media followers their official website, they don’t have links provided on their website to follow them on social media sites, but the webmaster may someday change that. I didn’t see Google+ as one of the icons on Applebee’s website. Although Google is one of the top companies now for their search engine, Chrome browser, Drive and Docs, and Chromebook laptops, they are behind on their social media. While Facebook and Twitter aren’t really competitors because they serve different purposes, Google+ is faced with Facebook as a competitor, and that is why a company like Applebee’s as well as other companies and organizations don’t provide the Google + icon on their websites so their audience can also join the conversation on Google +. Instagram and Pintrest seem to be used more than Google + though and applebees.com is a great example. The Applebee’s webmaster could have added the Google + icon, but they wanted to get the most important social media sites there and Google + may not have crossed their minds. Twitter does have a link to Google + included. So who’s to say how social media might change and Google + might get as popular as Facebook in years to come. That is how Applebee’s and Starbucks are using social media.

Link used:
Applebee's new marketing strategy