Social media replaces traditional advertising for The Cheeky Monkey restaurant

July 5, 11:49 PMSocial Media ExaminerCheryl Phillips

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The Cheeky Monkey Restaurant

 With a completely unsettled economy, most restaurants are feeling the effects firsthand. People aren't dining out as often and in order to attract patrons many restaurants have to spend major dollars on an advertising budget that is not guaranteed to perform.

Cheeky Monkey Restaurant has a Facebook Fan Page

That is not the case for The Cheeky Monkey Restaurant in Narragansett, Rhode Island. Owners Stephanie and Jeff Cruff don't have an advertising budget. They use social media to spread the word. Can this work? Absolutely.

The Cheeky Monkey Restaurant was recently awarded a Best of RI award by RI Monthly magazine. Jeff and Stephanie attribute this to their use of a Facebook fan page, an e-newsletter and now, Twitter. The combination of the three (free) forms of advertisement have effectively advertised their business while they connect on a more personal level with their customers.

An advertisement in a newspaper lasts only until it goes in the recycle bin. Radio is a great advertising medium but it's costly and the target market has to be just right.

Facebook? It's free. Yes, it takes work to keep up the fan page but it's interactive and customers like to feel involved. Twitter gives a more immediate message to the public and can also direct people to the Facebook site. The networking possibilities with social media are endless and it's working in a big way for The Cheeky Monkey Restaurant.

http://www.cheekymonkeynarragansett.com

“In addition to Facebook, we’ve made sure Cheeky Monkey is listed on restaurant review sites (Yelp, Trip Advisor, etc) to make sure people can find us if they are visiting from out of town. We never write our own reviews but encourage our fans and eNewsletter recipients to make honest comments about their experiences. We also give away gift certificates and throw special parties for our patrons engaging us in social media. Loyalty is a two-way street and considering the number of dining options available, it’s definitely worthwhile to show our appreciation.”  - Stephanie Cruff, co-owner, The Cheeky Monkey

This is proof, that even in a poor economy, social media is the way to make the most of a small or non-existent advertising budget. In a state where the unemployment rate hovers around 12%, The Cheeky Monkey Restaurant's success should be an incentive to other businesses to jump on the social media bandwagon. Connecting on a personal level with customers is a savvy way to do business that works.