When Matt Levine was opening Sons of Essex, a restaurant on New York City’s Lower East Side last fall, he decided to use YouTube to promote the establishment and its menu offerings.
“We live in a society where information travels fast, and the entertainment value and visual stimulation of videos seemed like a great way to get a creative and innovative message to our guests,” he says.
The success of Sons of Essex’s videos can be a lesson to other small businesses. While restaurants have an advantage in that the things they purvey – food and drinks – are pretty universally appealing, many industries can benefit from creating videos.
“I believe every business has a message to convey, a story to tell; to paint the picture through video for your consumers in a creative manner can be an important marketing tool,” says Levine. Especially in markets with high SNP (social networking potential), a few well-done videos and a consistent social presence can easily spread the word.