Beyond ordering food over the cell phone, or driving customers back, savvy restaurant owners can also use free tools like Twitter to increase sales.  With over 1000 restaurants now growing their businesses via Twitter, restaurant owners can send out daily menu information, specials and event information to patrons. Even street vendors are using Twitter and growing their businesses exponentially in this economy.  For example Nakedpizza with over 5000 follows on twitter is able to drive awareness, engage customers and increase sales using Twitter.  Patrons can follow or sign up on Twitter @nakedpizza . Also in Tampa, Florida, AquaKnox  has over 700 follows.

Savvy restaurants can use twitter to do the following;

• Announce your new menu or drink specials of the day to your followers
• Promote a happy hour event or special restaurant event to customers via twitter
• Start a promotion and allow people to sample your food and in-turn invite their friends to your restaurant. 
• Ask for ideas for new menu items or specials of the day from your followers on twitter
• Offer a special prize for people who follow you on Twitter by a specific time and date, to be entered to win something free like a free bottle of wine or gift certificate.

About the author, Dr Ola Ayeni is the Chief Idea Officer of Mobile Dialog, a mobile and social media marketing  consulting company in, Naperville , Illinois that helps restaurants increase revenue and engage their customers using mobile and social media tools. He can be reached at email: Corporate@m-dialog.com Corporate@m-dialog.com, phone: 1-888-424 9666, Website: www.m-dialog.com, on twitter @olaayeni. His latest project in helping restaurant owners is a free Twitter marketing tool @ www.tweetdine.com

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