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If you want to survive and thrive in business then you have to start operating and thinking like a media company.
Being in business in 2021 and beyond is about creating memorable moments online and offline. The world is changing and we all need to keep up.
Digital Hospitality guest Josh Kopel shared our Cali BBQ Media origin story on his FULL COMP Podcast (presented by Yelp) in 2020. We talked in-depth about the changing restaurant business, business technology, and online marketing strategies for modern businesses.
How did we make our Cali BBQ more accessible to more people? With digital technology and media. We’re always testing and we’re always improving a little bit every single day.
Why wait for someone else to tell your story when you have all the tools and tech you need at your fingertips?
Become a Media Company Today:
You will see an impact when you start planning, producing, publishing and promoting a steady stream of digital content (audio, video, images, words) to be posted on your website and across social media publishing platforms.
For some people they might fear using social media because they do not understand it. They may be uncomfortable about updating their own website like I was when I first started.
We are convinced that there is no better time to be in business because of the Internet. No university needed. Just ask Alexa, Siri, search Google or YouTube, or subscribe to a great podcast like Full Comp that inspires you.
Stay Curious, Get Involved, and Ask For Help.
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FULL COMP Podcast Featuring Shawn Walchef:
The FULL COMP podcast is a weekly show exploring the past and future of the hospitality industry. Provocative and actionable, the show aims to ask the tough questions, supplying listeners with the tools and resources needed to thrive post-pandemic.
The host, Michelin-rated restaurateur Josh Kopel, challenges conventional wisdom by hosting both hospitality professionals and thought leaders from outside of the industry, offering a new perspective on an old business.
Show Notes from Full Comp episode featuring Shawn Walchef (Cali BBQ Media Founder):
“Every restaurateur knows how important their digital footprint is but who has time for all of that? It’s hard to tweet when you’re backwaiting tables because your busier didn’t show up.
Then the pandemic hits and, like it or not, your entire livelihood is determined by an audience you chose not to grow online.
I found myself in the same boat and worried it was too late.
The good news is that it isn’t and Shawn Walchef of Cali BBQ is going to tell us exactly how he transformed his restaurant into a BBQ media company.
Want to streamline your front-of-house operations and increase sales? Head over to http://restaurants.yelp.com/fullcomppodcast to claim your free page and learn more about these powerful tools for your business.”
Related Links to Click:
- Josh Kopel on Digital Hospitality | Focus More on People, Less on Transactions
- Official Josh Kopel Website | From Serving the Community to Serving the Industry
- Josh Kopel Instagram profile
- Josh Kopel LinkedIn profile
- FLO: Restaurant Growth Accelerator
- Full Comp Media
- Preux and Proper
Talking Points from the Full Comp Podcast:
- The beginnings of Cali BBQ
- Achievements last year
- Cali BBQ relied on digital marketing due to having a non-obvious location
- Getting people to care about BBQ, community and craft
- Becoming your own PR person
- A publicist was out of budget for Cali BBQ
- Shawn about books to learn about PR
- Focus on finding your own voice
- Internet has changed the way traditional business is done
- Cali BBQ became a media company when they were struggling in 2008-09
- Why the internet is more reliable for marketing
- Provides actionable, measurable analytics
- Physical ads in newspapers are not as measurable
- Creating Digital Hospitality
- Hospitality has a competitive advantage
- Connection to customers
- Willingness to serve
- Having a full-time host is an example of investing in hospitality
- Recreating this experience digitally
- Responding to online reviews
- Interacting on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram
- Proactive mindset to online audience building
- The difference between digital marketing and being a media company
- Digital marketing is about telling your own story online
- Media companies also tell the stories of others
- Cali BBQ share stories within the community
- Operators who are willing to be vulnerable online do best
- During Covid, operators are sharing their story and struggle
- Connecting with the community
- The key is reframing your relationship with your smartphone
- The pros and cons of outsourcing
- Outsourcing enables you more time
- You won’t learn as much if you outsource straight away
- Shawn originally did all social media, podcast editing, and blogging in house
- Now employs blogger and podcast producer
- Consumer habits have changed
- Pivoting during Covid19
- Asking the right questions during this time
- Your website is your #1 asset
- Be known for what you do best
- Book recommendation: StoryBrand by Donald Miller
- Focusses for getting started in digital marketing
- Continuous experimentation is what got Shawn and his company to level it is today
- Personalization of Digital Hospitality
- Now is the greatest time to build digital infrastructure for the future
- Social media is just one aspect of online marketing
Digital Hospitality: A Cali BBQ Media Podcast:
Did you know that YOU can be featured on Digital Hospitality? Send your best tips, quotes, ideas, recommendations, and more to podcast@calibbq.media so we can feature them on the show.
Thank you to our loyal listeners for being with us on our podcasting journey. We’ve learned so much making this show and hope you have too. When you send us a Tweet, a DM, an Email, a Review, or however you want to get in touch, it helps us grow our Digital Hospitality mission.
Visit https://calibbq.media online to learn more about our business and lives.
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