Kettle boiled? Check.
Ready to learn? Check.
Biscuits at the ready? Check.
That’s how you know you’re back for another Tea & Trends.
We’re bringing together some of the most impactful trends and updates in digital each month so you don’t have to, putting a focus on one of our sector specialties: pubs and restaurants.
Of course, these trends and tips could apply to any brand, really, so stay open-minded and creative! Oh, and don’t miss out on last month’s Tea & Trends…
Now let’s get into it before your brew goes cold – here’s everything you need to know from April 2022.
1. Elon Musk bought Twitter!
Well, it’s happening… Elon Musk offered $43 billion to purchase Twitter, and they accepted! While we don’t yet know what this will mean for the future of the social platform, Elon tweeted this after the deal went through:
“Free speech is the bedrock of a functioning democracy, and Twitter is the digital town square where matters vital to the future of humanity are debated. I also want to make Twitter better than ever by enhancing the product with new features, making the algorithms open source to increase trust, defeating the spam bots, and authenticating all humans. Twitter has tremendous potential – I look forward to working with the company and the community of users to unlock it.”
It’s going to be an interesting future for Twitter. Let’s see what happens!
How to make these work for your pub or restaurant:
Just keep an eye out for new features and changes that may affect your usage and audience. We’ll be sure to share anything big in future Tea & Trends.
2. TikTok is testing Search Ads:
TikTok has launched beta testing for ads in search results, meaning that ads will appear on the search page along with organic content when people are searching for a specific topic. This will be represented by a ‘Sponsored’ label.
Advertisers will also be able to see which search terms drove engagement in their campaigns, allowing for increased understanding of what will work in future campaigns.
For now, this is only available to selected partners, but may be rolled out globally if it proves successful.
How to make it work for your pub or restaurant:
If you’re already comfortable using TikTok and want to increase visibility of a certain TikTok, maybe promoting a new dish, drink, or event, this might be useful for you.
Find out which search terms people are using and try targeting them with your content, growing your reach alongside understanding how to reach the most relevant people.
3. Instagram is testing a full-screen, immersive feed:
This brand-new immersive Instagram Feed would remove the beloved Stories bar that’s at the top of the screen and present everything in a full-screen interface, similar to TikTok.
To show which format a person is watching, a new UI will be included. Stories will have a frame bar, showing that you can swipe to see other frames, whereas videos will have a progress bar.
As always, Instagram is trying to capture the magic that is keeping people glued to TikTok. Only time will tell if it works…
How to make it work for your pub or restaurant:
There’s nothing for you to do here (yet!). Just keep an eye out for any changes to the Feed and we’ll give you tips if it’s rolled out to more users.
4. The World’s Biggest Pub Quiz is coming:
The World’s Biggest Pub Quiz is an event that was created to raise money for Shelter, Shelter Scotland, Shelter Cymru (or a charity of your choice), running from 9th to 15th May.
So far there are 1147 different pubs and venues taking part, and the event has raised £750,000 for charity since its inception. That’s worth raising a pint to!
How to make it work for your pub or restaurant:
It’s simple… Get involved. Hold a pub quiz night and share the details needed to access the smartphone version of the quiz or print the pen-and-paper version for anyone walking around with a classic Nokia 3310. Everyone loves a pub quiz.
5. Calories are now mandatory on menus:
New regulations have been introduced in April that mean large businesses with 250 or more employees in England, including cafes, restaurants, and takeaways, will be required to show calorie information of non-prepacked food and soft drinks for customers.
This will include:
- Physical menus
- Online menus
- Food delivery platforms
- Food labels
This is the latest initiative to tackle obesity and healthier choices in the UK.
How to make it work for your pub or restaurant:
Well, unless you’re running a chain of pubs or restaurants, this new rule may not apply to you… Even so, there are a few things to consider:
- Will you follow the new requirements so you’re ready with the information if customers begin to ask?
- Will you create relatable social media posts around the fact that you don’t need to include this information (no-one wants to know how bad fish & chips are for them)?
The choice is yours – you could even do both!
Dates to keep in mind for May marketing!
2nd: May Bank Holiday
3rd: Everton vs Burnley (8pm)
4th: Bournemouth vs Tottenham (12.30pm)
4th: Newcastle vs Liverpool (7.45pm)
5th: Huddersfield vs Man Utd (2pm)
5th: Arsenal vs Brighton (4.30pm)
6th: Man City vs Leicester (8pm)
9-15th: World’s Biggest Pub Quiz
14th: FA Cup Final
15th: Women’s FA Cup Final
18th: Europa League Final
21st: Scottish Cup Final
25th: Europa Conference LGE Final
28th: Champions League Final
2-3 June: Queen’s Jubilee weekend
Planning your May 2022 marketing: What should you focus on now?
Effective marketing is all about planning ahead, so where should your mind be as we head into May? Well, here’s what we’re starting to think about now:
- May Bank Holiday: If you’re reading this on the day it goes up, you’ve only got a few days! Quick, get a post up about spending a long weekend in your pub garden.
- Queen’s Platinum Jubilee: There’s nothing more British than a royal celebration and an excuse to visit the pub, especially since pubs will be allowed to stay open until 1am over this weekend. Get some bunting up and let your regulars they can toast to the Queen for a little longer.
- Father’s Day 2022: This big family occasion is getting closer every day. Let people know if you’re doing anything special for the occasion, or just that tables are booking up fast… Social media, email marketing, local search ads – use it all.
- Local summer events: Summer is the season of events, from festivals to markets and so much more. Find out what’s happening in your local area and let people know you’re nearby for a cold drink or hearty meal after a busy day out.
Finish your brew…
That’s all for this month, but we’ll be back again at the end of May for another Tea & Trends, keeping you at the forefront of digital, from brand websites to social media innovation and everything in-between.