Mac's+Bar+Social+Strategy

**PROJECT LINKS**
> >>
 * **James Weathers III** **--** @http://www.linkedin.com/in/weathersj
 * **MAC's Bar**
 * **Address:** 2700 E. Michigan Ave., Lansing, MI 48921
 * **Website:** @http://www.macsbar.com
 * **Email Address:** sciencebooking@gmail.com
 * **MAC's Social Media Links:**
 * Facebook: @http://www.facebook.com/MacsLansing (Facebook fan page); @http://www.facebook.com/macsbar (Facebook page)
 * Twitter: @http://www.twitter.com/macsbar
 * Foursquare: @https://foursquare.com/v/macs-bar/4ad9d652f964a520261b21e3
 * Flickr: @http://www.flickr.com/photos/j_weathers/sets/72157629692083139/


 * Great Job, James. Very thorough and fascinating analysis and thoughts on strategy. --Karl**

MAC'S BAR
After nearly getting to the point where I thought I would never find a local business to work with on this project, I was driving by my old apartment on Michigan Ave on my way to run some errands in Lansing and passed Mac's Bar when a lightbulb went off, and I thought "why not check it out?" Well unfortunately, Mac's wasn't open at the time (it doesn't open until 3:00PM) so I was forced to wait. While I was sitting in my car, I was able to use my phone to check out their website and social media accounts and things looked pretty bleak. Mac's is truly in need of some social media assistance, especially given their longstanding presence as Lansing's oldest concert venue. But this is when things really started to get weird—right around the time I set out to contact the bar's owner Chuck Mannino, I found out that one of my friends had been brought on to redevelop their website. Apparently, having someone come along and offer to develop and tweak their social media presence was the perfect complement as my offer to help was accepted and Chuck pulled me in right away. Although Chuck didn't see the ubiquity of Twitter, I was able to quickly talk him into it (besides, after all, it is someone doing free promotion right?). He might be a bit behind in terms of social, but I'm really looking forward to this project!

Current State of Affairs: >>
 * Traditional Marketing Efforts:
 * Currently, Mac's isn't employing radio or television ads but for most shows Chuck has their graphic designer do an image for 11 x 17 fliers, handbills, and always a high resolution digital version for the web.
 * Social Media Marketing Efforts:
 * Facebook: 925 Likes. 99 Talking About This. 2441 Were Here.
 * Twitter: 5 following. 8 followers. 4 tweets.
 * Google+: Nope.

**MARKETING PLAN**
>> >> >> >> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>>>>>> >>>> >>>>> >>> >>> >>> >> >>> Note: Measurement is really just going to come down to numbers and engagement—how many did we start with; how many did we finish with; have we been engaging people (e.g., answering questions about shows on social networks, responding to what people post, etc.). >>
 * 1) **Organization**
 * Although Chuck currently posts on the Facebook account, he tends to stay pretty busy with other business endeavors. This is definitely an aspect of the project that could prove interesting but one I've embraced. The first time I met him Chuck told me verbatim "If I'm really busy and you need something, bust my b" and he's been receptive ever since. Anytime I have a question, he's only an email/text/call away.
 * More or less, the plan is for me to coordinate all of these activities and take over/be directly involved in everything social while I'm doing this project with the goal of targeting college students, bringing their social media presence up to speed and making it consistent. It's also really important to make sure that things just don't stop when I'm done with the project, but that Chuck (or if he truly is too busy, someone else on the staff) continues to be involved and active on their social accounts.
 * 1) **Audience**
 * As a true dive bar, Mac's always seems to draw a really diverse crowd. Unlike a lot of the East Lansing bars where each of them kind of has their own niché and plays to a certain crowd, Mac's draws people in from everywhere. It's also a great place for singles as it has been consistently voted the best place to meet singles in Lansing. They also do have an 18+ night so as Chuck put it, Mac's can truly be a chameleon. Beyond the consistent music lovers, one night it draws one crowd and another night it draws a different one. The place can also vary in terms of capacity--one night it can be packed wall-to-wall with barely any room to move around, while on another night it can be quite dead.
 * Since Mac's has this rich musical history that makes it more than just a bar, there's actually quite a bit of content that patrons have uploaded to the web. This suggests that these people are more likely than not also truly immersed in the social sphere and provides a rich opportunity to target and engage them for even more promotion.
 * 1) **Goals**
 * Goals include...
 * Setting up accounts and establishing Mac's Bar on new social networks
 * Growing Mac's presence on social networks
 * Ensuring Mac's has one consistent image/presence across those various networks
 * Truly engaging and interacting with people on those networks, rather than just simply growing them
 * Targeting more college students and growing the brand's image with that demographic
 * All while remaining true to the brand's longheld image as a Lansing icon for local music
 * 1) **Strategy**
 * Regularity
 * Since Mac's often has roughly 40 shows a month, even if the bands that play are dong self promotion, it is important that we make sure we're promoting Mac's on a regular basis, and those shows as well. Chuck only gets graphics done for the bigger acts, so the various social media channels provide a great platform to get the word out about all of the shows. More generally speaking, the same also goes for staying active on social media.
 * Target College Students
 * Neon Tuesday is their 18+ night with free cover for 21+ that features local DJ's spinning EDM (electronic dance music).
 * Although Mac's does tend to draw a number of college students, especially for Neon Tuesday and just local music in general, Chuck and I agreed that it would be important to try to develop more of an interest in the bar aspect of Mac's with MSU students.
 * By isolating and target college students in particular on the social networks we use, we want to highlight Mac's offerings and market the bar as an alternative to the East Lansing scene for those in search of something new, or something different.
 * Happy Hour/Drink Specials
 * Mac's currently does not have a Happy Hour. The bar also tends to be somewhat dead during those hours (e.g., from 3:00PM when it opens until the doors for shows around 9:00PM). I'm pretty insistent that Chuck create's one, thus improving the bar's sales during those hours, getting patrons actually in the bar, and giving me something to promote on the various social networks we use.
 * The same also goes with instituting and promoting drink specials on various nights, etc. (e.g., $2 PBR Tuesdays, etc.)
 * Note: Chuck feels that Mac's alcohol sales are fine and hesitant about a Happy Hour/Drink Specials but I really do think it's a great idea, something they haven't done that pretty much everyone else does/is doing, and something that should result in more traffic to the bar assuming people actually care about the economics of drinking.
 * Big Event: April 20th "4/20" Event -- @http://www.facebook.com/events/295236217211743/
 * Given 4/20's significance to counter-culture and the college generation, this 4/20 event is intended to be the big draw at Mac's for April featuring a big name act from Michigan (Freddy Todd), "chronic raffle prizes," and "dank" free food from Aladdin's (a local Lansing restaurant with middle-eastern food). Aside from the idea that this is supposed to be the big event for April, we felt that given the overall "theme" it would be remiss were we not to target college students.
 * 1) **Tools/Tactics**
 * Social Networks/Video Hosting (Facebook; Twitter; Google+; YouTube)
 * Facebook & Tactics:
 * Although Mac's already has a Facebook fan page with likes, etc. there isn't really a lot of engagement.
 * I think we can do a better job of actually interacting with people on the wall, responding to questions directly, etc. so that's something I'm really adamant about.
 * For the live events at Mac's, the plan is to create an event for each show and invite people that contains the show's flier, age/ticket information, and links to both the headlining act's social media accounts and Mac's social media accounts as well.
 * Beyond that, fliers/events are posted to the various bands Facebook pages for cross-promotion.
 * Via Jeff Bullas' blog:
 * Best time to post content:
 * Posts made between 8PM and 7AM receive 20% more engagement since people tend to not be occupied by work, etc.
 * Best day to post content:
 * Posts made on Wednesday (and to an extent on Sunday) receive 8% more engagement than posts made on other days of the week.
 * Limiting the number of posts:
 * Research shows that its best to limit posts to once or twice daily, doing so received 32% higher "like" rates and 73% higher comment rates when compared to those brands who posted 3 or more times a day.
 * It can also be said that its best to limit weekly posting to 1-4 posts, rather than 5 or more posts, since brands that posted less than 5 times per week received 71% higher user engagement.
 * Keep it concise:
 * Posts that limit their length to 80 characters receive 66% higher engagement, but very concise posts (those with less than 40 characters) generate the highest engagement—86% higher.
 * Post Content & Structure:
 * For true engagement rather than just likes, etc. consider posts that ask questions.
 * This really holds true with the concept of the "fill in the blank post," which tends to receive the most engagement overall with comment rates that are 9 times higher than other strategies.
 * Coupons & Offers:
 * Again, this is something I've been encountering some resistance to because of Chuck's hesitance to offer specials, etc. so far but this research only further proves my point that offering incentives like "$ off" or some other form of coupon can be a great way to get people more engaged.
 * KISS:
 * Keep It Simple Stupid. Posts with contain a text status only receive the most engagement, followed by posts of a single photo. Essentially, what this means is that we don't need to go overboard with content.
 * Twitter & Tactics:
 * I think Twitter provides an opportunity for the most growth, assuming those who are likely to attend the shows at Mac's are the types that have Twitter handles, use the service, etc. Although MySpace has been considered "dead," by many for a long time, it still continues to prove its use for the music scene—and unfortunately, many of those who might be considered less "mainstream" are still clinging to the network. (Translation: I think Twitter is awesome, but I have a reservation that many of those most likely to follow us are laggards still stuck to MySpace)
 * Follow more people:
 * At the time I started, Mac's only followed 5 people. While it's important to keep the ratio of following:followers in favor of the latter, we still need to follow some people/the right people for brand image.
 * Gain more followers:
 * At the time I started, Mac's only had 8 followers. This is obviously the main aspect we're interested in increasing and getting Mac's follower count up is crucial!
 * Engage with followers:
 * I did a search for random hashtags related to Mac's, events at Mac's, bands playing at Mac's, etc. and although there weren't many returns, there were definitely things like "Getting pumped for an awesome night at Mac's" or "Had a great time last night @ Mac's Bar." We should be responding to those tweets and making sure people had a great time and come back. Ideally I'd like to be able to respond to something like the aforementioned tweets with "Glad you had a great time last night, next time your first shot is on the house http:t.co.askngfin.htm" (or insert another free promotional incentive offer here) but I'm not sure if Chuck is willing to do that yet.
 * **Sidenote: Although I didn't do the free drink, simply responding to a tweet with a "#macsbar" hashtag with "glad you had a great time!" resulted in that user following us.**
 * Google+ & Tactics:
 * Just as I convinced him about Twitter, I'm also trying to convince Chuck that Google+ is a next step. Strategy for this would just be creating their presence on the social network and growing their brand page, but again, the client is hesitant and after my successful push for Twitter, I'm trying to take things slowly and one at a time.
 * YouTube & Tactics:
 * Mac's doesn't have any official videos for YouTube, but there is quite a bit of content on YouTube that has been uploaded by other people. If I'm not mistaken, I think there's a way to combine all that into a channel or playlist...something we can link to that has videos of various shows, events, etc. at Mac's.
 * Like Google+, this is kind of a "Phase II" aspect to this project given the client's feelings.
 * Overall Idea
 * Aside from developing/refining Mac's presence on each individual channel, the idea is to ensure that Mac's has a consistent image with content shared across all of the networks we choose to employ.
 * 1) **Monitoring**
 * What do we "listen" for?
 * Facebook: With Facebook, it's pretty much just keeping track of what's going on with the wall/timeline and what content people are posting. Beyond always responding to negative content to address/fix things, it is good to always respond when someone posts something in genera because it gives them a sense that "Oh wow, Mac's is really here and listening."
 * Twitter: With Twitter, we're going to be monitoring mentions, as well as hashtags like #MacsBar, etc. to not only connect with people, but to keep track of what is being said about Mac's on Twitter and ensure Mac's remains in a positive light.
 * 1) **Measurement & Analytics**
 * While I'm familiar with various analytic tools, I don't want to overwhelm Chuck so we've decided to take it slow and keep things simple for right now. The current Mac's website doesn't use google analytics, or anything to really measure where traffic is coming from, etc. but as I mentioned before it is in the process of being totally redesigned and surely the new website will. I understand the goal of all this activity is to drive traffic to the website and that may be hard to measure beyond the visitor counter they currently have on the website, but with measurement, we're keeping things simple for the project.
 * 1) **Authenticity**
 * Although its in the midst of a website redesign and a potential expansion to their physical space, Mac's remains a truly storied piece of Lansing history. Chuck is very adamant—and I would agree—that Mac's has an image, and that it is important to consider that image throughout, and to not to do anything that would compromise or be detrimental to that image. Mac's is a dive bar. It always has been and fully embraces that. It doesn't try to be what it isn't, and it doesn't want to. Mac's is a place where everyone is welcome; and a truly unique place that wholeheartedly supports local music while still managing to draw in bigger national/international bands as well. Draw in more college students? Start up a new Happy Hour? Promote the 4/20 event? Great, but make sure it's still Mac's.

**NEON TUESDAY --** **FLICKR**
As I mentioned in the marketing plan, Neon Tuesday tends to be one of Mac's bigger events. They feature local DJ's spinning EDM (electronic dance music) and make it an 18+ event with free cover for anyone over 21. It's also kind of cool because you tend to get students from the area who just come and spin stuff while people dance. Although I pretty much stick to the East Lansing bar scene, I plan on coming back for Neon Tuesday in the future when I can really enjoy the night out and not be working furiously to catch up on my #JRN492 work ;)



A) Although shot in a very interesting lighting situation with an iPhone camera, I think these pictures work to market Mac's because it shows what Mac's is like on Neon Tuesday, you can see the DJ's, flashing lights, etc. Although a lot of East Lansing's bars can be lax with fake ids, but for those that don't have them, this 18+ night provides a great opportunity for underclassmen to still be able to go to the bar. Mac's is been hosting a Neon Tuesday for quite a while, and their success is something that other bars are attempting to emulate consider the Landshark in East Lansing recently began hosting its own 18+ night...

B) Chuck liked the pictures but asked that we not really use them for more than just a tweet or something because Chuck wants to make sure he presents his bar in the best light possible (and I can't blame him). This particular Neon Tuesday started off a little slow and although the place was pretty filled when I left after meeting Chuck, apparently this is "nothing compared to what it is usually like."

UPDATE
Although Chuck has remained hesitant to implement a happy hour at Mac's or drink specials—and is still moving slowly on quite a few things I really wanted to do with this project (e.g., the YouTube channel, etc.)—things on the social media front have taken off. Chuck has been truly thrilled with all of the various activity on our different accounts. But more importantly, its also translated into foot traffic at the bar for shows and for Neon Tuesday as well. To me, what this means is that the strategy I outlined at the beginning is working and the numbers don't lie—both our digital, social media numbers and the physical numbers in the bar are up! I'll go into much more depth and detail when things are at the end and it comes time to draw conclusions about this project, but I'm really enjoying this! Even the fact that, at least with my client, there's literally something to work on everyday.

It's kept me busy to say the least, but I'm actually going to miss being done with this project! I kind of wish it's something we could have been doing the whole semester, but obviously we needed the preceeding weeks to develop the skills and familiarity with the tools used for this project.