It’s a great day to try something new!
If you’re a fan of social media, I’m sure you see people try new and unique things all the time. Sometimes they work beautifully. Sometimes, you’re just left scratching your head.
I noticed a trend on Tik Tok that’s exciting and interesting. It’s revolves around people trying to make connections. It seems that, whether due to remote work, relocation to a new city or a post-Covid hangover, people are tired of going solo and seeking real connections.
Two interesting social media-based attempts to bring people together have proven to be very successful and can easily be replicated in any restaurant or retail business.
The first example, a young woman who was new to NYC, started walking in Central Park every Sunday. She posted on Tik Tok that she was looking to make female friends and invited them to join her every Sunday at noon. The response was overwhelming, with hundreds of women now meeting and connecting on their weekly walks.
Another woman did something truly bold and wonderful. She reserved a table for 6 at a neighborhood restaurant and invited strangers to join her. She created a Tik Tok video explaining she was interested in making friends and to join her for drinks and dinner. It was a bold and vulnerable thing to do. She admitted in the video that she was nervous no one would show. Later that night, she posted a video of a full table of new friends enjoying their meetup.
The commonality in these examples is purity of purpose. No selling. No agenda. The hosts simply wanted to bring people together recognizing the need is great.
How can you replicate this type of connection event for your business? Simple.
If you have a restaurant, create a meet up table available on a certain day/time each week. Offer a special menu as well for that table if you are inclined.
Other retail businesses might create a weekly walking group, a craft group, a “new to town “ group or some sort of event that relates back to your target demo.
To make this type of event successful and buzzworthy:
Provide a why
Be vulnerable and sincere with your intention of bringing people together for the purpose of connecting. For example, you might say, “I remember how lonely it felt when I moved here.” Maintain that sincerity throughout the promotion. The minute you turn it into a sales pitch, you’ve lost the battle.
Promote
Promote via a personal video. Show the table or venue you’ve reserved for the event. Give the potential guest as much information as possible so they know what it’s going to look and feel like. It takes courage to venture out on one’s own and you can do a lot to make it more comfortable with sincerity and a lot of information.
Small is good
This is key. This type of promotion isn’t about drawing large crowds necessarily. It is about creating a very comfortable environment for whomever shows up. If the people you bring together make a connection, the event will create its own dynamic.
When people arrive, do everything possible to make them feel welcome. Make introductions. Hospitality is your primary goal.
You may have to host a few of these events to gain traction but if you get a win, it’s a no-cost way to establish extraordinary goodwill for your business.