It puts you as their first choice for an event for a sponsorship, that creates a following like
no other, how's my hair, your hair is beautiful. Thank you, thank you so much for hopping on. And
I know that a lot of our audience would be able to learn a lot of things from you because you manage
the marketing side of a really big brewery. And also you do all the digital marketing and really
was able to grow across like the nation for them. Tell me a little bit more about that background,
what it was, which company was like numbers you're doing so then that way we can actually showcase
the people like what a young stud like you are doing? Yeah, yeah, of course, of course. I'm happy
to chat about this. So I, four years ago served as the Social Media Manager for a restaurant Group
here in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake Brewing Company, which owns squatters and Wasatch breweries.
They also own the beer side as well. So when I started with them, I started social media.
And I just picked at every opportunity I could, we need to update our website, we need to start email
marketing, we need to update our reviews, we need to make changes to our online reviews so that we
appear better outward. That was the biggest thing I did when I started and I loved it. And fast
forward a little bit. I am the senior marketing manager for spars and Wasatch. And then recently,
I left to do my own marketing agency, big mouth marketing, which does promotion and supports,
restaurants, bars and culinary businesses. I took squatters and Wasatch with me as my client.
It was just so great. That's so cool. Tell me more about like, what were the numbers that you guys
are doing? You guys have like, so basically, you're doing digital marketing for a brewery?
Yes. Which is very interesting. There's there's laws per state that that change it up and make it
difficult. And in the state of Utah, it's a little challenging, it's a, you know, you have to in the
state of Utah to sell beer out of the restaurant, you have to brew the beer there. So it's called a
brew pub. And so you have to be able to have a brewery a mini brewery next to the restaurants,
you can brew out of there and sell beer out of there. It's, it's a weird concept. But
we have nine locations. And we actually opened three locations. During COVID. We were so grateful
that we had support from people and we opened two airport locations and then a sandwich shop that I
helped with all the setup all the marketing setup for all those. And then we also distribute in 24
states, which is a lot that's insane. Like, what's the numbers that you guys are hitting so far?
numbers for the restaurant side, we are doing really, we're doing well again, especially
because we're at the Salt Lake City Airport. So we get a lot of traffic. We hidden, we hit
a daily gross of about 17,000 the airports and then out of a regular restaurant here in the
valley here in Salt Lake are here Park City, it's about half that but it is growing COVID
is wasn't like it used to be you know, it used to just be you know, numbers with m&m
numbers are really growing and I think with vaccine coming and I think with spring coming,
we're feeling the push already. It's exciting. That's 17,000 a day that's a lot of that's
that's really high volume right there. Really high volume we get a lot of people and that's
COVID now we've hit much higher days postcode pre COVID and we're hoping for more postcode million
dollar company and you're handling with all that digital marketing. Oh, Schramm? Yeah. Okay,
so you started off as you know, doing all the anything that you can do to help them establish
more of a digital space. And definitely as the as we were chatting a little bit earlier is that
you see a lot of restaurants they're getting kind of behind with the adaptation to online.
And I totally feel the same thing is that this industry, because the margins are so slim is
very difficult for for us to be able to jump on to the digital marketing space when the ROI
isn't necessarily there to begin with, especially when you're investing in like social media,
pictures, reviews, like all those good stuff. So for you, what is the main thing
that really drive or move the needle for when you when you're helping grow that brewery?
Yeah, of course in I can very much relate to that you have to with digital marketing and
with restaurants having that low margin, you really have to prove like the value
is here and it absolutely is worth it. An example I have just off the top of my head is
social media marketing has been very powerful for us as far as Wasatch, because
we have new beers. We it's it's kind of our mini PR you know, it's where we can reach people
immediately. And create that cult following. And once you get that audience that really is
eating up for a better term, everything you're doing everything you post is exciting. So
people get into it. And then people are at your location like I heard this beers on tap right now,
or I heard you switched up your menu for St. Patrick's Day, it really does been very,
very powerful. It almost it almost I would tie that in with, there's a digital marketing piece.
And there's also this grassroots piece, we do a lot of billboards, we do a lot of community
outreach and community engagement with with companies and with other companies. And it almost
puts you as their first choice for an event or a sponsorship or something like that. And
that combo creates a following like no other from my experience here. That's, that's really,
really insightful, because that's exactly what I preach as well, when it comes down to to build a
community is really to be able to, to to make sure that the VA values align, First, make sure that
you put your where your heart your sleeve on the heart or heart on the sleeve, there you go hard.
On your heart, yeah. So then, that's when you're able to actually reach the people.
And when you connect with them on that level basis, that's where you're able to grow that
grow. That loyal following and for you guys to invest in your community is huge.
I would agree. And yeah, it's exactly that, you know, restaurants are feeding the community,
you are the community you are where the community gets together to dine. And
I think restaurants can get so operations and so in their head that they almost miss
the like yumminess of the community, you know, the heart of the community and what they're doing and
the memories of I mean, I'm sure you have many memories of going to a restaurant and
friends, family, and just a great experience. And you always remember that restaurant with
that memory. Well, I know for a fact that you you have a budget to work with, which is the reason
why you can reach so many people. Now for the restaurant owners who are just starting out and
they're just building their own restaurant. How would you propose? What is the one thing that they
can do right now, that would make a difference? automatically make them 1000 bucks. 100 bucks.
Let me tell you how to make 1000 bucks real quick. Yeah, we'd be perfect for clickbait. It's like
Maxwell teaching us how to make $1,000 in a day.
Exactly, no, no, I think where restaurants can do a little better for this is you do
not need your staff, doing digital marketing. You also don't need to hire a full time person,
usually digital marketing, there are freelancers who can do it for less money and do it better,
who have the experience to take it further. I just think, you know, a restaurant might think, Okay,
I need to hire a whole marketing team to make this happen, when really, you can hire someone
to manage all of it and take care of it. And to me that will save you money and get you more reach
and reach more people. also join them join every community board you're on join them,
it makes a big difference. That's a free that's like free right there. You know, if you can,
you know, if you if there's the Salt Lake Area Restaurant Association, or the Vancouver,
whatever, you join that participate, and then when an opportunity happens, you're there you
know about it. Wow. Okay, so just to recap, don't do marketing on your own, hire someone to do it.
That's number one. And you think that's like the best way for you to be able to get your
bang for your buck. And the second thing is to join community boards to make sure that you
are Top of Mind within your community. And I think that's really, really on point as well. Because
I truly believe to be in your community. It's not about like asking for stuff, it's about giving and
being able to, to to be there with them as well and being in the trenches. So definitely very,
very good point on that. I do wonder though, like, I agree with you to a certain extent,
when it comes to the biggest effect when it comes to social media or like marketing is
to hire someone that knows what they're doing to do the work. But then on the other hand,
I feel like a lot of our listeners and an audience they don't have that budget to hire people,
even for even though it's like a contractor, let's say 1000 let's say for example, on average 1015
$102,000 Do you think that's an average rate for a social media person? I think so right now that
that's that's pretty good. And if you're spending less than that you might not be getting the bang
for your buck. There you go. So I think like that itself to to afford for 1000 $2,000 might not be
everyone's kind of jam. Let's say that. So for those people who cannot afford a contractor that
knows what they're doing, what would you recommend them to do? I would I would recommend doing that's
a that's a great question. Because you know, I'm chatting with those restaurants too. And I'm like
you I know you need that support. How can you How can you do this without spending this? You know,
my recommendation is to start Yeah, just start taking photos for your social media and start
engaging yourself and become your own mascot become your own face to your restaurant. And
I observed some restaurant owners right now are like, no, like, absolutely not. But But if you
if you can sell someone to come to your restaurant, you can sell someone virtually to
come to your restaurant, you know, your your you own a restaurant, you're telling people how much
you love cooking, and you love the operations of your restaurant, you love the type of food
you have put it on camera, but it out there and it will make a difference. It truly will.
It just takes time. And it just takes the the energy. And I know that it's challenging, because
no one's busier than a restaurant owner like they are the busiest, busiest people. But it's
worth five minutes a day to log into Instagram, go live and say we're eating and drinking this today.
Come join us. I love that I that is a very, very actionable step that a lot of restaurant owners
can do. And they have no excuse not to do. And the power of personal branding, especially if
it's something that you truly believe in love, is near to none. And that's exactly the reason
why I'm doing these videos all the time. You see me uploading all the time. And that's how we're
able to grow that community. And for our viewers and audience that are watching and they want to
be able to learn things and take away from this is that, hey, you're the best mascot for your own
company. Because no one loves your brand. As much as you do. No one is as invested as you do. So if
you're not even willing to put yourself out there, then why would you expect any result whatsoever?
So I think it's definitely brilliant points that you brought up. And I think like, this is exactly
what is needed is to have that faith in your own company. So thank you, thank you for sharing that
social media tip is like, at the end of day, it's not just about the food, it's about the people
behind the food, the mission, the value, and it always comes back down to that breach. Exactly.
Yeah. And it's it's totally worth it. And you believe in it. Tell people you believe in it.
What is one story that is like a big scary story, or like the biggest mistake that you made that
you're like, oh, Tom, I want to get fired? Did you just turn on a campaign? And it's like it ran for
$30,000. And you didn't know about it? And it just went down the drain? Never know that's terrifying.
Yeah, let's let's get on camera and talk and talk mistakes. Talk Talk problems. Yeah. I,
I've got an example. Um, we did. A, my one of my restaurants has been around for 30 years.
And so we through it was the first it was the first brew pub in Utah. And it's fabulous. Really
love it. And I myself and my marketing team, we did a in a large scale event in our city.
And it was, it was so much work. I mean, there's so much that goes into it, you know, and
I, you know, I kind of waited on promotion too long. I said, like, people will come people
will be there and people were we ended up with a great audience. But it was this last 30 days
that just terrified me. Are the people going to show up are enough people going to sell show up
tickets say this, but I need them to say this. So my only it you know, I kind of like to say like,
I went to college for that meaning I learned I learned this experience of this mistake. And My
only advice to anyone is if you're doing an event, promoted early, as soon as you as soon as you
know you're going to do in the date, tell people about it, get it online, start promoting it, even
boosting it. Before engagement. $10 is worth that you will see people engaging with it.
So let's see how long of a duration actually no for that story. How many people ended up showing
up? We had 11,000 people show up for this event. It was huge. We were hoping for 15,000. So it was
close. We were happy about it. It was there. But we knew about this event for about eight, nine
months before the event date. And we didn't start heavy promotion until about three months before
and I think it's just, you know, operations and marketing are busy. And I was busy. And
I knew it was coming. But I didn't know today was the day I need to start you know, and
I'm sure you can relate. Yeah. Wow, that's insane. Well, at least people showed up. I think that's
that's really his essence. And I guess like bring it down a notch to people. We probably don't want
11,000 people to show up at someone's restaurant. No, no, and this is for a large restaurant Group.
We are a restaurant and a brew pub. So it was beer fest style and we We had the
we had the capacity to do this. If you are a small restaurant, and you can get 10 people there,
that's a success and 10 people will go tell other people about how great it was. That's insane.
Thank you. Thank you so much for sharing all these big tips now that we know the trick. Let's see if
people do want 11,000 people to show up for their restaurant. Who should they find how they should
they follow you how like, drop me some handles? I Oh, I Well, I've got I got a tip on how to get
11,000 people at your event? Well, we did. What we did is we invited we did beer, we sold beer,
we made beer for this event. And then we partnered with, we partnered with 10 other breweries in the
in it's that community engagement, right? We partnered with 10 other breweries and we said
let's brew beer together and promote it at this event. And so they their audiences told other
people about this event and their beer is going to be there. I think a great way to kind of look
at that is food trucks and small restaurant exit events. Your your collective and when you get that
community engagement you're also saying hey, we're doing this with this many people they will promote
you as well. So that's another part of digital marketing is in that community engagement is
shout out other restaurants are doing well shout out other restaurants you like and say
we love what these guys are doing and you know that friendship can turn into something where
they're doing the same back. I love that that's exactly how we always do a promotion and like
cross pollinating collaborations and I always just coined it in those terms to generalize it. But
but in in essence, that's exactly what you guys are doing so great job on that and
for people to actually follow you and along your journey with big mouth. Do you have a handle
that they can follow? Yes, follow me Give me a follow us chat. Let's talk so you can follow me
at Maxwell at Big Mouth dot agency. You can check out my website, big mouth dot agency.
And you can also check me out personally. Maxwell Christian theater estienne
I'm here to work with restaurants. I love what I do. I love supporting restaurants bars and
catering corner businesses food trucks. I just teamed up with a a food truck
San Diablo Turo truck there Turo company and they go and just do tourism is a lot of fun.
I love what I do. So, that's my handle. Give me awesome stuff. Thank you, Max. All Thank you.