Gino’s Pizza & Spaghetti House is a multi-unit regional company located in West Virginia. The restaurant has been open for 51 years and has 54 locations throughout the state. In 2009 they began their efforts in social media marketing.
For this week’s ShortStack Spotlight we caught up with Carey Hardin, the New Media Strategist for Gino’s Pizza & Spaghetti House. Here’s what he had to say about social media, Facebook apps and their experience using ShortStack.
What’s the concept of your current giveaway? The concept for our giveaway was handed to us on a platter. ShortStack’s “Guess the Score” template was used to create a weekly contest based on the Sunday Night Football schedule. It’s customized with a design that works for our brand, but retains the best elements of the template. The “Sunday PickMMM” contest is great for Gino’s, as we were considering different ways to promote our football special when the template was unveiled. It’s the perfect way to remind our fans to think of Gino’s when they’re thinking about football.
Why did you start using ShortStack? When I began doing social media marketing at Gino’s – a new discipline for me – it quickly became apparent that branded apps for contests were a must. After doing some homework, talking to a few different services, and even trying out a competitor, it was obvious that ShortStack was the only choice. It has turned out to be the most robust, customizable and shockingly affordable service out there. And the customer service isn’t too shabby either.
I now use ShortStack for all manner of apps – contests, couponing, and a locations app where fans can find information about their local restaurant. There isn’t a single thing I can conceive that can’t be built with ShortStack.
What have your results been from using ShortStack? With the use of ShortStack apps, our engagement has gone from practically nothing to numbers that continue to grow and amaze me week to week. Naturally, we get the best results when we integrate information about the apps into the advertising products we already use – a small ad spend on Facebook, in-store materials and fliers, and even our text messaging program. The mobile feature is critical for this.
I love to tell people that, with ShortStack, we beat Zuckerberg to the punch on mobilizing the best features of Facebook. As an in-house marketer, I believe the most valuable feature of ShortStack is the analytics. Because this is relatively new territory for us, it’s crucial to convey the level of interaction we’re getting – it makes the bosses much more confident about our social media efforts.
To check out Gino’s Pizza & Spaghetti House Facebook app and to participate in their “Sunday PickMMM” contest, click here.
If you have an awesome custom-built ShortStack Page that you’d like to show off through our ShortStack Spotlight Series, email chelsea@shortstacklab.com with your Page’s Facebook URL and a little bit of what you’re about.
