Fargo INC! February 2016 | Page 40

MARKETING SOCIAL Zorbaz frequently runs Instagram contests to gather fan photos of people enjoying their restaurants. They say they've found that creating certain incentives noticeably increases the number of submissions. Hanson believes in using one criterion, in particular, for measuring the effectiveness of an advertising medium or a series of marketing campaigns: is business going up at the end of the year? And with digital and social platforms, the answer to that question is a little too fuzzy for him right now. Zorbaz Detroit Lakez "We do a lot of work around the country with credit unions and stuff," he says, "And a lot of them have drank the KoolAid that you have to do social media and stuff. But when you really look at the statistics of what percentage they're really reaching – the stats are very foggy on it." He says he thinks the brands that can benefit the most from social media are the ones that are social themselves, by nature. "Social media absolutely has a value, but not for everybody," Hanson says. "For Zorbaz, it's incredible. We see the numbers rising and we see the engagement. They're an extremely social brand. What we track with social media – and we track it pretty tightly – we know when these platforms are peaking." The company's social accounts are as unique as each of the company's 38 FEBRUARY 2016 11 locations, and Hanson says that while they do offer specials and connect Zorbaz customers through their various digital platforms, they mostly use them for brand affinity purposes – in much the same way as the billboards. "W IܙH