Creating a Social Media Marketing Plan to Increase Customer Acquisition: Seoul Good Restaurant Case Study

Abstract

This research aims to develop a SOSTAC framework-based social media marketing plan for Seoul Good Restaurant in Finland by integrating the significance of social media in the restaurant industry with customer understanding and customer personas. The research is grounded in three major theoretical perspectives: the significance of social media in the restaurant industry, customer understanding, as well as customer personas, and the SOSTAC marketing planning framework, which together constitute the theoretical foundation of the research.

Using a mixed-methods research design, this research synthesizes findings from customer survey data, the structured interview, and Google Maps reviews, which were systematically used to identify the factors of customer choice for dining out, describe the characteristics of social media use, and brand perception.

The findings point to authenticity, trust, and value for money as the dominant factors in customers' dining decisions. Restaurant social media accounts are not actively followed; instead, customers tend to acquire information passively, which significantly impacts their decision-making process when choosing a restaurant. Google Maps is a double-edged sword, capable of creating and destroying customer trust. Data triangulation has revealed three customer personas in this research.

Overall, the research demonstrates that restaurants need to differentiate with authentic brand culture narratives, build trust through consistent online and offline experiences, and achieve precision marketing through clear customer personas to stand out from the competition.