Tweet Beat: Local watering holes meet Twitter, Facebook

By Michelle Hagopian/For CU-CitizenAccess -- Local bars and restaurants embrace social media

If you’re wondering what kind of deal you can get at Radio Maria this week, look no farther than the restaurant’s Twitter.

CU establishments – bars, restaurants, nightclubs – are capitalizing on social media’s ability to reach the masses. Radio Maria, for example, has an active Twitter and Facebook presence.

The restaurant tweets and posts specials to attract more fans. “It's cold outside, so tonight's beer class is sure to warm you up. Stouts. 10pm, $10.” Not a bad start.

Clark Bar has a Facebook profile with 789* friends that is updated every so often. Posts like “Don’t forget! $1 Bud Light drafts every day!!” are common on both Facebook and Twitter. The bar’s Twitter only has 25* followers but is updated as frequently as Facebook.

Country music favorite Rose Bowl Tavern has an active Facebook presence with frequent updates and 354* fans. More than other bars, the tavern posts photos of the live entertainment it features on weekends. Visitors to the page can see YouTube videos the tavern links to, drink specials and new improvements to the bar.

Chester Street Bar’s Facebook page boasts 2,481* likes and constant wall posts. The bar is currently promoting its Christmas show Dec. 11, and fans often post questions on the wall. Want to know which DJ will be spinning or what drink specials to expect? Chances are you’ll find an answer.

*Numbers as of Fri., Dec. 9.

About our Tweet Beat: 

Michelle Hagopian is a journalism graduate student in the College of Media working with the CU-CitizenAccess.org team this semester and follows the social media scene in Champaign-Urbana.

She reports on how the community is using social media, specifically Twitter and Facebook, so that users can get an idea of what different groups are talking about.

She also looks at different software to collect and analyze tweets and ask for advice and ideas from the community.

Contact her at hagopian.michelle@gmail.com