I've always felt that restaurants have the most to gain in social media, at least for right now.

After all, social media conversations "began", so to speak, with consumer review sites, such as Yelp, that were mainly restaurant focused at the time.

People love to eat, and love to share what and where they eat. This is great news for restaurants! The key to success in the future will include being where the customers are when they are looking for somewhere to eat out.

Currently, that means that restaurants need to be mobile. With so many people continually on the go and making decisions while they're out and about, you have to be visible in the mobile world to be noticed.

Consider the following statistics:

• 52% of smartphone users have located a local business' directions or hours of operation while on the go
• 27% of smartphone users look for local business information on their phones daily
• 24.2% of smartphone users have used their mobile device to place an order ahead of time at a restaurant

The infographic below highlights the apps that are most often used with regard to restaurants.

Take a look at the list and see where your restaurant is.

If you're not using any of the apps, it might be worth the time to check them out and start using them!

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