Similarly to Quizno’s and Corner Bakery, Maggiano’s Little Italy contacted their online database with a Facebook-driven message.

Their ad is really awesome for numerous reasons:

1. They use a cute play on words to Facebook’s “like” feature in their subjectline, which was “‘Like is the New Love!”  They then also incorporate the identifiable Facebook “like” button at the bottom.
2. Their line about “sharing the love back” signifies reciprocity. It’s not just a one-way transaction. They’ve humanized themselves. They’ve put themselves on an even level with their customers.
3. They have their social media links top-right, making it easy for anyone that wants to share this offer via any of those social channels to do so.
4. They feature a giant dessert, which at least will be a major selling point for the female audience, if not everyone! (Drool!)
5. And, lastly, they bypass a huge “mistake” that most businesses make, which is just asking people to “like” a page without giving reasons why to like it. They outline exactly what you’ll get when you like this page. Deals; chances to win prizes; behind-the-scenes look at new dishes, etc. The “behind-the-scenes” verbiage is also effective in that it suggests a level of exclusivity to the “members” of the restaurant’s fanpage. If you want to be privy to this “behind-the-scenes” information, you have to be apart of the club that gets to see it.

What other techniques could restaurants employ to stand out in marketing their social media channels?