Capturing Buzz in a Snapshot: New Marketing Tool Promotes Brand Engagement

Anyone who has attended a wedding or social event in the past few years has undoubtedly encountered photo booths. Tucked away in a corner, they lure attendees to throw caution to the wind, act out a little and have the ensuing fun memorialized in photos.

One entrepreneur developed a way to help restaurateurs expose the potential business applications of photo booth technology to connect with their customer base and promote their business at the same time.

BuzzyBooth is a digital photo station created by Jolina Li that leverages the obsession with posting selfies to generate social media buzz for a business. Compact enough for open corner spaces, BuzzyBooth invites customers to snap a free photo and share it on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or by email. The photo posts with a customized graphic frame that promotes the restaurant as well as a caption with an offer or announcement. In addition, the customer’s email is captured for future marketing purposes.

Growing up in the restaurant industry, Li heard owners complain about the difficulties of connecting with their customers and focused on finding solutions to help restaurants promote their businesses in a fun and unique manner.

“I started BuzzyBooth to solve that problem, “ said Li. “It helps businesses and brands engage with their customers more effectively. The increased online presence and promotional caption will help businesses increase sales and decrease marketing costs.

Taste Of Asia (TOA) Asian Fusion in Huntington, NY, an early adopter of the concept, gained 116 new customers and attributes a $3,250 increase in sales due to Buzzy Booth. More than 1,000 photos featuring the restaurant were shared on social media, according to owner Evan Chen. TOA offered guests an incentive of five percent off their total bill for sharing a photo through Facebook.

“Buzzy Booth helped us get more online exposure and provided fun for customers,” said Chen. “I see the increase in our social media followings and those email captures will be very useful as we introduce new dishes.”

Each BuzzyBooth ranges from $2,500 to $4,500 and requires approximately 15 minutes of set-up time. A how-to video is included. For Li, BuzzyBooth is the culmination of a long-held dream to take something from concept to reality.

“Growing up, I've learned that with combination of perseverance and hard work, great things can happen. Entrepreneurship is my passion. I enjoy taking an idea and bringing it to life because nothing is more satisfying than seeing your idea end up in the mass market hands.”