I'm David Eckoff. I'm on a mission to talk with businesses in Virginia Highland that use social media to build their business and clients.

This week, I spoke with Michael Erickson, Director of Marketing at Fifth Group Restaurants, whose portfolio includes La Tavola and El Taco.

When you talk with Erickson, you quickly discover that he has a passion for food, people and social media.

"What we do is all about making connections with guests," Erickson said. "The restaurant business is all about being social and building relationships. Social media is my dream."

For more than two years, Erickson has been using Twitter and Facebook just for fun. Then, he started getting questions about the restaurants on various social media platforms, and now social media has become a huge part of his job.

"I'm connecting with our customers on Twitter and Facebook all day, every day, seven days a week," Erickson says. "On my computer. Via my phone. I'm a social media geek with a capital 'G'. It's something I truly believe in. The fact that I can connect with our customers through social media is amazing."

Getting the Team Tweeting

Other team members from Fifth Group are following his lead.

At La Tavola, chef Craig Richards tweets recipes in 140 characters and shares links to articles about food and wine. 

Richards recently tweeted a photo with a tip for preparing a dish:

"Octopus salad tonight with celery and cannellini beans. Wine corks tenderize the meat."

Popular bartender Alli Soble posts about new cocktails and with a few tweets can fill up seats at the bar. 

Soble recently tweeted a photo of a cocktail and raved about a dish:

"Can't stay away from La Tavola. Campari and Chili Rubbed Chicken. #crave"

That works well for the demographic of La Tavola customers.

Using Foursquare

At El Taco, Erickson is trying a different approach for a younger demographic with a weekend lunch special.  When customers check in on Foursquare, a location-based mobile platform, Saturday or Sunday during certain lunch hours, they get a free margarita.

"I wouldn't do an offer like that with any of our other restaurants," Erickson says. "But the demographics for El Taco fit. And when they check in, all their friends see it on Foursquare. It's the essence of what social media is all about."

Social Media for Customer Service

Across all restaurants, Erickson uses social media for customer service. Not often, but sometimes customers vent on social media about something that went wrong with their dining experience.

"When a customer is unhappy, it's an opportunity," Erickson said. "It's an opportunity for me to publically acknowledge in front of the 3,000 people who follows me, that I've heard that and offer a solution. Nine times out of ten, a person wants to feel like they've been heard. To be able to do that publicly and have that person walk away with a positive feeling about us, that's powerful."

Twitter is a Conversation

Comparing Facebook to Twitter, Erickson favors Twitter for engaging with his customers.

"Facebook is like a big bulletin board. A great way to post information to people," Erickson said. "Twitter is an actual conversation, with back and forth, that more people can view."

It occurs to me the distinction that social media can be a conversation isn't always obvious to marketers who I meet. Many want to push their promotional message.

"Think about being at a party. No one wants to talk with the person who only wants to talk about their baby or who's only trying to sell you insurance," Erickson said. "You need to be well rounded. To be able to talk about life outside the business. It's a balance."

For Erickson, it's about being a food expert vs. only a Fifth Group restaurant expert.

Put the social in social media, as I learned from folks like Chris Brogan early on.

Getting the Right Mix

Erickson said he aims for a mix of conversation that's "60 percent Fifth Group and 40 percent posts about pop culture and links to posts from other sites that are food and wine related."

For example, in a recent Tweet, Erickson shared a link with his followers to an article that explains a better way to caramelize onions.

"No one wants to hear me talk only about Fifth Group," Erickson said. "You have to keep the conversation interesting and engaging."

He suggests it's important to do that often to connect with customers.

"I probably post something at least once an hour while I'm at work," Erickson said. "And off hours, once every two to three hours. That feed is constantly moving. Even ten minutes after you post, your tweet could be far down the feed where people are less likely to see it."

Creating Raving Fans

Ultimately, it's about creating raving fans and winning repeat business.

"It's all about reaching out and speaking with guests who are already fans," Erickson said. "And connecting with new guests and turning them into fans."

Erickson said there are people who genuinely love Fifth Group restaurants so much that they are informal ambassadors who reply to their friends on Twitter and recommend Fifth Group restaurants.

"That's the power of raving fans," Erickson said. "I get goose bumps as a marketer thinking about that."

Advice for Beginners

His most important advice for those starting out in social media for their businesses?

"Talk in a conversational way and be genuine", Erickson said. "If you meet somebody in person, you can tell if a person isn't genuine or is not interested in having a conversation. And that same thing comes across online."

And his response to skeptics who aren't using social media in their businesses?

"That conversation about your business is going on. You can either join the conversation and try to drive it and be a part of it. Or not. We choose be a part of it. We think it benefits us in the long run," he said.

The bottom line: Be conversational in social media to connect with your customers and create raving fans.