Volume 12
Issue 8
November 2019
Long Branch Business League
With New Social Media Campaign, Long Branch Festival Creates Spin-off Benefits for Area’s Small Business president of El Salvador?” and “Did you know that one of El Golfo’s cooks has been working at @ada-elgolforest for 15 years?”
This October, a social media campaign has been launched in order to draw attention to Long Branch businesses and to help get out the word about what makes them special. The campaign takes advantage of the Long Branch Festival’s activization of Discover Long Branch social media. Viewership on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram increased many-fold during the weeklong September event.
As a result, the Long Branch Business League (LBBL), with assistance from MHP, kicked off a ‘business of the week’ program featuring giveaways for member businesses.
Social media users who ‘like’ the post, and share and follow Discover Long Branch on social media, automatically get entered into a raffle. In the case of El Golfo, a fifty-dollar gift certificate was awarded. Those interested in participating in the free online marketing program should contact Taylor at 301 812-4148 (tbuchness@mhpartners.org), and make sure their Business League membership is up to date (see blurb, back page).
Participation in the program is free for LBBL members. Businesses of the week will be selected at random from among local businesses currently on the Business League’s membership rolls.
Marketing materials such as the gift card at left form part of the new social media campaign benefiting Business League members.
The selected business receives multiple attractive postings on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram hilighting what’s special about their store or service. The ‘guinea pig’ for the new program, El Golfo Restaurant, got postings such as: “Did you know that El Golfo has hosted a breakfast meeting for an ex-
Long Branch Business League November Meeting Wednesday, Nov. 7, 10 a.m. — 11:30 a.m. El Golfo Restaurant 8739 Flower Ave., Silver Spring
DiscoverLongBranch.com Purple Line News On Tuesday, Oct. 22, the Long Branch Purple Line Community Advisory Team met to review what is coming down the tracks as regards construction. Among the big picture items discussed:
Arliss Street between the Long Branch library and Piney Branch Road – currently open – will be closed for construction starting early 2021. However, the section of Arliss Street between Flower Ave. and the library will re-open so that access to the library will always remain in place. In two-years time, Piney Branch from Arliss St. to University will be reduced from four lanes to two (one in each direction). Work in the median will start earlier, and occasional temporary lane closures will be ongoing. Safety barriers will be put in place for the protection of pedestrians visiting stores on Piney Branch near University. To the extent possible, the oak trees taken down on Wayne Road will be replaced.
Long Branch Profiles …
El Gavilan’s Ana Rivera
Job Title: Co-owner and manager of El Gavilan Restaurant. Years on the job: Five. Job duties: I run the kitchen, make sure everything is flowing, the supplies are there and everyone is happy. Running the restaurant is my passion. Best job ever: What I am doing now. Childhood memory: My favorite memory is spending time in my family’s hometown, Intipucá, in El Salvador, with my grandmother and other family members, playing games, and everyone is so relaxed. Job in another life: I would like to work with an organization, perhaps the Red Cross, where I could go to countries in the Third World and help build things, help people get things more up to date. Daily habits: I do my hair and make-up every single day. Person you would most like to meet: [British chef, restaurateur, food critic] Gordon Ramsay. Favorite movie: Dirty Dancing.
December Starts 2020 Business League Membership Drive Long Branch Business League member stores benefit from free social media support (see p. 1) and the many other services that League membership provides — grants for store improvement, access to free marketing, and lobbying for legislation that affects our businesses. Why miss out? Be on the look out for one of our volunteer staffers, or call/write: 301 812-4141; pgrenier@mhpartners.org.
Favorite music: Salsa.
Most recent book read: Becoming, by Michelle Obama. Guilty pleasure: Margaritas. Bucket list: I want to learn more, both as a cook but also in general, so I can give more to the community. I want to do more fund-raisers for women and children in abusive situations. Hobbies: Dancing, especially Salsa. Startling fact: I am a licensed cosmetologist, specializing in doing hair, and I work at a salon one day a week. People always ask me, ‘How do you find the time?’ I just do! It keeps me sane. I love it.
Long Branch Business News, Paul Grenier, Editor 301-812-4141 pgrenier@MHPartners.org