Considering the competition in today’s restaurant and foodservice market, it is imperative to adopt a proactive approach to stand out in the crowd and reach your customers. You need to be where your customers are and adopt a winning marketing strategy. With more than 3.9 billion people using various social media platforms in 2020, social media marketing for restaurants is clearly a must. Whether you own a small, local business or run a multinational restaurant chain, effective social media marketing can help amp up your sales.
Social Media Marketing for Restaurants
Your potential customers are spending the majority of their time on various social media platforms, which is why you need to build a strong and influential social media presence for your restaurant to attract customers and build a loyal clientele.
Here are the top six restaurant marketing tips that will help you leverage the power of social media to catch the attention of your customers.
1. Create Social Media Profiles that Matter
Your target audience uses a variety of social media platforms, which means that you may have to create several social media handles to reach your audience. Three platforms that every restaurant must engage on include Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Let’s take a quick look at these platforms.
Facebook Is a Must
For many people, Facebook is the preferred platform for communication. It is also the hub of comments and reviews. Most people check out news restaurants on Facebook before reserving a table or ordering food. This makes it important to have an active and regularly updated Facebook profile.
Promote on Instagram
Instagram is all about visual content. While tags and captions play an important part in gaining traction on Instagram, the most important thing is the images and videos. Use this platform to showcase the appetizing food served at your restaurant. Make your Instagram page as aesthetic as possible. Don’t forget to add relevant tags!
Tweet, Tweet, Tweet!
Twitter users have extremely high engagement with restaurants. Limit your tweets to 120 to 130 characters and use action words to improve engagement. Another trick is to place a link 1/4th way through the tweet for a higher click-through rate (CTR). You can also ask your customers to retweet your posts and in return, offer a chance to win discounts or coupons.
2. Find Your Brand Voice
Perhaps the most important part of social media marketing for restaurants is to develop a brand. The Brand has become the buzzword in the world of marketing. Everyone wants to build a brand. The reason is that it helps you gain a distinct identity in the market. It is important to understand that a brand is much more than the name or logo of your restaurant. Your brand is how your customers perceive you.
There are numerous benefits of building a brand name for your restaurant. It will increase your reach and help you build a loyal customer base. Moreover, it will allow you to gain a competitive edge over your competitors.
Once you develop a unique brand, you offer your customers something that they won’t get anywhere else. They will come to you for more than just food – they will choose you for the experience. So, make sure you identify your brand voice and keep it consistent across all social media platforms.
Read about influencer marketing here.
3.Share Videos on Instagram, Tiktok, YouTube
It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words. Now, imagine what a video could do! Videos are currently one of the most famous forms of media. People prefer watching videos instead of reading through the text. Videos are fun and engaging. Plus, choosing this form of media gives you the perfect opportunity of showing your customers what you stand for instead of just telling them.
Therefore, an easy restaurant marketing tip is to incorporate videos into your marketing strategy. YouTube is the ideal platform to start your very own channel. However, you can post the same videos on other social media platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.
You can also employ videos to introduce the faces behind the restaurant. Show your customers what goes on in the kitchen. Introduce them to your chefs and team. Show the making process of your star dishes, speak about your values and customer relations, promote special menus, and so on.
4. Engage with Customers Whenever Possible
The reason social media marketing for restaurants works like a charm is that it allows you to build a rapport with your potential customers. It creates a direct connection between you and your customers. To make the most of this platform, it is important that you engage with your customers as much as possible. Engage them through comments and answer their queries as clearly and swiftly as possible.
5. Try Social Media Contest
Everyone likes to receive discounts and coupons. You can leverage this by starting a social media contest. A social media contest generally requires the audience to share your posts, post a picture at the restaurant, tag their friends in your posts, or other similar tasks to enter the contest and get the chance to win deals, discounts, coupons, or gift cards.
Starting a contest is an excellent way to create a buzz on social media. Plus, it gives your audience an incentive to share your posts and help increase your outreach organically.
6. Post at the Right Time for Maximum Engagement
When it comes to social media marketing for restaurants, timing is everything. When you decide to post on social media can make a big impact on your sales. For example, if your restaurant specializes in serving brunch, the best time to post is a few hours before brunch. This will help boost your sales.
On the other hand, untimely posting, such as posting an image of eggs and waffles at 8 pm won’t do you much good. Scroll down to take a look at the best time to post on different social media platforms
- Facebook: As a restaurant, you want to post at peak times. Put up new videos and images around mid-week from 1 pm to 3 pm.
- Instagram: Highest engagement for restaurants on Instagram lasts from around 10 am to 12 pm during the day and from 7 pm to 9 pm.
- Twitter: The best time to tweet is found to be around 1 pm, especially on Friday.
The Bottom Line
Social media marketing for restaurants is essential to build a loyal customer base and boost your sales. However, it is important to understand that different audiences have different preferences. Therefore, it is imperative to experiment with your social media strategy to see what works best for you.
Also, don’t forget to employ analytic tools to keep track of your social media marketing strategy. Follow these restaurant marketing tips discussed above and use social media monitoring to measure your progress and brand reputation. If this seems like a lot of work to do on your own, it is best to talk to a restaurant consultant to create the perfect social media marketing strategy for your restaurant based on your audience and your unique preferences.
Enjoyed reading this blog? Browse through our blogs to learn all about restaurant marketing. You can also hire our restaurant consultants for professional assistance.
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