While many people may put marketing for restaurants into the same category as marketing for any small business, the truth is that social media is perhaps more important for this restaurant than for any other. Many restaurant owners know that they need to be using social media to connect with their guests, but it can be difficult to know exactly how to do just that. Social media is a great way to spread the word about your restaurant, to encourage people to visit, and to accrue the social proof that is necessary to make anyone interested in stopping by. Here are fifteen tips that can help you start or improve your social media marketing:
1. Think Like Your Guests.
This is a necessary part of any marketing campaign, right? It is even more important to social media marketing than just about any other tactic. Think about your guests, why they eat in your establishment, and why they continue to return.
2. Get a Great Social Media Cover Image.
Don’t just take a picture of a plate with your smartphone and upload it. It is worth your time to get a professional shot of one of your most popular, or at least one of your most beautiful dishes, to be used as your cover image.
3. Include Many Pictures of Your Dishes.
Nothing makes someone want to come in and test out your dishes like seeing beautiful, mouth-watering pictures of them on your social media page. Post as many pictures as you can, as often as you can, turning your social media page into a menu of sorts.
4. Offer Deals Exclusive to Your Social Media.
If you make it clear that people who follow you on Facebook or Twitter will have access to special deals that those who don’t follow you won’t be able to get, you’ll start attracting more followers.
5. Run a Contest.
Many social media now have tools that make it easy for you to run a contest right from your social media page. This is a great way to generate interest, by encouraging people to enter your promotional contest.
6. Make Sure Your Ads Are Geo-targeted.
Because restaurants rely on local clientele in order to maintain their business, it’s important that any and all ads you run on your social media accounts are strictly geo-targeted.
Luckily, every social media has tools that make this very easy, and because social media users have to include their location when making an account, you’ll only be spending your money to reach out to people who could actually visit your restaurant.
7. Use Videos.
Make a video of your chef preparing a new dish or something that is very popular on your menu. People love seeing behind-the-scenes content, and if they see how carefully the chef prepares each plate, they’ll be more likely to visit.
8. Don’t Forget Hashtags.
Especially on social media like Twitter and Instagram, use hashtags to make sure that you are part of relevant conversations. Using your city or neighborhood hashtag is a great way to make sure that someone looking for something to do in the local area will find you.
9. Post Photos of Menu Items on Instagram.
Instagram is a great resource for restaurants, as the social media is all but dominated by pictures of food. When people see something that they want to eat, they’ll look at the hashtags and the location of the poster to see if it is in their vicinity.
10. Highlight Your Employees.
If you have employees that don’t mind being on camera, post pictures of them on social media, introducing them to your current and future guests.
11. Run a Photo Contest on Instagram.
Encourage everyone who visits your restaurant to take a picture of their plate and post it with a specific hashtag so you can easily find it. Then, choose the best and offer them a gift card or discount.
12. Provide Group Offers.
Want to get more people in your dining room? Why not create a group offer that only kicks in for groups of three or more?
13. Post At the Right Time.
Posting around the time that people are starting to get hungry is the best way to attract their attention. Time your posts so that they arrive in the feed of your followers at about the time they’re making decisions about where to grab a bite.
14. Encourage Guests to Post About Their Visit.
Even just a small sign that reminds them to check in on Facebook or post a picture on Instagram will work.
15. Respond to Questions and Concerns.
If you want your guests to engage with you on your social media accounts, you have to be willing to engage back.
While many people may put marketing for restaurants into the same category as marketing for any small business, the truth is that social media is perhaps more important for this restaurant than for any other. Many restaurant owners know that they need to be using social media to connect with their guests, but it can be difficult to know exactly how to do just that. Social media is a great way to spread the word about your restaurant, to encourage people to visit, and to accrue the social proof that is necessary to make anyone interested in stopping by. Here are fifteen tips that can help you start or improve your social media marketing:
1. Think Like Your Guests.
This is a necessary part of any marketing campaign, right? It is even more important to social media marketing than just about any other tactic. Think about your guests, why they eat in your establishment, and why they continue to return.
2. Get a Great Social Media Cover Image.
Don’t just take a picture of a plate with your smartphone and upload it. It is worth your time to get a professional shot of one of your most popular, or at least one of your most beautiful dishes, to be used as your cover image.
3. Include Many Pictures of Your Dishes.
Nothing makes someone want to come in and test out your dishes like seeing beautiful, mouth-watering pictures of them on your social media page. Post as many pictures as you can, as often as you can, turning your social media page into a menu of sorts.
4. Offer Deals Exclusive to Your Social Media.
If you make it clear that people who follow you on Facebook or Twitter will have access to special deals that those who don’t follow you won’t be able to get, you’ll start attracting more followers.
5. Run a Contest.
Many social media now have tools that make it easy for you to run a contest right from your social media page. This is a great way to generate interest, by encouraging people to enter your promotional contest.
6. Make Sure Your Ads Are Geo-targeted.
Because restaurants rely on local clientele in order to maintain their business, it’s important that any and all ads you run on your social media accounts are strictly geo-targeted.
Luckily, every social media has tools that make this very easy, and because social media users have to include their location when making an account, you’ll only be spending your money to reach out to people who could actually visit your restaurant.
7. Use Videos.
Make a video of your chef preparing a new dish or something that is very popular on your menu. People love seeing behind-the-scenes content, and if they see how carefully the chef prepares each plate, they’ll be more likely to visit.
8. Don’t Forget Hashtags.
Especially on social media like Twitter and Instagram, use hashtags to make sure that you are part of relevant conversations. Using your city or neighborhood hashtag is a great way to make sure that someone looking for something to do in the local area will find you.
9. Post Photos of Menu Items on Instagram.
Instagram is a great resource for restaurants, as the social media is all but dominated by pictures of food. When people see something that they want to eat, they’ll look at the hashtags and the location of the poster to see if it is in their vicinity.
10. Highlight Your Employees.
If you have employees that don’t mind being on camera, post pictures of them on social media, introducing them to your current and future guests.
11. Run a Photo Contest on Instagram.
Encourage everyone who visits your restaurant to take a picture of their plate and post it with a specific hashtag so you can easily find it. Then, choose the best and offer them a gift card or discount.
12. Provide Group Offers.
Want to get more people in your dining room? Why not create a group offer that only kicks in for groups of three or more?
13. Post At the Right Time.
Posting around the time that people are starting to get hungry is the best way to attract their attention. Time your posts so that they arrive in the feed of your followers at about the time they’re making decisions about where to grab a bite.
14. Encourage Guests to Post About Their Visit.
Even just a small sign that reminds them to check in on Facebook or post a picture on Instagram will work.
15. Respond to Questions and Concerns.
If you want your guests to engage with you on your social media accounts, you have to be willing to engage back.
Published on March 7, 2016
About the Author: Tatyana Mournier
