How Restaurants Can Use Social Media
Like parents, digital marketing agencies are not supposed to have a favorite. But we would be lying if we told you we didn’t. We love working with restaurants. They are the industry that gets the most out of our service and they have the most engaged audiences.
Everybody has to eat. It’s one of the reasons that dining out or exploring new eateries is a hobby for so many people — and most of those people are on a perpetual hunt for the next new option.
So whether you’re a new restaurant, an established venture launching a new menu, or just a business trying to bring in new customers, a vibrant social media presence is a must for your success. As with any other organization, it’s a way for restaurants to establish their brand and build their followers.
Think before you post.
But putting no thought into your social media campaigns will not get you very far. You need to be engaging with your community and you must create high-quality content that your followers want to see. Need some inspiration? Here are some ways restaurants and other food-related businesses can draw traffic to their social media pages.
First things first — get your pages set up.
This means get an account on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. These are the three most popular platforms. If you want to expand your reach even further, you can start to dabble in TikTok or Snapchat, but make the three most popular platforms your priority.
Don’t neglect your Twitter presence. Yes, Facebook and Instagram will be more beneficial for you because they are visual media, but Twitter will be a useful way for you to announce any specials, upcoming events, early closings or other important news.
Be thorough and include all your information in your bio or “About” section. This will not only prove helpful to your customers and help bolster your professional image but also possibly help your ranking in searches. Include your address, phone number and link to your website.
Get good photos.
Even if people can’t eat food, they love to drool over pictures of it. You’ve probably heard the expression “food porn” before. You’ll capture more attention and encourage more people to follow you if you have irresistible pictures of your signature menu items.
But photographing food is harder than you would think. What looks delicious in person won’t always look so great in a pic. Don’t be afraid to use a real camera rather than your phone; you can download the photos from your camera to your laptop, then email them to your phone for easy upload to Instagram. This extra step is a little time consuming, but it’s worth it.
Use good lighting and make sure you experiment with angles to find the one that’s the most flattering. Some dishes look great when viewed from up above, whereas others will look better if you’re at eye level.
If the lighting in your kitchen or dining room are too harsh, try taking the photo with light reflected off a glossy white surface or metallic surface instead of with light shining directly on the food. This will help you capture the vibrant colors and textures without any sheens on oily spots or any harsh shadows that could make the food look unappetizing.
If you have it in your budget, it’s worthwhile to bring in a professional photographer who specializes in food and can capture your restaurant’s dishes in a way that does them justice.
Be creative in showing off your restaurant.
Sure, people want to see photos of food. But don’t limit yourself to that – it will get boring pretty quickly. Generate lots of ideas of how you can visually capture what it’s like to dine in your restaurant. Brainstorm ideas with your team and see what they think your followers might want to see.
Do time-lapse videos of your chefs creating something in the kitchen from beginning to end. People will be impressed by all the hard work that goes into making their favorite appetizer or dessert.
Find a few willing customers who might be willing to be featured on your Facebook or Instagram. Seeing happy people enjoying themselves will encourage your followers to come experience your restaurant for themselves. They’ll also get a sense of the vibe they’ll enjoy while they’re there — are you an upscale restaurant with while tablecloths or are you more casual and relaxed?
And if you’re having an event, such as live music by a local band, don’t be afraid to do a livestream so that followers can see what’s happening. Maybe they’ll be able to stop by before the event’s over. If not, you will still have captured their attention so they know to stop by next time.
Speaking of events -
Take advantage of Facebooks events feature. More and more people are turning to Facebook for their social calendar. Use it. Our clients have gotten big results by creating even the smallest events on Facebook.
Engage with others.
Don’t underestimate how important it is to respond to followers. If they post a review of your restaurant, take what they say seriously. Leave comments to thank them for their feedback. If there is a complaint or criticism, be sure to address it. You are not only assuaging the customer who had a negative experience but also showing to the world that you care about your guests’ experiences. If they leave a comment on one of your posts talk them in the same way you would if they were standing in front of you. As an example, you post a photo of your new jalapeno margarita on your instagram page and someone says, “I can’t wait to try that.” you can reply back in any number of ways but being fun a personable will make all the difference. Try, “We have gotten a lot of great feedback but until you come in and give It your stamp of approval, we can’t be sure. When will we see you?” And be sure to monitor mentions and tags, and if you see great user-generated content, ask the person whether you can share it.