The Ultimate Guide To Social Media Marketing For Restaurants

Restaurants “need” social media marketing! Louder for the people at the back? Well, by now it’s common knowledge that businesses must own at least one social media account because your potential clients are already there! But how does one leverage social media for their restaurant business, this is what we will be talking about in today's post, so stay put!

Brief Statistics

Well, running a business is a numbers game, the more people who see your business the more chances of you making a sale right? Here is what you need to know there are 4.3 Billion active users on social media, interesting right? Now what would it mean for your restaurant to have access to just 2% of the pie? In short, this means you need to get your restaurant on social ASAP, period!

Why Social Media Marketing?

Think of it this way, your restaurant uses the brick-and-mortar model, and you rely on word of mouth, how many potential customers would you aim to reach at any given time? Let’s take the same scenario, but this time you have an online presence, and with one Google search your restaurant pops up with aesthetically pleasing and engaging content, how many potential clients would you attract? The best part about social media is your restaurant doesn’t just show up to local people but to everyone who searches about restaurants. By doing so you have created an impression, the next time this person is in town they will probably stop by increasing your sales.

So why social media marketing, number one,  it increases your chances of being found online by anyone who searches, two, it opens two-way communication with clients, imagine having to respond to the same inquiry over and over again when you can just make a post about it and address everyone. Three, you get free promotion, don’t business love cutting on costs, with social media you get to promote your business using ads which is a fraction of a billboard cost! Plus, in today’s world phones eat first, before we eat and this can be used as UGC content, which is a great way to promote your business for free!

3 Tips To Making The Most Out of Social Media 

1. Make Engaging Content

Social media platforms differ, we have Instagram which promotes more visually appealing content, Facebook, a more relaxed platform for the older generation and TikTok a short video platform usually attracting Gen Z. Which ever platform you choose your content must be engaging and tailored to the platform's requirements for better conversions. Say you are making content for Instagram and Tiktok and you chose behind-the-scene type of content, for Instagram you would make clean-cut edits that make your content relaxing and enjoyable whilst TikTok users prefer a more realistic behind-the-scenes video with less edits.

2. Use Food Related Hashtags

How many other restaurants are you competing with for attention? Probably thousands and hashtags are a great way to make your content visible to a large audience. More specifically add branded hashtags as they help provide a way to build brand identity, start conversations, run campaigns, and even sell to target audiences. Here is a guide to how  many hashtags per each platform:

• 1-2 hashtags in your tweets

• 1-2 hashtags in Facebook posts

• About 11 hashtags in Instagram posts 

Keep in mind - Hashtags are a must-have!

3. Run Polls

Polls are a fun and engaging way to start conversations with your audience and you can use it to conduct market research on what your clients expect from you.

• You can ask questions like what dishes your clients like the most

• Have them compete in creating a dip for your next recipe and feature the winner on your social media post.

• Ask their favorite server and why

Done right, polls can help you understand your clients in a fun and engaging way!

You have made it this far, and these 3 tips will help you start on your social media, I missed your existence a thousand times because every time I want to eat at a new restaurant I do a random search on Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok. I hope to see you there on my next search and so are many others like me! If you happen to struggle setting up your accounts we do an amazing job of getting you started Work with us!