Drive Sales with Social Media Marketing for Restaurants
Social media marketing for restaurants is one of the most direct ways to engage with diners to increase awareness, loyalty and drive sales. Thankfully, you don’t have to be a social media expert to use it effectively for your business. Check out our high-level tips for getting started on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok to harness the power of social media marketing for your restaurant.
Benefits of Social Media Marketing for Restaurants
Did you know that, globally, the average person spends about 145 minutes on social media every day? With that kind of an audience, an online presence is vital for restaurants to attract new customers and re-engage existing ones.
The importance of social media on customers’ dining habits has only grown since sites like Facebook took off. According to surveys, as much as 45% of responders look up restaurant information on social media. Additionally, customers respond positively to restaurant interaction on social media and are 66% more likely to order again. Clearly, social media marketing is one of the most cost-effective ways to raise brand awareness, increase customer loyalty, collect diner feedback and drive online orders.
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We’ll cover three of the most impactful social media channels for restaurants. Let’s go over some essential details and content ideas you can easily use.
How to Get Started on Instagram
Instagram is a great platform to show off your food, staff and restaurant’s story. The focus on photos and videos makes it easy to highlight your menu’s visual appeal, plus Instagram makes it easy to connect with diners. Posting on Instagram can also directly benefit your sales if you promote your preferred ordering channels.
Who’s Using Instagram?
Instagram is the second most popular social media network behind Facebook. Its userbase is largely made up of a young adult crowd that follows brands for announcements, inspiration and entertainment value. Based on your marketing strategy, you should focus your efforts on the Instagram user demographics—age, location, income, interests—that work best for your restaurant.
Content Tips for Marketing on Instagram
- Use high-quality photography and videos.
- Instagram is a visual medium, so make sure you’re using your best photos of your menu, staff and restaurant environment.
- Consider creating a consistent visual style.
- Whether it’s a color palette or a certain angle/framing for all of your photos, a consistent style makes you easy to recognize. Also consider how your photos look when they’re together in a grid on your homepage.
- Engage with your audience.
- Instagram is a great place to interact with customers. Respond to comments on your posts or at least “like” them to make users feel valued.
- Use polls or questionnaires.
- Take engagement a step further with content that asks viewers to respond. You can prompt users for feedback on their dining experiences or encourage them to leave reviews on any review platform to raise your restaurant’s brand awareness.
- Promote your preferred ordering channels.
- Reinforce your preferred ordering channels with a simple line on most posts such as “find us on <website>!” Or, if you’re using an Instagram business account, you can put a clickable link in the post.
- Post updates about your restaurant.
- These can be new menu announcements, seasonal item promotions or anything that may interest diners.
- Post behind-the-scenes content.
- A short video showing a dish getting made or a post highlighting one of your staff is a great way to draw in diners and break up the repetition of only posting food photos.
- Use hashtags.
- These will help more diners find your account. Use a variety of related hashtags to cast a wide net.
Check out even more posting ideas to get started on Instagram.
How to Get Started on Facebook
Facebook is still the largest social media site out there, which means a lot of potential diners. Unlike Instagram though, your Facebook posts can be a little more informational since there’s less of a focus on images. You should absolutely use photos and videos when appropriate, but they’re not the main draw here.
Who’s Using Facebook?
You should have the same general target audience in mind for all your social media marketing efforts but remember that Facebook’s userbase is a little bit older. That older audience is slightly more interested in informational posts and promotions rather than entertainment posts on other platforms.
Content Tips for Marketing on Facebook
- Ensure your business information is accurate.
- Your Facebook account makes it easy for diners to access your business hours, location(s), menu, etc. Make sure it’s always up to date.
- Focus on direct & engaging content.
- While Instagram is great for maintaining a steady flow of brand awareness, your Facebook posts can be focused on content that directly leads to sales. This includes restaurant news, menu changes or promotions.
- Link to your site or menu.
- Including a link to your website or direct ordering platform is a great way to drive orders.
- Keep posts short.
- Aim for around two or three sentences per post to keep customers engaged and not overwhelmed.
- Engage with your audience.
- Just like on Instagram, you should interact with customers by thanking them, answering questions or otherwise responding to make them feel heard.
How to Get Started on TikTok
TikTok rapidly rose to widespread popularity after launching in 2016, but just because it’s newer doesn’t mean it’s not a valuable resource for restaurant social media marketing. According to an MGH study, 36% of users visited or ordered from a restaurant after seeing it on TikTok, so your presence there can definitely lead to sales.
Who’s Using TikTok?
TikTok and its user base is younger than other social media platforms. That younger crowd is more likely to be drawn to TikTok for entertainment value over strict information.
Content Tips for TikTok
- Develop a content strategy.
- TikTok is ideal for fun, engaging content. You should try to create a brand voice that is casual and authentic, then maintain that tone throughout your posts.
- Take advantage of trends.
- Even mildly viral trends have a huge impact on engagement, so do your best to join the fun while trends are popular. This can include putting your own spin on current trends or challenges. If a trend is related to the food you serve, even better.
- Use hashtags.
- Like on Instagram, hashtags are a great way to increase visibility, especially if you’re jumping onto a recent trend.
- Create your own challenges.
- It’s a lot trickier to start your own trend, but you can give it a try by challenging users to create their own videos. If you do, be sure to create your own branded hashtag to increase awareness.
- Post your own videos.
- TikTok thrives on short-form videos, so post your own that reflect your restaurant. These can be about recipes, food prep in your restaurant, food trends or anything that is appetizing on camera.
How to Efficiently Manage Your Social Media Channels
You don’t need to be an experienced social media marketing manager to make a positive impact on your restaurant. Even a small bit of consistent effort can have a big effect on your brand’s awareness and sales. Here are some key tips for any social media marketing plan:
- Set up a monthly posting schedule to maintain consistent content across all channels.
- Dedicate time each week to ensure you’ve responded to comments and your information stays up to date.
- Monitor your performance and make data-driven decisions based on what content gets the most interaction or leads to the most sales.
Social media marketing for restaurants may look like a big undertaking, but it’s an effective piece of any marketing strategy. Plus, it’s an opportunity to have a little fun and show off your menu to everyone!