Overwhelmed with all the latest Snapchat features? Snapchat has changed quite a bit over the past few years, and continues to advance with new tools to connect you with your customers.

If you read our Essential Starter Kit for Snapchat, then you already know the basics for posting on Snapchat, along with tips on how to create engaging and creative content. This guide is about taking your restaurant’s snapchat to the next level—and mastering these features better than your competition.

We’ve rounded up the 7 most useful tips that will enhance your Snapchat strategy for increased presence and boost awareness at your restaurant.

The Ultimate Guide: 7 Tips to Kick Your Snapchat Strategy Up a Notch

1. Create your Own Geofilter

Geofilters are an effective way to build brand awareness and promote your restaurant organically. Restaurants can create their own on-demand custom geofilter here. If it’s your first rodeo, we recommend using one of their templates. Once designed, pick the geographic location and time—from as short as an hour to as long as 60 days. The price for each varies depending on the length and size, and takes one business day to get approved. 

First, upload or design your own Geofilter. If it’s your first time creating a Geofilter, we recommend using one other their templates.

Second, choose the geographic region users can use your Geofilter. The price of your filter will automatically adjust based on the coverage zone and duration of the ad.

Third, choose the time your Geofilter will start and end. You can opt for a longer term geofilter if you want to establish a permanent filter around your restaurant.

Once your filter has expired, Snapchat provides some basic reporting on how your filter performed, showing you Views (who saw your filter) and Uses (who took a Snap using your filter). We recommend keeping track of this  data because you’ll want to  to refer back to it later on.

Suggestion: Encourage customers to use the restaurant’s custom geotag and reward them with a promo code.

2. Try the Scissor Tool

The sticker tool is a fun and creative tool to practice your editing skills. It’s essentially a simplified form of Photoshop. First take a Snapchat, then tap the Scissor icon, and then outline the part of the image you want to turn into a sticker. You can resize the sticker to make it smaller or larger, move it anywhere on the screen or save it later for future use.

Suggestion: Encourage your customers to send you a sticker of their favorite dish and send them a promo code in return.

3. Join in on the Snapchat Lens trend

Snapchat lenses are live effects that actually tracks your face as you move – a fun and interactive look to a video or photo. Snapchat updates their lenses daily, so show off your social media savviness by keeping up to date with their latest changes.

Suggestion: Encourage your customers to send you an on-premise Snapchat with their favorite Snapchat lenses.

4. Spur discovery with Context Cards

This feature is a great way to find out more information about any Snapchat sent with the white-text, location specific Geofilter. Users can swipe up to any Snapchat with the word “more” on the bottom–and they’ll see an interactive card pop up with basic details for the restaurant such as address, phone number, website, and hours. Users can also make reservations via OpenTable or order rides to the restaurant via Uber or Lyft. Context cards are essentially a discovery and marketing platform that will enhance a restaurants brand presence.

Suggestion: Prompt on-premise customers to post on their Snapchat Story with the location specific geofilter. That way your restaurant is exposed to a larger audience and it can promote your restaurant indirectly.

5. Do a Snapchat Takeover

A Snapchat takeover is a great way to bring someone else’s perspective and take on the brand. Some different media brands, like Eater and Lucky Peach invite chefs to do Snapchat takeovers—which helps them with reaching new audiences, mix in a new perspective and building your overall brand.

Suggestion: Have a different staff member do a takeover–from the head chef plating to the hostess greeting guests. These new perspectives will make your customers feel more connected to your restaurant.

6. Post to your local story

Every city has a local story that is accessible to all Snapchat users in the area. Post your favorite Snapchat story to the local story—and this will increase the chance your Snapchat will reach a larger audience, and promote your restaurant to other Snapchat users in the surrounding area.

Suggestion: Make sure to keep track of your Snapchat Story views and note of any big spikes because that means the local Snapchat team saw something they liked.

7. Showcase your culture

Your customers come back to your restaurant because they love your food and atmosphere, so why not show them the people behind the counter. Use Snapchat to give your loyal customers a raw, scrappy and exclusive look at what’s going on in your kitchen. Snapchat is all about letting your personality shine through and connecting with your audience on a human level.

Suggestion: Take your customers behind the scenes by Snapchatting your chefs preparing meals, barista making drinks or staff members.