1. Create Social Media Profiles That Matter
To Create the perfect Social Media Plan, you must first create your necessary channels.
In the restaurant industry 50% of Facebook uses the social platform to search for
restaurants, while Instagram is leading in restaurant brand engagement and YouTube
has endless possibilities. You must strategically choose which channels would benefit
your business the most.
2. Announce Any Current or Upcoming Promotions
There are hundreds international Holidays that can apply to your restaurant or maybe
you run a Tuesday special. No matter what it is you must announce your promotions
and specials for your audience online to be able to attract more clients. This goes hand
in hand with Tip 5 (Facebook advertising).
3. Use Video
it’s crucial that your restaurant apply video in your social media marketing strategy.
By using video, you can promote new specials, feature new plates, give a “behind the
scenes”, offer some recipes or even host a live cooking session. Studies show that 54%
of consumers want to see more video content from a brand or business they support
(HubSpot, 2018)
4. Post at Optimal Times
“The early bird gets the worm”. Now that’s not exactly true because well not all birds
eat worms, but the point is to be first in what YOU do. So, if you run an Asian Fusion
restaurant in L.A, you wouldn’t post in Eastern time. Making sure you’re posting when
your audience is online is crucial in the survival of your brand.
5. Facebook Advertising
This is where it gets a little trickier. Now Facebook advertising is very competitive but if
you have the right tools in your corner or even a team you will do fine. It is by far the
most popular form of social media advertising, with 93 percent of social media
marketers using Facebook ads. Because of the extensive targeting tools, Facebook ads
are a help for restaurants. You can geo-target with Facebook ads, this means advertising
to only the population in your local area. This is very important as many restaurants
utilize various advertising platforms such as tv ads to spend their advertising budgets
on a customer base that are not in their local area.
6. Quality Content Over Quantity
Take more time to generate less content. Quality over quantity in digital content
marketing is a must in a time where consumers are getting bombarded with content
from competing brands. Focus less on competition and more on your consumers and
the conversations you’re having. Then, you will become a force for innovation and
change. Your consumers will trust your brand because it’s transparent and authentic.
7. Show the Origins of Your Ingredients
Do you cultivate relationships with local suppliers? If so, use social media to tell the
story of the ingredients that go into your food. For example, you could share photos of
vegetables being harvested, or upload a brief interview with one of your suppliers.
8. Run polls or competitions to get your audience engaged
Encourage follower engagement and conduct market research at the same time by
asking people to vote on their favorite menu idea.
9. Share Some Memes and Quotes
Post a few light-hearted quotes that fit with your restaurant’s theme and dishes. For
example, if you run an Italian restaurant, create posts featuring quotes in Italian with
the English translation beneath.
10. Show Off Your Best Customer Reviews
It’s now standard practice to research a restaurant online before booking a table.
Customers love reading about other peoples’ experiences. Show at least one flattering
review each week.
