As the world becomes more technologically driven, it's important for your restaurant to adapt by implementing new ways to attract business. One way to grow your business is to create a social media presence by establishing a strong restaurant social media strategy. This can promote your brand and allow you to engage with both potential and existing customers. Here are some things to consider as you create the best restaurant social media strategy to promote your establishment successfully.
1. Show Behind-the-Scenes Footage
While it's smart to post photos of your restaurant's dishes, consider giving customers a peek behind the curtain. Share photos or videos from the kitchen area that show the chef preparing some of your restaurant's most popular dishes. You can also introduce your social media audience to the kitchen crew as they show off their skills. This can make your customers feel like they're getting the inside scoop and that they're a part of the action. Just make sure your kitchen is spotless before you start shooting.
2. Be Consistent
No matter your restaurant's design aesthetic, it's important to be consistent on all of your webpages, including your restaurant's social media accounts, website, and online store. For example, if you have bright and colorful photos on one medium, they need to be bright and colorful on the next. Your tone also needs to be consistent, and you should include your contact information on all platforms. Overall, this consistent imagery can make your brand more recognizable, which can boost your business.
3. Reply to Reviews
Whether you're getting glowing or negative reviews online, responding to the post shows you care. When you address a positive review, make sure to thank them for their support, and show your gratitude and appreciation for their business. If you have negative reviews, it's an opportunity for you to learn how your business can improve. Apologize for their negative experience and let them know your restaurant is committed to improving or fixing the situation.
Though you may not be able to reply to every post, aim to comment on every negative one. This shows your concern for your customer's feelings. Overall, make sure you're transparent and friendly online.
4. Spotlight Your Employees
While social media is a great way to showcase your food, it's also an opportunity to highlight your employees. This shows your customers that you care about your staff and value their work. Consider sharing employee photos with funny anecdotes, showing more behind-the-scenes footage, or briefly introducing each staff member with a photo and fun facts. Make your restaurant personable to help your customers feel connected to your establishment.
5. Engage Your Followers With Questions
While social media is a great way to show what your restaurant is doing, it also lets you interact with your audience and customers. Even if your customers go to your social media accounts to see what you're doing, they also need to feel heard.
Ask them fun questions like what they think the secret ingredient is in their favorite dish, how long it takes to make one of their favorite desserts, or how they think one of your dishes is prepared. Asking them questions can get them to interact with you and make them look forward to your future posts. As your social media presence expands, continue to foster this dialogue to keep your audience entertained.
6. Use Relevant Trending Topics to Your Advantage
If there's something happening in the news that you can chime in on, seize the opportunity. You can tag your posts with already trending hashtags, which helps you gain additional exposure. If you use this strategy, try to come up with a creative take on the topic. For example, if there's an unexpected snowstorm, get a photo of your staff delivering pizzas to customers despite the weather. This shows you remain committed to serving the community.
7. Hold Social Media Contests
Everyone loves a good giveaway or contest. Offer your social media followers a gift card or restaurant swag through a social media contest. Let's say you want to give away a $50 gift card to your restaurant. Post about it on one of your accounts and establish the rules. For example, you can have people tag a friend in the comments as one entry. Then, randomly select a winner from everyone who entered. You can also do riddles, caption contests, or photo contests.
Ultimately, social media contests are a great way to gain exposure and increase engagement. It can also attract potential customers who haven't heard or been to your restaurant.
8. Consider Location-Based Advertising
While you can use social media to reach prospective customers across the globe, it's especially important to tap into your local community with local marketing. When you focus on reaching people within a certain radius, they're more apt to visit your establishment than someone across the states.
Consider your audience demographic and the days and times when your audience is most likely to be online. Based on this information, you can aim to share posts during these intervals. You can also use location-centric hashtags that target your local audience. The more you understand your audience, the more you can use this information to your advantage.
Whether you're new to social media or you've been around the block, it's important to think strategically about each and every social media post. Well-thought-out posts can give your business the boost it needs to succeed. The more time you invest, the better you'll understand how to promote your restaurant on social media over time. Implement these tips to create a strong restaurant social media strategy and give your establishment quality exposure.
