How would you like to bring more customers to your restaurant? Wouldn’t you like it if you had access to potential customers for your restaurant? Would you like to maximize your online visibility and exposure with the best social media marketing for restaurants? If you answered yes, we got you covered.
Social media is the best way to increase awareness regarding your fabulous restaurant. However, not every owner understands how to use social media for restaurants and get more customers quickly. This is why we are here to help you understand the best social media marketing strategies for your specific requirements. You can take your restaurant to the next level. Similarly, you can enjoy more revenue with the best social media strategies for restaurants.
Why Use Social Media to Market a Restaurant?
We live in a technology infested era. It would be unwise to let the immense technological potential go to waste. Therefore, you need to utilize the capabilities of social media and raise awareness regarding your restaurant. More than 80% of the population relies on the internet. Every single aspect is run with technology nowadays. Moreover, customers use their smartphones and tablets to search for restaurants near them. If you refuse to use the authority of social media, you are already behind your competition.
FACTS: Over a two year period, there was a 900%+ growth in mobile searches for “___ near me today/tonight.” Additionally, 60% of smartphone users have contacted a business directly using the search results such as the “click to call” option. (HubSpot)
What Are the Best Social Media Strategies for Restaurants?
Here are the top social media marketing tips to boost your online presence and get more customers. These are proven strategies that can get you started in the right direction. You can further customize these strategies according to your requirements.
Set Up a Facebook Page
Facebook started as a social media platform. However, it has turned into a powerful business platform. It can bring you maximum engagement and profitable customer interactions. Facebook is a giant when it comes to popular social media platforms. So, you need to set up a Facebook page for your restaurant. This page should have all the necessary information for your restaurant. It should have the following elements listed in the bio:
- Restaurant Name
- Address
- Official Phone Number
- Business Hours
- Restaurants Type
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How Can You Enhance Your Facebook Page?
Setting up a Facebook page is not enough. You have to learn how to utilize it for your requirements properly. A well-managed Facebook page can help with social media marketing for restaurants.
Your Facebook page should also have a proper menu. This menu will help the customers understand what you offer at their fingertips. Similarly, your Facebook page should also have customer reviews. Nowadays, people want to read customer reviews before trying something new. Customer reviews help them understand what they can expect from the restaurant. So, you need to showcase your best customer reviews on the top.
You should also use high-definition pictures as your timeline images. These pictures should be highly resonant with your brand identity. You should showcase your brand identity with the available space on your Facebook page. High-definition pictures and videos can come in handy here.
You also need to post content for your customers regularly. These videos and images will grab their attention. You should always use high-definition pictures and videos with a captivating caption. The caption should be highly resonant with your customers’ requirements from a restaurant. Tell them about new deals and why they should try your menu.
You shouldn’t spend too much time on self-promotion. Customers also want to read helpful recipes and tips from your page. You should occasionally share helpful links and articles about food and healthy diets. It will add a touch of authenticity to your Facebook page and restaurant.
If you wish to take your Facebook page to the next level, you can invest in paid advertising on Facebook. This way, you will only have to select the intended audience and demographics for your advertising needs. Facebook will automatically place your advertisement in front of the right audiences. It will help you market your restaurant and entice potential customers. Facebook’s paid advertising options can help maximize your revenue and clientele with ease.
Did you know??? Roughly two-thirds of U.S. adults report that they are Facebook users. In fact, there are over 80 million small businesses using Facebook’s free business tools. (HubSpot)
Run an Engaging Instagram Page
Modern food lovers and bloggers use the power of Instagram for promotion. Instagram has slowly become a giant among popular social media platforms. It has 1 billion monthly active users. You cannot let this opportunity go to waste. So, you need to use Instagram to utilize social media and restaurant marketing for your restaurant.
Instagram serves as the ideal platform to share amazing videos and pictures of your restaurant. You can share high-definition pictures of your menu and seating arrangement on your Instagram page. Moreover, you can also share amazing pictures to highlight the ambiance of your restaurant. For example:
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Since Facebook owns Instagram, your pictures will be visible on both platforms simultaneously. It gives you an additional edge over your competitors. This way, you can kill two birds with one stone. Instagram is among the best options for social media and restaurant marketing.
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How Can You Enhance Your Instagram Page?
You can encourage customers to share their favorite pictures and menu items on Instagram. Word-of-mouth is still among the best marketing strategies. Therefore, you should encourage your customers to share pictures on their Instagram page and tag your restaurant. This way, you can enjoy free advertisement and maximum engagement.
In addition to this, customer images will help build a powerful database of high-definition pictures on Instagram. The next time somebody searches for your restaurant, they will quickly find hundreds of pictures from customers. These pictures can serve as customer reviews as well. Therefore, encourage your customers to promote your restaurant on Instagram.
You should also understand and use the power of hashtags. Most social media platforms offer hashtags to promote different categories. You can also create a specific hashtag for your restaurant. You can use your restaurant’s name in the hashtag. It will help with brand identity management.
Moreover, you can also use high-volume food hashtags to promote your menu. For example, you can use #chocolatelovers and promote a dessert from your menu. You can also use hashtags to promote a customized menu on holidays. For instance:
Lastly, you can also encourage people to participate in photo contests. Such contests are known to increase customer loyalty. This way, your customers will take amazing pictures of your restaurant and share them on Instagram. You can offer rewards and discounts for the winners.
These contests will show everyone that you care for your customers. Photo contests will help with brand identity management and customer loyalty. Additionally, the participants will keep checking your Instagram page to see if they have won or not. This will generate higher traffic for your Instagram page.
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Set Up a Google My Business Listing
Who doesn’t use Google to search for restaurants and other establishments near them? So, you need to use the “Google My Business” option and maximize your online visibility. Google My Business (GMB) listing can help you place your restaurant on the digital map.
GMB listing can also boost your SEO rankings for local search results. Setting up a proper GMB listing is among the best social media marketing for restaurants. Here are the key elements that your GMB listing should have:
- Restaurant Name
- Verified Address
- Official Phone Number
- Directions for Customers
- Business Hours
- High-Definition Photos and Videos
- Keyword Optimized Description
- Services or Menu List
(Image Credit: WP Codeus)
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How Can You Enhance Your GMB Listing?
You should never leave your GMB listing incomplete. It should offer all the relevant details about your restaurant. Otherwise, potential customers will choose competitors that offer complete information.
Similarly, you should also verify the GMB listing for your restaurant. You can choose multiple methods to verify your listing. Google will send out a postcard at your listed address. This verification will help you verify your account. Customers feel more comfortable choosing a verified restaurant.
You should also use relevant keywords in the description. We live in a keyword-oriented internet era. Your description should have the right keywords. Therefore, when customers search for those keywords, your restaurant will be on top of the search results. You can also use important search phrases and questions in your description.
Modern smartphones can easily capture high-definition pictures. This is why you should stay away from blurry or low-resolution pictures. High-definition pictures add a layer of authenticity to your restaurant. Additionally, GMB listings with high-definition pictures receive 42% more requests and click-through rates (CTRs) than competitors. So, try to hire a professional photographer to take amazing and high-definition shots of your restaurant.
You should also respond to customer reviews and queries in time. Modern customers do not like to wait for days for replies. So, you need to up your game and reply to their reviews and queries as quickly as possible.
If they leave a positive review on your listing, reply to them with gratitude. On the other hand, be patient when you face negative reviews. You can also include your GMB listing on your Instagram or Facebook page. This way, you can encourage customers to leave a review once they visit your establishment.
Take Help from Yelp
Yelp is one of the most powerful business listing platforms of our era. So, it can easily help with social media marketing for restaurants. All modern businesses require a Yelp account so that clients can leave unmoderated reviews. Moreover, a Yelp account offers a way for clients to engage with your restaurant in an unmoderated manner. Here are some elements that you must add to your Yelp listing:
- High Definition Photos
- Accurate Address
- Official Contact Number
- Keyword-Oriented Description
- Relevant Categories
- Check-In Options
- Price Range
- Available Amenities
One of the best things about Yelp is that it does not work as a traditional search engine. It runs on the power of customer reviews. This adds authenticity to your restaurant listing. Customers feel that they can get an honest opinion about your restaurant on Yelp. Therefore, you must have a Yelp listing for your restaurant.
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How Can You Enhance Your Yelp Listing?
Firstly, you need to fill out the relevant details regarding your restaurant. This means filling in the correct addresses, current contact numbers, and menu details. You should also take your time and choose the right categories for your restaurant. There are hundreds of different categories for restaurants on Yelp. You can choose according to your menu and theme.
Next, you should add high-definition photos to your Yelp listing. These pictures will help customers form an image of your restaurant. Make sure that you use high-definition pictures. You should also try to add relevant keywords to your description. This way, your restaurant will show up on top of relevant search results for those keywords.
Yelp allows you to take help from SEO. You should search for high-volume and relevant keywords for your restaurant. These keywords should be according to the theme and menu options of your restaurant. For example, you can add “the best Mexican restaurant” or “the best pizza joint” to your restaurant description. These keywords will bring in a high number of customers.
You should also pay attention to adding authoritative backlinks to your Yelp page. You can hire a professional SEO agency to add backlinks to your Yelp page. This agency can also help optimize your Yelp listing.
Lastly, you should encourage your customers to check in on Yelp. The customers can offer honest and live reviews of your restaurant. You can offer rewards and deals to customers for interacting with your Yelp page. A high number of reviews on your Yelp page will bring more customers to your establishment. You should make a habit of addressing customer reviews on Yelp. This will show everyone that you care for your customers and want to respond to their queries actively.
Invest in Regular Email Newsletters
Gathering a list of loyal customers is not enough. You need to retain customer loyalty in the long run. Sending out email newsletters is an elemental part of the best social media marketing plan for restaurants. So, you should use your time and money in developing effective email marketing strategies and newsletters. The newsletter should include:
- Deals and Promotions
- News and Event Details
- Upgrades and Additions
- Milestones and Achievements
- Helpful Tips and Recipes
(Image Credit: Upserve)
You can further customize this email newsletter according to your requirements. You should try to understand your customers before sending out an email newsletter. If they feel annoyed by weekly newsletters, you should change your timetable accordingly. We all know that customers can quickly get annoyed by constant updates. So, you need to pace yourself and send out monthly newsletters with entertaining information.
We hope that you found this article useful.
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How Can You Enhance Your Email Newsletters?
What should be in your email newsletter? It should be the first question you should answer before creating an email marketing strategy. Some people make the mistake of adding useless information to their newsletters. This can turn away potential customers.
Another important element is to add the right pictures in your newsletters. Pictorial representations of your achievements will have a greater impact on your customers. People do not want to read through blocks of text. You can get a graphic designer to create amazing pictures to celebrate your achievements. You can add these pictures to your email newsletter and share your success with customers.
It is also important to stick to an easily-readable template. Complexity is no longer in fashion. Simplicity is all the rage now. Therefore, stick with a minimalist theme and template. This will allow customers to consume important information from your newsletter quickly.
You can also add promo codes and deals in your newsletter. This will bring the customers to your establishment. Even if they were not planning on visiting your restaurant, the discounts would encourage them to come back to your restaurant.
So, plan your email newsletter accordingly and give your customers useful information. This information should encourage them to return to your restaurant. An email newsletter will serve as an impactful addition to your social media marketing plan for restaurants.
Fine-Tuning Is the Key
Setting up effective strategies for your restaurant is the first step. The second step is to monitor these strategies constantly. This will allow you to fine-tune your social media strategies according to customer interactions. If you feel that the current strategies are ineffective, you can quickly modify these. This will help maintain a powerful online presence for your restaurant.
The Bottom Line
Modern restaurants need a powerful social media presence for maximum engagement. A powerful social media presence can translate into more revenue for your restaurant. The strategies mentioned above can get you started with marketing your restaurant in the right way.
You can also customize these strategies according to your unique requirements. You should try to understand your potential customers before developing effective social media strategies. Customers drive your business. This is why you should create customer-oriented strategies for marketing your restaurant.
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FAQ’s
There are so many ways to promote your business on social media. We’re going to talk about a few:
- Start a fan page on Facebook.
- Tweet, Tweet, Tweet.
- Encourage customers to check-in
- Share your blog on social media.
- List yourself in directories.
- Highlight your videos on YouTube.
- Use branded hashtags on posts.
- Publicize on Pinterest.
A social media strategy is a list of things you plan to do and achieve on social media. It helps to guide your actions, organize your thoughts and be consistent.
People are using social media more than ever to communicate with restaurants and voice their concerns. Social media allows you to be more personal with your customers and build a connection with them.
With consistent updates, the right social media marketing strategy will lead to better SEO, higher conversion rates, increased traffic, improved brand loyalty and more.
Actually, social media is a great way to target specific audience segments with a small budget. Ads are especially helpful and cost effective.