Social media marketing for restaurants can be fun and easy if you know what you’re doing. Understanding the way marketing works can help you create engaging content to attract more diners to your restaurant. 

Why is Marketing Important for Your Restaurant? 

Without a strong marketing strategy, your restaurant won’t see new faces that often. Social media marketing can open new doors for your restaurant, especially if you have a lot to offer. The only way to do this is to understand why marketing is crucial. 

Brand Awareness 

Through marketing, you create a unique image for your restaurant. The more you promote it, the more people will recognize your brand. For example, Chik-fil-A is known for its incredible customer service, which has become its unique selling point (USP), making customers choose them over others. 

Reach New Audiences

One of the purposes of marketing is to ‘spread the word.’ What better way to do that than social media? 

Marketing your restaurant through social platforms is the fastest way to reach new audiences. You can catch the attention of someone as close as your neighbor or even those across the world. That’s what makes social media unique, allowing people from all over the world to view your content anytime, anywhere, and potentially become a fan. 

Showcase Your Business 

The purpose behind restaurant marketing is to showcase what you offer, including your top menu, customer service, and setup. Doing so can help viewers identify why your restaurant is exceptional. 

Top 8 Tips for Restaurant Social Media Marketing 

• Choose the right platforms 

Staying focused on a few social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter is better than simply existing on many with zero consistency. 

These three platforms are currently the most popular ones. Being active on these social networks is the best way to reach a larger audience. 

Create a page on each of these platforms for your restaurant, and be sure to maintain consistency with your profile name, description, logo, and everything else. This can help boost brand awareness, and people will begin to recognize your restaurant quickly. 

• Post appealing photos 

Posting aesthetically pleasing photos is bound to catch the attention of your viewers. 93% of Instagram users say that the visual appearance of a product influences their buying decisions. An example of using this tip to your advantage would be to post an aesthetically pleasing item from your menu, or a very popular dish that your customers love. 

Your social pages don’t always have to be about your food. You can also share photos of your friendly staff or restaurant ambiance. Sharing some behind-the-scenes content can also maximize engagement and response for your restaurant. 

Posting unappealing photos can potentially drive customers away, so be sure to share high-quality images. 

• Share videos 

Some people look at an image and are not quickly convinced. Videos seem more authentic and capture viewers’ attention for longer. 

For instance, sharing Reels on Instagram or short videos to market your restaurant can attract many. You can also give a video tour of your restaurant, your ingredients sourcing methods, and more.

• Promotions

Creating a promotion or a contest is an effective way to increase engagement. Many restaurant owners like to run contests on social media where the winner receives either a free dinner or drinks. You can come up with unique options to run contests for your socials. These promotion strategies increase brand awareness pretty effectively. 

• Partner with influencers 

An influencer is someone who has the power to impact the purchasing decisions of the masses because of their authority, knowledge, position, or relationship with their audiences. Your restaurant can benefit from partnering with an influencer, who can share your content or post about your restaurant in exchange for a free meal experience or monetary compensation. 

Collaborations with influencers can also sometimes lead to an increase in conversions. More diners may get influenced to visit your restaurant after seeing your collab. 

• Post at optimal times 

The time you choose to share a post on any social media platform can influence a user’s mind. This is an important factor when it comes to restaurant marketing. Posting about your breakfast menu at 6 PM won’t work in your favor. 

On the other hand, posting the same menu at 7 AM can have a good outcome. Staying consistent with the strategy of posting at the right time will automatically make your followers want to try your food. 

• Customer feedback 

Responding to customer feedback or reviews is essential to building better relationships. This allows you to see how your customers feel about your food, ambiance, or service. The best part about social media is it helps you to stay in touch with your customers directly. You can communicate with them regarding any issues or experiences they have had. 

Use customer feedback to make improvements, address issues, and maintain your reputation. 

• Share user-generated content 

When a customer posts a review, photos, or videos of your restaurant, they are all shareable content. It shows everyone that your restaurant is loved and enjoyed by many, making more people want to visit your restaurant. 

Sharing customer content also encourages other customers to share photos or videos of your restaurant the next time they visit. Getting a ‘shout out’ or having your content re-shared is something that motivates people on social media. 

Now that you understand the importance of marketing and know the tips and tricks to optimize your social media presence, get started with a bang! 

One last trick… 

Use a social media platform to simplify the process and win at it. Schedule all your content through Practina, an AI-powered platform created to help restaurant business owners manage their social media marketing easily and effectively. 

Practina allows you to: 

• Create and publish content to all your social media platforms at once
• Create quick and easy ads to reach larger audiences
• Get insights to monitor the growth and success of each post 
• Reach audiences looking to dine at restaurants like yours, and a lot more

Save time and amplify your social marketing results through Practina!