Owning and running a restaurant certainly has not been a cake walk since the start of the pandemic. However, not all is lost, social media has been a key tool for businesses to stay in contact with their customers. Keeping the community updated on your restaurant’s latest rules and regulations, take out service, curb side and delivery options is essential. Since dine-in options aren’t what they used to be, plenty of restaurants have struggled in staying afloat and getting their brand out into the open. We have a great marketing technique that can help you in doing so.
Social media marketing has become increasingly valuable due to millions of potential customers utilizing these platforms every single day! Here are some ways that you can use social media to effectively promote your restaurant during this trying time.
1. INVEST IN YOUR CONTENT
Make an effort and take your time when planning out content for your restaurant. Our brand, like many others, likes to focus on quality over quantity. Of course, you want to stay active and post daily however, if you are posting content that isn’t related to your brand and isn’t the best quality, it won’t create the reaction that you are wanting from your audience. When you invest into the planning process of your content, it really can do wonders and increase your engagement and appeal over social media platforms.
2. UTILIZE INSTAGRAM AND FACEBOOK ADS
If you have enough room in your advertising budget, we highly recommend taking advantage of Facebook and Instagram ads. This form of social media marketing can help expand your reach and attract new customers. You can also be creative in the way you advertise to be different from every other business, use interesting graphics, include diverse photos, use unique videography techniques and ensure that your brand’s niche is present the entire time.
3. INFLUENCER MARKETING
Don’t be afraid to reach out to influencers you find on social media and offer them a free meal or gift from your restaurant in exchange for an Instagram post that highlights your food and services. It will help to do some research ahead of time when looking for an influencer; try to find someone who shares the same passion/niche as you (in this case, it would be cuisine). Nowadays, people are almost always willing to help businesses as they can imagine the struggle of maintaining a business during a pandemic.
4. CREATE INSTAGRAM REELS/TIKTOKS
Believe it or not, people who are active on social media love to watch short videos on different topics. That is why Instagram reels and Tiktok videos have become so popular! You can film challenges, day in the life snippets, quick tips, recipes, before and after videos…the possibilities are endless. It can engage a variety of different audiences and give them a look into your business. These kinds of fun and short videos can also give off a more personable and relaxed energy which a lot of consumers appreciate. So, keep that in mind!
5. CUSTOMER TESTIMONIALS AND PHOTOS
Visual content is superior to any other form of content. Taking beautiful photos of your delicious food will immediately capture the attention of all foodies everywhere and intrigue your overall audience! Even taking pictures of customers enjoying your food or reposting photos that other people have taken of your food can go a long way. It will prove that people like what you have to offer and entice others to swing by your restaurant and try it for themselves. In general, when you share customer reviews and photos on social media, it promotes your business. Delivering proof of positive experiences is an original marketing technique that has been used time and again before Facebook, Instagram and Twitter were even introduced!
