Social media has been around for almost 20 years now. It has helped us as a society to stay connected with family and friends. But it has also played a vital role for businesses, including restaurants. Let’s take a closer look at the benefits of using social media for restaurants and what you can do as a restaurant owner to maximize these benefits.
The Benefits of Using Social Media for Restaurants
Why should you use social media in your restaurant’s marketing strategy?
First of all, it’s free to use! Where else can you promote your business at such a low price point? Nowhere that we’ve found – and we’ve looked!
In addition, social media is a great place to grow your brand awareness – helping people to learn about who you are and the kind of food you serve. In fact, research shows that social media is one of the primary ways that people use to research restaurants before deciding where to eat. This shows just how important it is for you as a restaurant to be present and engaged on social media!
Some social media networks, such as Facebook, even have restaurant-specific features like a tab where you can put your menu and a button where customers can click to reserve a table.
With such an opportunity in social media, it’s a key way for restaurants just like yours to maximize their strategy.
Let’s now take a look at the best ways to use social media for restaurants, without having to pay a dime!
How to Best Use Social Media for Restaurants
Carve Out Your Space
This means taking your time to complete your restaurant profile fully. Granted, every social media platform is different, but here are a few things you’ll want to include:
- A clear profile picture, perhaps your logo or a photo of your storefront
- A description of the cuisine you serve
- Your location
- Your phone number
- Your days and hours of operation
If this information is missing, it can come across as negligent – that your restaurant doesn’t care about its online appearance. And your visitors are more likely to look for other dining options.
Post Appetizing Photos of Your Food
Your food is the main draw for customers – so it’s essential to heavily feature photos of your food in your social media feed.
And of course, not all food photos are created equal. Take the time to snap high-quality, appetizing pictures of your food, along with descriptions that make people eager to try it.
Related Content: How to Increase Restaurant Sales in the Post COVID Economy
Stay Engaged
It can be easy to get distracted by the everyday operations of your restaurant and forget to post on social media. But it’s important to maintain a regular posting schedule. Otherwise, you risk losing people’s attention or, worse, people might think that you’ve closed up shop.
Posting one to two times every week helps to keep you top of mind with your customers and even attract new interest.
Use Hashtags
Across all social media, hashtags are a great way to attract new customers to your restaurant. Hashtags are keyphrases that people search for, such as #bostonrestaurant or #locallunchspot.
To stay relevant, research what food-related hashtags are trending in your area and incorporate them into your posting strategy.
Make it Personal
People love to feel like they know the brands they use, including restaurants. So the more personal you can make your social media presence, the better.
You might occasionally introduce and feature a bio of someone on your restaurant staff, such as a chef or waitress. You might even post a behind-the-scenes video of your chef creating one of your most popular dishes.
Concluding Thoughts on Social Media for Restaurants
Social media represents a huge opportunity for your restaurant. With the right strategy in place, social networks can do wonders for your restaurant’s image and new customer acquisition.
Don’t let this opportunity slip you by! If social media marketing and management seem a little daunting and you’re not sure where to start, it might be a good idea to work with a company that offers restaurant-specific marketing services, such as Devour Now.