Organic growth is tough; it’s even trickier to actually drive people to your restaurant’s social media page. Leveraging social media and using the platforms to your advantage can help your business to build awareness and drive foot traffic.
Firstly, you should consider the best social media platform for your business. For some it could be Instagram, for others it may be Facebook. You should then consider how the posts you share would reflect your brand values.
1. Create Visually Appealing Dishes
Ever heard of the phrase “we eat with our eyes?”
In today’s world, customers enjoy their meals with their eyes as much as they do with their mouths. And more importantly, customers nowadays have the tendency to judge a restaurant by the pictures on the official social media platforms.
It’s no secret that social media users love taking pictures and sharing their dining experiences. They would love it when their pictures are reposted!
Therefore, instead of trying to produce multiple self-generated contents, why not utilize user-generated contents in the form of visual storytelling to boost your online presence.
A quick and simple tip is to let the food shine while staying true to your brand. For example, you can use a white plate because almost every color of food looks good on white and it also highlights the food. Utilizing different shapes and textures of white tableware can help enhance your presentation.
While plating and presentation are important, it should not be at the expense of the dish as quality and taste should still be the primary focus.
2. Add Relevant Hashtags (#)
The hashtag is an easy way to increase a brand’s visibility, at least when used correctly. By simply adding #hashtags into your social media content, you can expand your reach to not only your followers but also to the non-followers that are looking for the same information at zero cost.
Hashtags help to amplify your restaurant’s presence on social media, and more than likely, it would bring a potential new customer to your business.
However, don’t try to force hashtags onto every post. A successful hashtag strategy starts with knowing your audience and taking the time to learn and be familiar with what works on each platform.
Follow these guidelines from the Digital Marketing Institute and you won’t go far wrong.
Commonly, restaurants would use hashtags relating to their location and the type of food they serve. Alternatively, you could visit your competitors’ social media accounts to get an idea of the common hashtags within your circle.
3. Run Polls and Giveaway Contests
People love the chance to win something, whether it’s a discount voucher or a personalized coffee mug with your business’ logo. Hosting and promoting user-generated content shows customers that you appreciate them, turning occasional visitors into die-hard devotees.
Using interactive contents such as quizzes or polls could help increase engagements, lead to repeating social media visitors and increase your business’ digital exposures. Social media polls and surveys are super simple for obtaining that needed customer feedback quickly.
For example, you could:
- Create a Twitter poll and ask people to vote for their next-visit dish.
- Run a Facebook contest and ask people to create a twist on your signature drink, with the winning beverage being featured on your menu for a whole month.
Ready to Ace Your Social Media Marketing?
High engagement is the ultimate goal of social media. Engagements such as likes, shares, retweets and comments would illustrate your audiences’ level of interest.
Now you know how to boost your restaurant’s social media effectively, it’s time to get to work!
Remember to show off your delicious dishes, take advantage of the hashtag game, and increase your social media traffic with hosting contests and polls.
Good luck & all the best!
Let’s stay connected on our social media.
