The restaurant industry has taken a toll in 2020. The pandemic caused hundreds of restaurants to either close their doors or completely rebrand and change the way they do business. Social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook have created a way for restaurant owners to market that is unlike anything before. Let’s talk about some of the key ways Restaurants can grow their business with social media.
Restaurant Business Profile
Creating a business profile on social media platforms is simple and very effective for any industry trying to grow their business, but especially for restaurants. If a restaurant creates a business profile page, they can add their hours of operation, website link, post menu options, share customer reviews, just to name a few.
Facebook for business is almost like a Google My Business page, in that people can view all of the basic information about that business, and there is a call to action button at the top of the page which can be set to call, view the website, or send an email. There are also options for people in the service industry to upload their menu, which is great for restaurants.
Professional Photos for Social Media Posts
It goes without saying that quality photos can make or break the success of a restaurant on social media. The presentation of menu items can be a fantastic way to drive interest in a restaurant. Hire a professional photographer to capture captivating photos of the food offered at the restaurant, as well as images of the restaurant itself.
A study run by Italian food chain Zizzi, found that 30% of 18-35-year-olds are less likely to check out a restaurant if its Instagram presence was weak.
Restaurant Hashtags
Food hashtags and hashtags relevant to the city are also important when using social media to gain traffic to the profile page for any restaurant business. It can be the food offered, the city in which the restaurant is located, the style of food offered, or even trending hashtags for food Instagram pages. Our Hashtag Remix has hashtags for every niche and industry, check them out!
Online Gift Cards
Instagram also offers new features for service-based industries such as gift cards and online delivery. On Instagram Stories, a restaurant with a business page can share a story with a button that will take the user to purchase food for online orders. Since most of not all restaurants are now giving the option to order takeout, this is a great way to offer food to people without having to use other third-party food delivery sites.
Instagram also allows gift cards on their platform. Once this service is set up, pages can then offer this option on posts and on stories for their customers to use.
Social Media Engagement
Attracting customers to follow a restaurant’s social media page can be done through consistent engagement on pages within the surrounding community. Liking posts, commenting on images, and engaging with Stories, can be useful and will allow anyone managing the page to invite people to check out their profile.
The restaurant industry may have taken a hit, but social media could very well be the saving grace to many restaurant owners. Social media pages, just like a website, require work and consistent updates but can prove extremely profitable for future businesses. If you are a restaurant owner and want to start or grow your own business page, click here to speak with a social media professional!