In the past, most restaurant marketing was done in one of two ways. First, restaurant owners would use print materials, like newspapers, magazines, flyers, and posters to get the word out. Secondly, they would produce advertisements for television and radio. But in today’s world, neither of these options for advertising your restaurant is really the most effective strategy. There are fewer and fewer newspapers being printed, and with the dawn of streaming services, fewer and fewer people are listening to the radio and watching television. Learning how to use social media for restaurants has become an essential tool in the restaurant owner’s toolkit.
Don’t despair, though–all this means is that you need to turn to other methods in order to effectively market your restaurant and reach the levels of success you deserve. Luckily, thanks to social media, there are lots of ways to reach your customers and draw in the crowds.
What Platforms Should I Use?
Learning how to use social media for restaurants starts with knowing which platforms to work with. Creating a page for your restaurant on every social media platform out there isn’t a good idea. You’ll quickly get overwhelmed and discouraged by the amount of work that goes into keeping all of the pages updated, active, and responsive. Overall, the drawbacks of having a large number of social media channels usually outweigh the benefits. This is especially true if your restaurant is a small business without a dedicated social media manager.
So, keep it simple. Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter are the Big Three when it comes to using social media for restaurant marketing. YouTube comes in closely behind, although creating content for a YouTube channel can be a time-consuming, involved process. We recommend starting off with TikTok if your business wants to venture into the video world, as its bite-sized content is easier to create.
Make your accounts professional. Choose a username that includes the name of your business–if that handle has already been taken, consider including the name of the town your business calls home, too. Add a profile picture, contact information, and business location and hours.
What to Post on Restaurant Social Media
Okay, now that you have your social media accounts established, what kind of content is the best to produce? We recommend creating simple graphics that advertise sales, specials, and events. Use sites like Canva to get a professional look without having to hire a graphic designer! Keep your colors, images, and fonts consistent to create a streamlined brand identity across all of your social media platforms. Even on sites like Facebook that don’t require an image to be included with every post, adding one can catch followers’ eye as they scroll through their feed.
Besides informational posts, there are a ton of other images that your restaurant can include on their social media page. Behind-the-scenes photos, video clips, and pictures of new dishes or restaurant events can help fill your page and entice followers.
We hope that these basic social media tips are helpful to your restaurant as you navigate the world of social media marketing!
