Social media marketing for restaurants: What I learned from experts and Pilla users.

Choosing the right social media platforms

Not all platforms for social media management are created equal, some will be more relevant for you. The key is to select the right ones that align with your business goals and target audience. This means understanding the unique features and demographic appeal of different social media platforms, from Facebook’s wide age range to Instagram’s focus on visual content and TikTok’s trend-driven nature.

I did some research on the characterises on different social media channels and this is what I found.

✅ Facebook for older audiences

Facebook users are a wide range of age groups, making it an ideal platform for engaging with an older demographic. To effectively use Facebook for your restaurant, start by setting up a professional Facebook page that includes important information about your restaurant, such as address, contact details, and business hours. Use high-quality profile and cover photos that reflect your restaurant’s brand and ambiance.

I recommend regularly updating your page with engaging posts and special offers, and interact with your followers to maintain a connection. This way, you can maximise your reach and engagement on this widely-used platform.

✅ Instagram for visual appeal

Instagram is another vital platform for restaurant social media strategy. With its emphasis on visual content, it’s an ideal platform for displaying high-quality photos and videos featuring your food, interior, and satisfied customers. This focus on imagery allows for an engaging and appealing presentation of your restaurant business itself. I read that 30% of millennial diners actively avoid restaurants with a weak Instagram presence and I also read that 59% of them often review menus online. This highlights the importance of maintaining a strong and visually appealing Instagram presence.

To get started with Instagram, I recommend:

1️⃣ Set up a business account to gain access to analytical insights, data, and Instagram Ad campaigns.

2️⃣ Share daily specials, showcase new dishes, offer cooking tutorials, and feature customer testimonials in your Stories and Reels.

3️⃣ Be sure to maintain a consistent aesthetic that aligns with your brand identity. This not only enhances your restaurant’s visual appeal but also makes your brand more recognisable to your followers.

✅ TikTok for trendy content

TikTok, a platform known for its short-form video content, offers a unique opportunity for restaurants to showcase their brand personality and capitalise on food marketing trends. I read that 74% of TikTok users say the platform has inspired them to find out more about a product or brand online, so it’s clear that this platform holds significant potential for restaurant marketing.

Use TikTok to broadcast your brand’s personality through short videos. Don’t be afraid to jump on trends and use popular music to make your content more appealing to the TikTok audience.

Creating engaging content

Creating engaging content is at the heart of a successful restaurant social media strategy. High-quality visuals, user-generated content, and behind-the-scenes snippets can make your own restaurant's social media profiles stand out from the competition and attract more customers.

✅ High-quality photos and videos

I personally love a social media account with high-quality photos and videos. Visual content is easier to absorb, stays in mind, and wets the appetite of potential diners like me. Capture the overall ambiance and decor of your restaurant through quality images and videos so that users can experience your restaurant’s environment, making them more likely to visit.

Remember, a picture is worth a thousand words, so make sure yours convey the right message about your brand. Bad pictures will send just a strong message as great ones, only the message will be negative!

✅ User-Generated Content

User-generated content (UGC) refers to photos, videos, and other forms of content made by your restaurant guests that show your brand in a positive light. Re-sharing UGC is a powerful strategy for restaurant social media marketing because it builds community trust and engagement. Encourage your customers to share their pictures on their social media profiles and create a unique hashtag for your restaurant.

Reposting this UCG can help connect with the community, show positive feedback, and let customers hear from their peers about your business.

I spoke with Mike from Joli about getting started with user generated content, it seems like something which might be hard or expensive to do but that doesn't have to be the case.

✅ Behind-the-scenes snippets

Behind-the-scenes content offers a glimpse into what goes on in your kitchen and who the people behind your restaurant are. Sharing this kind of content can humanize your restaurant and create a deeper connection with your audience. Spotlight your employees, showcase kitchen preparations, and share daily routines.

Sharing these moments through Stories and Reels can significantly enhance engagement and give your audience a unique perspective of your restaurant.

✅ Stories and reels

Instagram Stories and Reels provide a platform for sharing new and interactive content. Stories are short-lived posts that disappear after 24 hours, while Reels are short, engaging videos that live permanently on your profile. By using these features, you can maintain visibility and engagement on the platform, providing content that is timely and interactive.

This offers a great way to keep followers informed and involved.

✅ Live streaming

Live streaming is another powerful tool for engaging with your audience. By showing real-time events like chef demonstrations, cooking classes, or live music, you can offer an authentic glimpse into your restaurant’s atmosphere and behind-the-scenes activities. Platforms such as Facebook Live and Instagram Live are popular for restaurants to interact directly with their audience during live streams.

✅ "Book Now" buttons

The “Book Now” button is a feature on platforms like Facebook and Instagram that can facilitate reservations and increase bookings. By integrating your reservation system with Instagram’s booking widget, you can streamline the reservation process for mobile users.

Implementing this feature on your profiles can increase overall reservations by providing a quick and efficient booking option.

Consistency in posting

In my experience, consistency is key in social media marketing. Regularly posting on your platforms increases your visibility to customers and catches their attention. Aim to post at least three times per week on your platforms. Twitter and Instagram, in particular, benefit from a higher posting frequency, with at least one post per day being ideal.

By maintaining a consistent posting schedule, you can enhance your brand visibility and keep your audience engaged.

Engaging with your audience

Engaging with your audience on social media is important for building relationships and loyalty. By initiating conversations, answering questions, and responding to reviews and comments, you can nurture customer loyalty and foster a positive online reputation.

Let’s delve into how you can effectively engage with your audience.

✅ Responding to reviews and comments

Responding to reviews and comments quickly is crucial for maintaining a positive online reputation and fostering customer loyalty. Whether the feedback is positive or negative, addressing it professionally shows customers that you care about their opinions and are willing to fix any mistakes.

For instance, Paris Creperie responds to every single online review, showcasing their commitment to customer feedback.

✅ Asking questions and running polls

Interactive content, such as quizzes or polls, is highly effective in driving engagement on social media. By asking questions and requesting feedback, you create a two-way dialogue, making customers feel heard and valued. This can inspire followers to engage with your posts and interact with your restaurant, fostering a sense of community and engagement.

Promoting deals and events

Promoting special deals and events on your social media platforms can create a sense of urgency and attract more customers. Whether it’s a limited-time offer, a contest, or a giveaway, these promotions can entice followers to make reservations or visit your restaurant.

Let’s delve into how you can effectively promote your deals and events.

✅ Highlighting Special Offers

Limited-time offers and countdown timers can create a sense of urgency and prompt quick action from your customers. By announcing time-sensitive discounts with compelling visuals and clear messaging, you can effectively highlight the short window of opportunity and prompt quicker decision-making from your audience.

Promote these local events and offers across multiple platforms and encourage followers to share the news for increased visibility and engagement.

✅ Hosting Contests and Giveaways

To host social media contests and giveaways on your social media platforms can significantly boost engagement and attract new followers to your restaurant’s online presence. However, it’s important to be mindful about the frequency of contests; running too many too often can diminish the excitement and come across as desperate.

A well-planned contest or giveaway, on the other hand, can enhance brand awareness and make your campaigns easy to spread, measure, and engage with.

Analysing performance

I think this is where it's easy to fall down in your social media marketing. Analysing the performance of your restaurant's social media strategy is crucial for optimising your efforts. By tracking key metrics and adapting your strategies based on performance data, you can ensure your restaurant’s social media marketing efforts are effective and yield the desired results.

Let’s discuss how you can analyse your performance and adapt your strategies accordingly.

✅ Tracking metrics

Monitoring key metrics like engagement rate, click-through rate, and follower growth can help measure the success of your social media campaigns. These metrics offer valuable insights into which social media posts resonate with your audience and which ones do not.

By tracking these metrics, you can adjust your content to better meet the preferences and behaviours of your followers. I recommend focussing on just a few of the most important metrics, try and figure which ones are actually driving revenue for you.

Analysing performance data can help you adjust your content and posting schedule for maximum engagement. By identifying key metrics such as engagement rate, click-through rate at different times, you can tinker with your social media marketing strategy.

Evaluating this data can help you find the optimal times for posting content, ensuring maximum audience engagement.

Collaborating with influencers

Partnering with influencers can be a game-changer for your restaurant’s social media restaurant marketing strategy. These individuals have a significant influence on social media and can amplify your restaurant’s reach, create awareness for events or promotions, and help you reach a wider audience.

Let’s explore how you can collaborate with social media manager and influencers effectively.

Finding influencers who align with your brand is important as they have the ability to reach and engage an audience that is already interested in your niche. You can enhance brand visibility, build credibility and attract new customers using the audience of already popular influencers.

By identifying influencers in the food and lifestyle niches who consistently create content relevant to your restaurant’s offerings, you can achieve these goals.

Allowing influencers to take over your restaurant’s social media account for a day can provide a unique platform for authentic engagement. By providing the social media influencer with specific instructions and the creative freedom to infuse their personality and style into the content, you can ensure mutual benefit and engagement.

Using paid ads

Paid ads on platforms like Facebook and Instagram can significantly boost your restaurant’s brand recognition and drive more traffic to your profiles and establishments. By building targeted advertisements, you can reach particular groups of people or interests, making your marketing efforts more efficient and effective.

Let’s delve deeper into how you can leverage paid ads on Facebook and Instagram.

✅ Facebook ads

Facebook ads provide a cost-effective way for restaurants to reach their target audience. By using high-quality images of your dishes and clear and concise messaging that highlights what makes your restaurant unique, you can significantly increase brand awareness and attract new customers.

Moreover, Facebook’s targeting options allow you to reach specific demographics, such as age, location, and interests, making your ads more effective.

✅ Instagram sponsored posts

Crafting compelling Instagram sponsored posts requires a good understanding of your audience. By using data points such as age, gender, breakdown of new vs. repeat customers and customer order history.

You can identify your restaurant’s top customers and tailor your sponsored posts to resonate with them.