Five Tips to Take Your Restaurant’s Social Media to the Next Level
- Include a Rich “About” Section
- Match Content Across Accounts
- Post Frequently
- Publish Food Photos
- Engage the Viewers
If your restaurant’s social media growth has been stagnant, it might be time to look into some common strategies for building a large following. By doing so, you will improve the odds of hosting campaigns that trend, and your restaurant could subsequently see a spike in revenues.
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Include a Rich “About” Section
One of the most common mistakes that social media managers for restaurants make pertains to their “About” section. While the name of the page is fairly self-explanatory, countless brands fail to convey their image here. Whether it is due to a lack of description or incomplete information, which are two of the leading causes, a weak “About” section is a red flag for any serious customer. Unless you showcase the exact address, the type of food that you offer, your contact information, your history, and your operating hours, you risk losing a lot of skeptical consumers.
Match Content Across Accounts
Although Facebook is generally recognized as the leading platform for businesses, your restaurant should have a profile on other social media sites as well. Examples include Instagram, which is an offspring of Facebook, Twitter, and Snapchat. As you build following, regardless of how long it may take, you should further consider expanding to Pinterest and YouTube. After you create your fundamental accounts, however, make sure that their content matches. While it is okay to prioritize Facebook, which Forbes recognizes as one of the greatest facilitators of brand growth, followers across other websites should see the same types of posts.
Post Frequently
If you ever decide to completely destroy any online following that you have built, inactivity is probably the best way to do so. Taking long periods of time between your posts is going to force many people to unfollow your brand. In addition, when your social media is dormant, you might be insinuating that your restaurant is inoperative. For example, when an online viewer notices that the last time you posted something was a year ago, they could easily assume that your brand is no longer in existence. Maintaining a consistent online presence will help you avoid such issues, and it will further facilitate a steady growth in your following.
Publish Food Photos
When businesses create social media pages, regardless of their platforms of choice, there are only two things that they should focus on publishing. Products and services. Although there is nothing wrong with posting an occasional update about operations, your primary content needs to revolve around your main offering, which is food. When you start mixing topics that step outside of your scope of services, you are risking a loss of followers. After all, most folks who follow any restaurant’s social media will seldom care about the “restaurant’s” views on politics, worldwide events, and similar.
Engage the Viewers
Finally, you have to find a way to engage the viewers. If your posts are not getting much recognition, whether due to a lack of comments, likes, or general inquiries, your brand does not look credible. The easiest way to overcome this issue is to instigate involvement. There is a reason why many online companies utilize headlines such as “tag one person that would enjoy this” or “share for a chance to win a free item.” Although the latter showcases an incentive-based promotion, something as simple as a witty question could lead you to a high engagement rate.
You should also beware of any faux pas pertaining to grammatical errors, cultural insensitivities, and other blunders that put thousands of organizations out of business. Using your restaurant’s social media accounts to promote the food is probably the safest and smartest way to go about the endeavor.