10 social media tips for your restaurant

Set your goals in advance

On the one hand, social media marketing should strengthen customer loyalty and, on the other hand, draw the attention of potential new customers to your business. As a catering business, you have a great opportunity to interact directly with your target group. However, you need a specific goal. So ask yourself where you want to go and how you can reach your goal.

Because without a plan, your social media presence won’t work and there will be no common thread to your content. That’s why it’s important to have concrete ideas, a well-developed plan and a strategy for what and how often you want to share on social media. This makes it easier for you to find a topic for future posts and saves a lot of time because you can plan your content weeks in advance.

Focus on specific platforms

It is good if your business is visible on different platforms. There are useful tools that make managing multiple networks easier. However, you probably won’t have enough time to serve all platforms. Concentrate on platforms that make sense for your target group. Two channels are particularly important for restaurateurs.

With Facebook, the reach is incredibly wide for informative posts, and Instagram is particularly useful for more aesthetic posts. Not only can you reach food bloggers there, but private individuals who also like to post their food on Instagram. A high number of restaurants are now taking advantage of this.

Offer contact options

Some social media platforms such as Instagram allow a profile to be explicitly marked as a company profile. Make it easy for your prospective and existing customers to find you and clearly mark, for example, the address of your business, telephone number and the URL of your restaurant website.

It is also a good idea to refer to an on-site service. So name the social media site after your restaurant and use your logo and colours for easy recognition.

In the restaurant sector especially, new customers want a menu that they can view online to find out what your restaurant has to offer. Make sure you are listed on Google Maps so that new customers can find you as easily as possible.

Post value-added content

The choice of topics and the timing of your posts are particularly important for success on social media. Find the right balance between promoting your restaurant and entertaining your followers. We advise against posts that are completely off-topic.

It is better to give insights into your restaurant and your work. It’s about balancing the quality and quantity of your posts. Impactful photos and a few short videos of special events, such as Christmas in the restaurant or insights into the preparation of a delicious dish, go down well.

You have many options here: For example, photos of your cheerful team have a positive effect and give your restaurant added charm. New items on the menu, special offers or nutrition tips and tricks offer added value for users, as they can discover new information and stay up to date.

Interact with your customers

React and respond accordingly to your followers’ comments and suggestions. Social media platforms thrive on interaction with users. This shows commitment, interest and reliability.

Encourage your followers by asking questions yourself, share photos and videos connected to your restaurant that your customers can post, or get them to tag their own pictures with your restaurant.

Stay current & relevant

Make sure your content is always up to date and that potential customers are getting what they see online. Therefore, regularly check that your menu is up to date and update your opening hours for special events. To ensure that your channel is regularly supplied with new content, it is best to create an editorial plan.

One added value of editorial plans is that you offer interested customers an opportunity to interact with your brand through ever-changing content. If you don’t post anything for a long time, your target group is likely to think you are inactive. In the worst case, users will assume your restaurant is closed or that it no longer exists.

Use reposts

Reposting or “regramming” on Instagram is a great way to market your restaurant.

This way you can promote your own brand, but also be in touch with your followers and feature their pictures. This will increase the loyalty of your followers while at the same time increasing your interaction rate.

Create videos

Video content is particularly useful in restaurant marketing. Because on social media channels, moving images stand out more than texts or photos. There is no better appetiser than to present deliciously served food and drinks in a short video.

You can also create an atmospheric setting for your furnishings. Likewise, shots of the outdoor area are visually easier to capture with a short video, so that your guests get a greater impression of your restaurant.

Ask for reviews and ratings

Motivate your customers to leave feedback and ratings for your restaurant on social media and Google.

Subtle notices like small stickers, A4 displays and so on in the restaurant with statements such as ” We appreciate your Like!” or “Rate us on Google” remind the customer to leave a brief comment online.

Stay authentic

The main goal of your marketing strategy should be to remain relatable and credible. One great advantage of social media marketing is the intimacy that you, as a restaurateur, can establish with your existing and potential new customers.

Score points with credible content so that your customers continue to see you as authentic and likeable.