Making it as a restaurateur is never easy, but it’s especially challenging when you’re not using digital marketing best practices. Two things that should never be stale? Your food and your marketing strategy!
Don’t worry if you’re not sure how to revamp your restaurant’s digital marketing. That’s what I’m for! My agency has helped a lot of restaurants over the years, and here are the 3 big tips that you need to know.
1. Stop With the Basic Photos
At the start, every restaurant posts nothing but pictures of their menus and their dishes. And I get the logic, “Look how good our food looks! Don’t you want to eat this?” But if you’re focusing that heavily on posting pictures of your entrees on Instagram, you’re missing even better opportunities.
Why not show off your restaurant instead? Or your staff, or your promotions, or anything else that’s more interesting than making your followers stare at a souffle?
When you show off your restaurant (instead of the food), you’re showing people what the atmosphere is like. That means they’ll be able to imagine an actual meal at your location, which in turn makes them more likely to want to visit.
Sharing photos of your staff or kitchen area can also give your audience a “behind the scenes” feeling that makes them more interested in your brand. Social platforms are where people go to connect, so help them connect with your restaurant!
With all of that said, there are still times when it’s a good idea to post pictures of your menu or entrees: when there are changes. If you’re rolling out a new menu item, showcase it! Did you recently redesign your menu? Show your customers! But don’t make those things the basis of your digital marketing content. The only goal you’ll accomplish is boring your customers to tears.
2. Update Your Listings
If you’re running a successful restaurant, then you’ve probably been in business for a few years. When was the last time you updated the visuals on those listings? Don’t think I just mean your website, either. This includes every social media page you’re on and your Google My Business profile.
Even if you haven’t had your entire restaurant redone, take a new photo! Camera quality can determine how good an image is, and I’ll bet that your current phone has a better camera than the one you used to take restaurant photos 7 years ago. For this reason, even if you make no changes whatsoever, I’d say to update your listing photos every 3 years at the extreme minimum.
What changes call for new photos? Basically all of them. If you repainted a wall, take a photo! If you got new tables, take a photo! You get the idea. If customers are going to see the best possible version of your restaurant, then they need to see your latest upgrades. Don’t let laziness drive your customers away!
3. Add Bios On Every Site
As a marketer, the best thing you can do is talk about yourself! Well, your business, anyway.
People want to know the story of your restaurant, and you should tell them! What makes you unique? What sets you apart from competitors? If you can’t answer those questions (and demonstrate the answers to your audience), you’ll lose business! Here are all the places where you should have a bio for your business:
- Your Website
- Google My Business
Obviously a Twitter bio doesn’t have enough space for your restaurant’s full story, but be sure to add your website link so people can learn more about you. Don’t think that you can copy and paste, either! What people want to read on Facebook, LinkedIn, Google My Business, etc. is going to be different. Cater the copy to each site if you want to really engage with that platform’s users!
Don’t Slack
You didn’t get a successful restaurant by taking the easy way, so don’t start now! Take the time and make sure you’re doing your digital marketing correctly, because your competitors will be. You’ve got the tools, so there’s no excuse not to use these digital marketing tips for your restaurant!
If this all sounds like too much, don’t worry. I’ll help you sort it out during your free consultation with The Go! Agency!
