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Social media marketing for restaurants is considered one of the most aspects that contribute to the success of a food business. With millions of social media posts related to food and dining, social media has been proven to be a huge asset for restaurants when done right. Here are some guidelines to using your social media sites as a marketing tool for your restaurant.
1. Do your research
If you are not active on social media, there are many ways to figure out how it works and how to best utilise it to your advantage. You can check out online search engines, watch videos and visit social media pages of your competitors. Enrolling in a Restaurant Entrepreneurship Management Course may also deem helpful in order to get professional and experienced advice for creating and managing your digital marketing platforms. Studies have shown that over 80% of diners are influenced by online reviews and comments that they read on online platforms and social media sites. Having a concrete digital marketing strategy in your restaurant business plan is more important than most might think. The earlier your get started on your digital and social media marketing plans, the higher your chances of reaching your forecasted targets.
2. Information is Key
Ideally, your restaurant profile should be as complete as possible. Type of cuisine, average total bill, restaurant address, opening hours, contact information–these bits of information will give your potential customers all the information they need about you in one glance. A quick tip when creating your profile is to make it brief and easy to read. Popular social media sites such as Facebook already have templates and simple methods of inputting your information. Apart from key information, relevant information is also important. Keep your posts relevant to your business, whether it be photos of your food, 5-star reviews or promotional material, stick to what is relevant and to what is you.
3. Take Advantage of Promotional Tools
If you are new to the business and need help in getting an audience, social media sites offer various promotional tools to help boost your online presence and garner more page traffic. Take advantage of personalised or location-based advertising by referring back to your restaurant business plan on who your target market is and what market you would like to capture. Promotional tools work best when you also have the right promotional material – make your posters and online material head-turning and eye-catching by having great photos and captions. Featuring events, partnerships, promos or getting a social media influencer to review your food are also advantageous factors you can consider to get that boost you need.
4. Review those Reports
One of the most important aspects of social media marketing for restaurants is taking the time to review analytic reports. Social media sites such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter compile the data of your pages such as foot traffic, post engagements, page likes and followers, etc. Use this data to justify your online promotional budgets, curate forecasts for succeeding months, and improve the effectiveness of your next few marketing campaigns.