Social sharing, especially on Instagram, has become a critical avenue for increasing a restaurant’s reach. Due to the fact that it is largely image-driven, Instagram has been a real game-changer, influencing the way people approach the dining experience and how restaurants present their meals. In order to succeed on Instagram, follow these tips:
Think Customer First
It’s not enough to just prepare really delicious food, the presentation is now a major part of restaurant marketing. Now, more than ever, consumers want to get the best picture of their food and share what they are eating with their network.
In order to help your customers and staff get the best pictures, ensure your restaurant has the right light as well as decor that brings out the best in your food photography. If your customers take incredibly good photos of your restaurant, ask them if you can repost the pictures. If they agree, you need to credit the customer in your post. Not only is this necessary for copyright law, but it also has the added benefit of opening up your Instagram account to the customer’s followers too.
Stay On Brand
Your pictures have to be well planned and done strategically. Random pictures of your dishes will not do well. Think first about your brand. Decide what you would like people to think about your brand when they see pictures of your dishes. This will help you to plan dish presentations that are a true reflection of what your restaurant is about. In an effort to present their restaurants in the best light possible, some chefs even go to the extent of creating dishes specifically for looking good photographs. Remember though that the food has to taste as good as it looks. There is nothing more disappointing for customers than ordering a delicious looking meal only to find that the taste is a big let down.
Engage Your Audience
Social media, as the name suggests, has to be social. Dialogue between your restaurant and the public is a way to create interest in your brand. Instead of talking at people, the goal of your restaurant’s Instagram account should be to engage with current and potential customers. Instead of just posting, take time to go onto target customers’ accounts and comment on their posts.
Once they see your comment, they may look through your profile and engage with your content too. The more they comment or like your posts, the more your brand becomes exposed to their network. This will result in your restaurant reaching people that you would ordinarily not be able to get to.
Get Creative With Captions
Remember to add captivating captions to your posts. The captions should reflect your brand voice while remaining short and straight to the point. Emojis are also a powerful addition to your posts, as using them results in greater engagement. As you caption your posts, add a call to action at the end. Ask a question or request an opinion on a subject. This invites people to start a conversation with you. It encourages dialogue as opposed to posting without a call to action.
Hashtag Wisely
Add hashtags to your posts that will allow people looking for your kind of restaurant to find you. In addition, research trending hashtags to find out what your target market is interested in and use the hashtags in your marketing.
Geotag Your Posts
Once people have seen your posts, you want them to come to your restaurant or order from you. Geotagging your posts allows people to know where your restaurant is located. This will make it easy for potential customers to find you.
As you prepare your restaurant to excel on Instagram, focus on keeping your customers satisfied. Create great-looking meals that taste good too and your business will become Instagram worthy.
