Create an Instagram Profile Instagram marketing is ideal for the restaurant business, as this
social platform was originally built on sharing visual content (photos), and photos play a crucial role in promoting such establishments. Take high-quality photos of your dishes, interior, and staff and use them to fill your profile feed. Try to ensure all photos are in a similar color scheme and consistent style, so the feed feels cohesive. Also, be sure to add hashtags (several, not just one) – hashtags can help potential customers find your establishment. If you're unsure which hashtags are popular, check out your competitors' pages.
Try Video Marketing Video is a type of content that engages users deeply, so it can significantly improve your restaurant’s performance. On
Instagram, video formats are available in Stories, and videos can also be posted to the main feed. You can also go live to show, for example, how dishes are prepared behind the scenes.
Organize Contests and Giveaways Contests and giveaways increase brand recognition and expand your audience reach. The fewer the conditions for participation, the more participants you'll have. Prizes should be relevant to the interests of your target audience for a good response.
Leverage User-Generated Content User-generated content (UGC) is content created and distributed by users – your company’s customers. On social media, this usually includes posts that mention or link to the company, which users publish on their own pages. Like word-of-mouth, such posts are highly trusted by audiences because they are not paid advertisements by the establishment but rather the personal opinions of the users. Such content can attract new customers who aren't following your account. What are other examples of using user-generated content? You could organize a contest for the best photo with a hashtag of your establishment (e.g., a favorite dish).
Collaborate with Food Bloggers and Influencers You can reach out to well-known individuals with large audiences to mention your establishment. Since such people are trusted, collaborating with them can bring many new customers. Example: Invite such a person for a free meal in exchange for a review and post. Collaborating with local bloggers who have a smaller audience (so-called micro-influencers) can be particularly beneficial.
Run Paid Advertising (e.g., on Facebook)
Advertising on Facebook is highly targeted: you can specify in the settings which categories of potential customers will see your ads. For example, you can set a radius within which the ad will be shown, or the age of people who will see it. If you have a contact list, you can create a similar audience on Facebook to whom the ads will be broadcast.