4 Critical Points for Effective Restaurant Branding on Social Media
The restaurant branding strategy has changed a lot over the past decade. It is now more customer-focused and product-centric.
Thanks to social media.
Social media marketing is one of the most relevant tools for restaurants and there is absolutely nothing confusing about this trend.
Which brings me to my first point, social media (with the major focus on Facebook and Instagram).
Social media marketing
- Facebook and Instagram Marketing
Facebook and Instagram are the two most relevant social media marketing tools. By relevant, I mean the platforms where you can meet most of your potential customers.
Be active where it matters.
Consistent posts and stories about your products and services on Facebook and Instagram is the key towards improving your visibility. Remember to talk more about your locally-sourced ingredients and specials. People want to know what you have got and how engaged you are with your business.
Don’t hesitate to go personal on social media. It will go a long way towards strengthening your relationship with your potential customers.
If you are looking to increase the number of your followers on social media, then online paid promotion is what you need, especially Facebook ads.
In addition to the call-to-action button that you can use for ‘Reservations’, Facebook has added some wonderful features for restaurants and bars to help the brand reach more people. This includes the ability to upload the menu and the ability to highlight multiple locations.
Google Business Page
Don’t forget to set up your Google Business page. Optimise your page so that others can find you in the top 3 results for your zip code (for example, ‘restaurants in Canberra’, ‘Best seafood restaurant in Sydney’).
Each social media platform has a definite design to help the brand reach its potential customers. Make sure you take that extra effort to learn about these tools to effectively upgrade your restaurant branding and strategy.
Be unique
Content without a story is just average, impersonal and unproductive. It is the story that makes your content one-of-a-kind. It’s this story that gives your brand an attitude and its uniqueness.
The consumers are fed with hundreds of advertisements on a daily basis and if you want to be heard in that noise, you need to grab their attention. More than mere words, a story will give your content the unique ability to connect with your audience.
Feature on social media what is unique about your products and services. Share behind the scene stories to make your brand look natural and approachable. Share on your social media about your unique and interesting decor.
Ratings mean revenue
Online ratings and reviews can make or break your brand, especially after Google adding review stars to its localised searches in 2010.
With over 336 million posts tagged #food and 27.5 million with #drinks, posts related to food and beverages is undoubtedly one of the most popular topics on Instagram.
Studies show that over 88% of people are influenced by reviews and online comments.
Almost 91% of 18-34-year-old customers trust online reviews as much as peer reviews before picking a place to dine.
Which means, your restaurant branding/marketing strategy should include your servers. Don’t hesitate to empower your servers to ask for online reviews from tables with excellent experiences. Customers can be your brand ambassadors, you just have to give them a nudge here and there.
Promotions and giveaways
Make use of promotions, specials and giveaways to bring brand awareness to your restaurant. Promote exciting offers on your social media websites, especially on Facebook. Giveaway campaigns will help you in gaining new customers. If everything else goes smoothly, there is a much better chance that you are acquiring a lifelong customer.
The best part about these promotions and giveaways is that it helps you to build a customer/potential customer database.
Make sure you use quality food images on your social media because 75% of the people who browse food photos have chosen a place to eat based on the images on social media, says in a survey by Zagat.
