Restaurant owners and managers have a lot on their plate.There are schedules to make, inventory to track, reports to go over, the list can seem unending, so understandably, social media is not always a top priority. There are many advantages to being present online and today I want to talk about why it should be included in your list of must-do’s.
Free advertising
Most of the people coming in and out of your restaurant are on social media. They are checking-in when out to lunch and letting their circle of friends know where and what they are eating. A quick tag to your establishment and all of their friends can check out what you have to offer.
If you are running LTO’s and want to get the word out quickly, create a post with all the details, and there you have it. You have let your followers know what specials you have going on for the day! You can also do giveaways and ask your followers to share your post to their stories or their feed for a chance to win something from your restaurant. You can get as creative as you want with this. For example, you can give away a free appetizer, merchandise, gift card, or even go in with other restaurants or local businesses to show your enthusiasm for supporting the community!
Reels on instagram or TikToc videos are also a fun way to let people know about your business. They show up for anyone scrolling through to see, giving you an opportunity for new customers. In an article by Revelation, they give you tips and tricks for creating short videos on social media for your restaurant.
Interact with customers
Social media has made interacting with customers easier than ever before! You can share posts that your customers have posted about your restaurant and feature them on your page. It’s a great way to build good relationships and keep them coming back! You also have more opportunity to hear feedback through social media. When someone has a good experience, it is so easy for them to comment on a post or send your business a quick message letting you know. You can thank them with a response and let them know how much you appreciate their business. Even a quick reply can build great rapport with customers.
This is also true for those who leave a less satisfactory comment. Social media gives you space to reply and make up for whatever might have dampened their experience. People can see how much you care for your customers and will appreciate the response. You can also private message them and offer a coupon for their next visit. Before social media, that customer might have never come back. Now, you have the opportunity to make it right and have a second chance at a happy customer.
Of course all of this can seem like a lot of added work, but it doesn’t have to be. My best advice would be to not over-complicate things and have fun with it. You are serving up delicious food every day, so take a few minutes during slower hours to snap some pictures. You can feature an employee, post about your LTO’s, do a giveaway, or have your employees join in on the fun and create a trendy video. There are also free apps you can utilize to easily help you make your posts look more polished and catch the viewer’s attention like VistaCreate or Canva. Don’t sleep on the incredible opportunity that social media can be for your restaurant!
