5 Ways Restaurants Can Use Social Media to Rev Up Business
Many restaurateurs are culinary experts, but when it comes to social media, it’s a whole different story. It’s not easy to decide what social platforms are right for marketing a restaurant, especially when your expertise lies in the kitchen.
“We’ve heard time and again, especially from big data, that millennials want high-tech options to make the dining experience smoother. The goal has been what was christened frictionless service, without any metaphorical rubbing between guest and server,” notes checklist and auto compliance company EZ Forms in a recent blog post.
Modern technology undoubtedly allows consumer transactions with a restaurant to occur more frequently and fluidly. Let’s look at some of the social media channels that can increase the ROI of an eating establishment:
1. Facebook’s “Buy” Option
Facebook came out with a "Buy" button where individuals can purchase a good or service straight from Facebook.com. If your restaurant has a Facebook page, just think what you could do with that kind of online ordering. Customers who look at your Facebook page for interesting and informative content can simply click a button to order takeout and/or delivery service, and you’ve got yourself another sales channel. And, of course, places that offer restaurant memorabilia along with food can profit from the button as well.
2. Twitter’s Objective-Based Targeting
Twitter has Objective-Based campaigns, or Twitter Ads linked to specific business objectives. Your advertising dollars will be more efficiently spent, since you only pay when users perform the action you have desired, such as click-throughs, conversions, app installs, and new followers/leads.
Recent statistics show that this network is increasingly male dominated. What can this mean for your establishment? If it’s a steakhouse, you’d better think about increasing your advertising budget with Twitter, or get started with them. If you run a tea shop, better give it a second thought.
3. Instagram Caters to Teens
Does your establishment cater to a younger clientele, or do you wish to cater to them? Then think about this: According to a recent study conducted by Piper Jaffray, Instagram is the overwhelming choice of social media platform for young users. In fact, 83 percent of teens in wealthy households are active Instagrammers.
If your looking to get in the pockets of discretionary income-laden teens, get an Instagram account for your business. Post shots of happy customers noshing and photograph the daily specials. Give a discount to anyone who references the Instagram picture.
4. LinkedIn B2B Targeting
Do you consider your restaurant upscale? LinkedIn tends to reach a more mature, educated, and affluent demographic. If this is the kind of demographic you are after, look into this platform’s advertising technology.
If your restaurant is based around a corporate headquarters, for example, you can use precision B2B targeting to target specific businesses (or industries) to lure in the business crowd.
5. Mobile Marketing
Sixty percent of Americans are active on social media at least once a day, many of who connect through their mobile device. How easy is it for a potential customer to look at your menu on their iPhone before coming in? Have you got four-star reviews that will whet their appetite while they research your place on their tablet? Make sure you get the lion's share of local business by filling up your Yelp and Google pages with customer reviews.
Remember that social media is nothing more than word of mouth writ large. Make your marketing campaign as good as your food and you’ll see some mouthwatering results.
