UI UX Design, Branding, Website, Logo Design & Marketing Company in Coimbatore

Digital Marketing tips for restaurants & food business.

The Digital Marketing has become a force to reckon with, especially for a restaurant & food business.

It’s almost the end of 2018. You can’t avoid social media anymore. Everyone uses it, and at the very least, your small business should have an Instagram and Facebook page that you keep up-to-date with business information and hours. You should also be posting regularly (at least a couple of post a day) to keep your business fresh in the minds of consumers.

Choose the right platform, generally, for a small restaurant business, the rule of thumb is Instagram over FB and other social media. Yet you need an FB page to run your ads on Instagram. So, go ahead create both.

Now you have decided upon the platform, let’s analyse what to post, how to grow your audience, boost sales and establish a solid fan following for your food business.

High-quality photos

Arguably the very best way to promote your restaurant online is with high-quality, drool-inducing photos. Visual content is in high demand online these days, and having delicious looking photos on your social media outlets is an inherent way of attracting hungry eyes.

User-generated content

Lots of restaurants post the best images of their best dishes, but because there’s so much out there, you need to find a way to be different.

User-generated content is a great way to develop a personal and faithful bond with users. Host a photo contest by asking customers to share their favourite meal at your shop, and share them on your various social networks. Consider awarding some random lucky contestants with a free meal or other exciting offers!

Posting and promoting user-generated content shows customers that you appreciate them, turning occasional visitors into hardcore fans. Also, don’t be afraid to get feedback from your audience. Ask what their favourite dishes and desserts are. Reply to comments and engage.

Building a reputation

Social media allows brands to express their personality or communicate who they are to the world. Take this opportunity to introduce your cooks, stewards & management. Showing off your pleasant employees further provides significant reputation – happy workers say a lot about a business, and followers are sure to take notice of it.

Instead of going all promotional, give your audience interesting food tips, nutritional facts, ask them for their favourite combo or mix, Show them you care. Show them you bring them value.

Enhancing discoverability through hashtags

The power of using the right hashtags in Instagram is profoundly underestimated. It can drive huge post engagements and the chances of new people discovering your business are substantially increased.

Most popular Instagram foodie hashtags are

#foodie #food #foodporn #instafood #foodgasm #foodphotography #foodblogger #foodstagram #yummy #foodlover #delicious #instagood #foods #healthyfood #healthy #yum #foodpics #foodblog #tasty #foodpic #eat #lunch #breakfast #dinner #vegan #dessert #travel #foodiegram #healthylifestyle

Try to combine them with your city, food type and your brand name to get the best out of hashtags.

Influencer Marketing

Recommendations and word-of-mouth will always be the most powerful form of marketing. That doesn’t mean you need to sit around and wait for customers to start talking about your restaurant.

Invite local bloggers and restaurant critics to dine with you. Show off your latest ideas and newest dishes, then ask if they’ll post/write about you. There are even paid channels to get people with big social media followings to talk about you. Make it sure that your paid influencers have the right set of audience you are aiming for.

Simply put, influencer marketing is, instead of marketing to your target audience directly, you pay or inspire influential people in your niche to get the word out about you.

When it comes to social media users, influencers are basically the strongest referrals that your business can get.

Offers & Giveaways

Providing coupons and discounts for your restaurant is always a surefire way to bring customers to your doorstep. Make use of celebratory occasions, holidays, weekends to run social media campaigns framed around them, when combined with promotional offers like Buy one get one, Flat 20% etc., they favour to draw new customers & boost your sales.

Partner Up With Delivery Services

In today’s online-driven environment, convenience is the new necessity. Many online delivery services streamline the ordering process, and millennials love taking advantage of such delivery services.

Partner with food order & delivery services like:

  • Zomato
  • Uber eats
  • Swiggy

Chances are many customers discover you for the first time through these services!

Google My Business Listings

Nothing rivals as a solid local search marketing strategy for small businesses.

Many consumers research online prior to choosing a restaurant in a new place. This is why it’s of vital importance that all your restaurant details are online and up-to-date, including address, phone number, hours and your current menu.

Local search marketing consists of claiming and optimizing your business’s online listings so that you show up in relevant local searches. There’s a lot to local search, but when it’s done right, it puts your business on the map so local consumers find you when they need your products or services. Thus making enrolling your business in “Google my business page” a mandatory one for every business, unless you are voluntarily trying to live under a rock.

And don’t be hesitant to ask for a google rating if you find your customers in good mood. In today’s era of the Internet, reviews drive business. It’s that simple and you have to do something about it. It can be even as simple as having a poster in the dining area/counter asking for a good review for your business.

Power of Geo-Targeted Ads

Geo-targeted ads help you save money, ensuring that only users in certain cities or within a specific radius see your ads (eliminating non-relevant engagements, which can cost you hefty Ad money).

Many online advertising services, from Google Ads to Facebook and Twitter, offer geo-targeting Ad options. Be sure to take advantage of these handy targeting features to get your best ads in front of your best customers.

Facebook has many ad types that can be used to help you build more local awareness, drive to targeted landing pages and get you more followers. No matter your goal, there’s probably a Facebook ad type that will work for you. Be careful, though. Advertising is another one of those things that are better left to the experts. Without experience or knowledge of proper targeting, you may end up losing money.

We know It’s hard for restaurant owners to be able to handle all of the moving parts of their business and become digital marketing experts at the same time. If you’re new to SEO and digital marketing for your restaurant, it can be overwhelming.

Don’t worry! We are here to help. Get in touch with us. We help you craft the best digital marketing plan for your business, all while you can focus on your business.

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