Are you looking to increase your restaurant customers through social media marketing? If so, advertising on Instagram and Facebook is a great place to start. Did you know that over 500 million people use Instagram daily? On Facebook, 69% of American adults are users of the social media platform. As you may guess, audiences from both platforms are broad and diverse.
As a restaurant owner, competition can be fierce. How do you know when you’re actually reaching your target customers and not wasting money? Keep reading to find out.
1. Why Facebook and Instagram Ads Work
In this digital age, social media plays an powerful role in marketing. Two of the biggest social media channels are Facebook and Instagram. In a 2019 survey, 7 in 10 adults use Facebook in the United States. As for Instagram, its monthly users reach 1 billion.
Knowing that people from all walks of life are on them, it's easy to see why advertising on these platforms is a smart move. Each social media platform is different, and offers unique benefits to marketers, so it's important to understand how each one works.
First, people spend a lot of time on Facebook and Instagram. When you advertise on them, users will see more of your ads. The more they see your ads, the more your brand gets retained in their memory. Moreover, if you create ad content that hooks users in, it results in more website traffic, more engagement, and more customers. This then leads to increased revenue, sales, and leads.
Plus, activity on your social media boosts SEO. You can remarket with more efficiency when users see your ads after visiting your site. Another advantage is that Facebook Ads are measurable, and relatively inexpensive compared to other types of advertising. Finally, your competitors use Facebook and Instagram, so why give them an edge?
2. How They Pull In Restaurant Customers
Anybody can fit Facebook into their marketing plan. Now, you might be wondering, how Facebook Ads actually work? What makes it more effective than other advertising platforms?
One key element lies in the geo-targeting features of Facebook Ads. Geo-targeting restricts your ad audience to a certain geographic area. Remember that your most interested audience is your current customers. Often, these are locals or neighbors from nearby areas.
Geo-targeting is a powerful tool that puts your business on the radar of other potential customers that are close by. It also helps you market your restaurant to tourists and other visitors looking for a great place to eat. Social media marketing doesn't require a spending plan that goes beyond sensible breaking points either. Unless you own a franchise needing to blanket the whole country, it's more effective to spend wisely and target your advertising locally.
Another key ingredient to a successful ad campaign is interest targeting. The cuisine you serve will spark the interest of Facebook users. Use this interest to find your target audience and create content that resonates with them. Every restaurant offers a unique customer experience and service.
For example, a sailor-themed family restaurant isn’t targeting the same audience as a buffet restaurant. Another way to do this is to exclude audiences who have a disinterest in your foods. You know vegans and vegetarians won't be interested in your meat-heavy cuisine. Thus, don't waste money advertising to them.
Together, these two advertising focuses can bring a lot of success to your restaurant.
3. What Every Successful Facebook/Instagram Ad Campaign Needs
One of the benefits of online advertising is that you get to know your audience. The Ads Managers on Facebook and Instagram allow you to see their data. Analyze that data and make marketing decisions based on it.
Focus first on your current customers before you look for new ones. Facebook has tools like Audience Insights and Lookalike Audiences for businesses to help you learn more about the customers you have, and how to attract new ones.
You learn about their geography, demographics, lifestyle, and buying behavior. Understanding this data helps you know what your restaurant customers want and expect. Lookalike Audiences help you look for people that are like your current customers.
If you can, make a list of warm audiences. Warm audiences are people who’ve heard of your restaurant online but haven’t visited it yet. They have a higher probability of becoming customers than cold audiences.
Create warm audiences by first creating custom audiences. Use factors like customer profiles, website traffic, and engagement. These will tell Facebook how to group each custom audience.
Combine the custom audience groups into a single audience. Make sure to update the geographic radius and age demographics. You can also create audiences for specific restaurant promos or events too!
4. Cost of Facebook and Instagram Ads
One of your first questions might be, how much do Facebook ads cost? As with all advertising costs, it depends. Many factors influence the cost of your ads:
Facebook advertising is one of the least expensive forms of advertising on the web. However, you’ll still need an adequate budget to advertise on Facebook and Instagram. On average, the cost per click (CPC) for Facebook Ads in 2016 was worth $0.27. A 2019 report found that across all industries, the average CPC for Facebook ads is $1.86. If you want to measure by cost per thousand views (CPM), it’s worth $11.20.
If you want to know how much your Facebook ads are worth, go through the process of bidding for it. While you’re on task, you may as well try a month’s worth of advertising. You can do the same on Instagram, as well.
Promote Your Restaurant on the Biggest Social Media Platforms
Thanks to social media, the world gets smaller every day. Localized advertising gives you a more targeted audience, saving you money, and makes reaching potential restaurant customers more likely. Don’t underestimate the power of local visits, especially if you’re in the foodservice business.
If you want to read more content on how to advertise your restaurant on social media, please visit our blog. If you lack the time or know-how to create your own Facebook or Instagram ads, allow us to help you out. We're standing by to help you plan and launch a successful social media marketing plan for your restaurant. Feel free to get in touch today!
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