Did you know that over one billion people are on the social media platform Instagram? It's true! Instagram is an internet giant, the second most popular platform behind Facebook.
Advertising your restaurant to that many people can do wonders for your brand, and as a result, your business and revenue. That's why so many posts on Instagram are commissioned by various companies to advertise their food, drinks, and other products.
But how do you stand out amongst the crowd and create content that makes people want to like and share? What are the tips and tricks to taking photos that are going to drive people to want to try your food?
If you're asking yourself these kinds of questions, worry no longer, because we're here to help!
In this article, we'll discuss a few ways to make your Instagram restaurant marketing game stronger, enabling you to advertise your restaurant in the best way possible.
Now then, let's get started!
Obviously, potential customers' ability to find your posts in the first place (so they can later like and share them) is essential. Be sure to start off on the right foot by creating an Instagram account that people can actually find. How? By using your restaurant's name in the user and "at" name, as well as having an informative bio and a picture of your establishment as the profile picture.
Post your Instagram "at" around your restaurant, too. That way, your established customers will know your account exists, so they can follow you and stay up to date with whatever you're up to, or even better, share the information with their friends!
No, you don't need to invest any money in a fancy camera to take pictures of your food and drinks for Instagram. As long as you have a phone that came out sometime in the last few years, the built-in camera will more than suffice.
With that being said, it's important to use your camera outside of the Instagram application, as photos and videos taken inside of the app aren't as sharp in quality.
You can then import the photos and videos and use Instagram's neat editor suite to touch up any issues or add some flair before posting online.
Take pictures of anything and everything that your restaurant has to offer. Food and drinks are obvious, but if you have an aesthetically-pleasing menu board, post a picture of that online, too. If your booths look like old cars, share images of them with the world online.
If you have items on your menu that look funky, snap a pic and add a funny caption. You'd be surprised how popular your photo could get online. Remember, mention your restaurant's name in every post. It doesn't hurt to tag your location, either.
Get creative, but more importantly, have fun, because those are the kinds of accounts that go viral.
Remember, you can post videos to Instagram, too.
So if you have bands that play at your place every Friday night, or if your restaurant is particularly busy on game day, feel free to grab a clip and post it for your followers to see.
Don't be afraid to utilize Instagram's story feature, either. Those are extremely popular amongst Instagram viewers and can often get more attention than individual posts.
Instagram is one of many social media platforms that implement the hashtag feature. Feel free to use any and every hashtag you can think of on every post.
Remember, the amount of people that are on Instagram is staggering. Hashtags will help your posts find new eyeballs, which can result in follows, and potentially actual customers.
No matter how good your content is, you'll never get any traction without posting consistently. You'll need to create a posting schedule that includes multiple posts per day at various times of the day.
Track your results, especially what kind of posts do the best and at what times, so you can adjust your schedule accordingly.
You may be thinking, "I don't have all day to sit around and post on Instagram." And you're right, but don't worry, you don't have to. Utilize a tool like Buffer, which allows you to schedule posts in bulk to go online at a later date.
Once you get a nice following on Instagram, use the platform to advertise new products, special events, and other promotions.
If you're preparing to release a new item on your menu, run an advertising campaign on Instagram for a few weeks to get the word out.
Another fun idea? Post coupons online for customers to show at the register to exchange for discounts or free items. Those kinds of posts get talked about amongst friends and can help bring new customers to your restaurant.
What's better than pictures of your restaurant and everything it has to offer on your Instagram? Pictures of your restaurant and everything it has to offer on your many satisfied customers' Instagrams.
Encourage your customers to take pictures while at your restaurant. You can even "challenge" customers to post a photo with a specified hashtag or set up a photo opportunity that folks can use as a backdrop for their posts.
If all of this is still a bit overwhelming, don't worry, there are companies out there that will do all the hard stuff for you. That way you can focus on other things while they run your social media accounts!
Now that you know a few Instagram restaurant marketing tips, you're all set!
Remember, the most important thing is to have fun because that will translate through the camera and to your followers. Get creative, learn what works, and stick to a strict schedule.
Also, don't forget to post often, and use plenty of hashtags, too.
Looking for more social media advertising help for your business? Contact us today, we'll be glad to assist you!
