In the new age of social media, owning and promoting a restaurant looks different than it used to.
With easy access to restaurant reviews through Google and Yelp, you want to make sure that people are getting the right impression of your business. It's not enough to just be present anymore.
Restaurants need to engage with their customers through social media. Not good with social media? There are companies out there that can do it for you!
Successful customer engagement creates a unique experience for your customers when they come in. It also establishes long term loyalty which will help your customer base continue to grow.
Are you looking for fun and creative ways to promote your restaurant? Keep reading for some unique restaurant promotional ideas!
Hosting giveaways and contests through your social media account is a virtually free and simple way to get the word out there about your restaurant.
This is a great way to engage with old fans and new ones all at once. Choose a prize, it could be a gift card to your restaurant or a bundled package with a whole bunch of different prizes.
Post the giveaway on social media and have customers enter by following you and tagging a few friends. When the contest ends, pick a winner through a random generator.
Your loyal customers will tag their friends, which will help you gain new followers. The word will spread about your restaurant with one simple post, and spark new interest.
Posting engaging content is another way to interact with your customers. What does this mean though?
Engaging content includes anything that will help you interact with your customers through comments and likes.
Ask open-ended questions, or give a call to action. One example of a call to action is to ask your followers to tag friends.
Another great way to interact is to reach out to local social media influencers that have a substantial following. There are often local accounts that are dedicated solely to new and great food in your area. Invite them to come to eat at your restaurant in return for posting and promoting your business on your account.
Lastly, make sure to engage by replying back to the customer's comments. Whether they leave positive or negative comments, you need to respond.
If the customer's respond positively, thank them for their feedback. If they respond negatively, offer a gift card and apologize for their bad experience.
This will show your customers that you are present and appreciate and care about their support!
Another great way to interact with your customers and promote your business is to re-post customer content.
Any time a customer gives you a shoutout on social media, you should re-post that content on your page.
You should also take advantage of raving reviews! Reviews, compliments, and testimonials are a great way to build credibility and promote interest.
Any time you get a 5-star review through Yelp, Google, or Facebook, make sure to re-post it on your page!
This is another way of engaging with your customers and showing them that you care. This will help you develop personal relationships with your customers, which will create the long-term loyalty you are looking for.
Taking the time to engage with your customers is another sure way to grow your following. These loyal customers will spread the word to their friends, creating more loyal customers.
Although this doesn't have to do with direct customer interaction, it's still extremely important.
The pictures that you post on your page are often people's first impression of your brand. You want the branding and culture of your company to shine through on your social media and customer review pages.
This means creating an atmosphere both inside the restaurant and on your social media accounts that will make people curious or want more!
Posting high-quality pictures is a must. If you're not so great with the camera, hire a professional photographer to take pictures of your dishes.
Repost high-quality pictures that your customers have taken as well. Just make sure that the photos are clear, crisp, and have good lighting.
A loyalty rewards program is another great way to promote your business.
A loyalty rewards program helps your customers keep coming back for more. There are lots of different ways you can do this.
A common one is by creating a punch card. Create a little business card that your employees can hole-punch every time the customer comes in. After a certain amount of punches, choose a gift for them to receive. Usually, this is a gift of their choice.
Another great option is to use a text message system. You can send out promotions and coupons to your loyal customers who are in your system.
Promotions are another great way to engage customers. This can include happy hour, coupons, 2-for-1 deals, free drink with purchase, and more. Nothing helps draw people out more than a good deal!
You can send these promotions out via your loyalty rewards program. You could also post them on your social media page so that all your customers can take advantage of the deals.
These kinds of offers help promote business during slow days and hours. They also make for happy customers.
Another option is offering a weekly promotional. For example, if you're a taco shop, every Tuesday night you can offer a "Taco Tuesday" deal with discounted tacos.
Social media is an essential tool for growing your customer base and interacting with your customers.
Not only do most of these restaurant promotional ideas cost close to nothing, but they will also help your restaurant grow quickly.
For more help with promoting your brand on social media, contact us today!
