Sharing a meal is one of the best ways to bond. Eating together is a culture of many families and friends. People treasure these moments. Meetings over coffee, breakfast, brunch, dinner will not stop happening soon.
Capturing these moments comes naturally as people want to share the fun with their friends and loved ones. With this in mind, Instagram is a great tool for marketing your restaurant as it allows your guests and staff to capture and post these special moments. Read on to discover more ways you can use Instagram to build your social media presence and exposure.
Building your Brand
Your name is your asset. Having customers associate proudly with your Restaurant is a sign of success. Social media marketing is one avenue of achieving a renowned, admired and sought after brand. People like to take friends, family and colleagues to places they can take pride in.
One way you can use Instagram to stamp your identity in the market is to post photos of your branded items as customers use them. Things like branded water, napkins, towels, aprons, utensils, packaging boxes and gift bags among other items. Combining these with stunning images of your dishes adds to the intrigue.
You can also post images of your staff wearing branded hats, chef jackets, shirts, sweaters or dresses. Those neat looking staff photos send out a message of harmony and order and potential customers will associate your business with excellence.
Instagram Marketing Creates Urgency
Have you ever come across a food advert or image and felt instantly hungry? This is the effect Instagram can cause on your prospects. Imagine it’s nearing lunch time and then you post a photo of a freshly made mouth-watering dish with dripping cheese and sauce, some few dressed chips and salad and a glass of juice. Let me tell you – it works! Please eat with their eyes and this is the message you want Instagram to send for you. ‘‘I want it here and now”.
Increase Your Online Take away and Delivery Sales
Your customers have many dining options; one way of ensuring they select you is to continuously be front of mind. Using Instagram allows you to remain front of mind and if done correctly, gently guides your customers back to your door.
In a way, Instagram acts the same way road signs guide a driver. It points people to your direction, people who know you or people who have no idea who you are, become interested. Once they see that post, they will want to locate you.
For Instagram to work in your favour; your content is extremely important. Ensure you post top quality, appealing images that will attract and convince your prospect to find you.
Restaurant Marketing of New Menus
Most restaurants create a new menu at regular intervals; it’s a way of keeping customers curious and interested, and coming back. Use Instagram to engage your customers in your new menu development process, from idea conception right through to the finalised product. Post images of the whole process.
A good idea is to ask your followers to caption the photos or consider even making the captions questions so your followers are encouraged to respond to them.
Instagram Networking As A Restaurant Marketing Tool
Restaurants that hold events like weddings, birthday parties, partnerships during trade fairs, or host campaigns or product launches can capitalise on Instagram to create networks. Businesses nowadays suffer a lot of challenges. Maintaining high-value networks is one of the secrets to surviving in the market.
The ability to bring out a positive image of your restaurant, supporting others in social events, participating in local programs can go a long way into moving your business to the next level.
During events, capture the hype and your brand and post instantly while the excitement is still high. The secret to social media marketing is speed of implementation. Cause immediate impact. The more you delay, the less the impact is likely to be. That’s why Instagram is a winning tool in promoting your restaurant.
Use Instagram Videos to Promote Your Brand
Every day, a new concept is born, a new venture opens up with passionate people at the helm. How are you going to stand the competition? Will your existing tools remain constantly powerful to ensure you stay at the top?
Using Instagram videos is an excellent way of keeping your brand front and centre, so additional noise (aka competition) is kept to a minimum. Instagram videos keep people engaged and they are very appealing to the mind if done effectively. Use them to make an impact, for every event, explore exciting ways of making your restaurant shine. For example, you can shoot and post video clips of quick, easy to replicate dishes that you followers can watch at their leisure.
Involve Your Staff
Your people can make or break your business. Celebrate them and making them aware of their contribution in your business is appreciated.
A perfect way of keeping your staff motivated is taking photos with them while working in your restaurant. Images of happy staff will make your restaurant even more appealing.
Do you know of any other “Instagram for Restaurants” ideas? What experiences have you had with the marketing methods mentioned above? Share with us and let us know your point of view.