Get some of our best restaurant marketing tips in this article. With a focus on social media!

The guests – your new social media marketing department

How did you come across your latest restaurant experience? Maybe it’s a place you’ve passed by many times and grown curious about, or maybe you saw an ad for it? Or was it through a recommendation from a friend, or an enticing photo on social media platforms?

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It’s not breaking news that friends words weigh heavily when it comes to recommendations. There’s a foundational trust there that breaks through the noise and starts conversations. Much of the contact between people today takes place through social media. Life, joy, sorrow and adventures are shared in a blissful mix – and it is a powerful tool, not least for restaurant marketing. Let’s dig deeper.

Happy guests = An efficient restaurant marketing strategy

Have you ever considered the concept of letting your guests handle the restaurant marketing for you? To exist, one needs to be seen, and to be seen, one needs to stand out and attract. In today’s jungle of media and competition, it can be difficult to do just that – to be seen. Efficient restaurant marketing revolves around reaching a specifically selected target group, so that the communication can be sharpened and really come through. However, a problem that often arises is that the target group is very broad and diverse. Ask yourself; who do we think would visit our restaurant? Who is the specific type of person that would appreciate our food, drinks and interior? And most importantly – how do we reach them?

Social media, we all have some kind of idea of that phenomenon. Let’s circle back to the scenario that you received news about a new restaurant from a friend, a word you trust. This person shared a photo on Instagram and you started a conversation. Shared photos and praise on social media are great assets that you should take advantage of. Organic restaurant marketing through happy customers is powerful, and the word is spread in the circle in which the satisfied customer is in – and a large part of this circle probably matches your target group.

Nudging – Make your guests want to share their experience

Is there a way to affect the organic marketing through the guests, apart from delivering great service and good food? There’s a phenomenon called nudging. The purpose of nudging is to nudge individuals to make decisions that benefit a certain cause, without influencing the individual’s freedom of action. How can this be applied to your social media strategy? Here follows four tips:

Create experiences worth sharing for you restaurant marketing
Events, competitions and surprises of various kinds creates memorable moments that can be immortalized through photos and videos and become user generated content. This could be a photo friendly dessert or a flashy drink, or that there’s a prize awarded every night to the guest with the most impressive funny fact. Create an atmosphere worth sharing.

Discrete call-to-actions
Be creative! There could be a screen with a live feed of tagged Instagram posts, and the hashtag being clearly written out on the menu, or maybe even a photo corner with insta friendly décor?

Offer something extra
Offering things like phone charging stations, nice giveaways, female sanitary products in the bathroom or free Wifi can make the restaurant experience feel more enjoyable. The small gestures elevate the overall impression of the visit and the willingness to share this with others.

Interact!
Re-post posts and stories you’re tagged in. Guests who see this may be encouraged to share their pictures and videos for a chance to be seen in your social media channels. Interaction builds relationships, and the customer feels seen and appreciated.

Be active in your restaurant marketing

In keeping with the latter, interaction, it is equally as important to be active. Social media is a place your potential guests can go to get a feel for the restaurant and build up anticipation before their visit. Let your social media show your personality and the outward image you want to radiate.

Keep the feed alive
Active, up-to-date social media signals to your guest that you’re open, and it creates anticipation before the visit. They get a feel for your personality and what you have to offer.

Dare to get personal
Don’t be afraid to create bonds with your followers, let them follow you behind the scenes. Invite your followers to get to know the people behind the trademark and build trust.

Use hashtags
Using local and up-to-date hashtags can make you rise to the top of more social media feeds.

Ask questions
Include a question in your posts, give your followers a chance to interact with you and start conversations. Show them that you are more than “just” a brand.

Don’t underestimate the power in customer-driven social selling

To exist, one must be seen, and to be seen, one must stand out and attract. To do that, in turn, there has to be some kind of engagement and a willingness from the followers to stay around and come back – and to share their positive experiences.

Friends’ words weigh heavily, and a good experience shared on social media attracts the satisfied customer’s closest circle, which can create ripples on the water. An active social media feed, interaction and guests who want to share their experience are three powerful pillars for organic marketing. Give it a go!