Nowadays, every restaurant – big or small – needs to hustle with its marketing game. I mean, who doesn’t want to stand out and rake in more cash, right?
But let’s face it, marketing can sometimes feel like a drain on your wallet. Thankfully, there are plenty of restaurant marketing channels out there, from paid ads, email marketing, and print media to old-school word-of-mouth, that won’t break the bank.
And here’s the kicker: Social media marketing for restaurants is the most budget-friendly and effective channel.
Whether you’re slinging burgers or serving up gourmet cuisine, platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook can seriously boost your game.
So, stick around as I dive into the details of how to market your restaurant on social media. Trust me, it’s gonna be worth it!
Why social media marketing for restaurants?
There are lots of good reasons, backed by numbers, to use social media for marketing your restaurant:
- There are 5.04 billion social media users worldwide, as of January 2024. This translates to a massive potential customer base for restaurants.
- 63% of consumers use social media to find new restaurants or explore new menu items.
- About 88% of people rely on online reviews and recommendations from friends on social media when they’re deciding which restaurant to visit.
- 49% of consumers search on Facebook for restaurant-related information.
- 32% of people will visit a restaurant website directly after seeing their content on social media(Source: Gitnux).
Besides,
- Free Platforms: Most major social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram are free to use for basic business pages and profiles.
- Targeted Reach: You can target your posts to reach a specific audience in your local area who might be interested in your restaurant.
- Organic Growth: By creating engaging content like mouth-watering photos and videos, you can attract followers and build a community organically without paid advertising.
Also read: Social media marketing for small business
How much does social media marketing cost for restaurants?
The cost of social media marketing for restaurants depends on various factors like your goals, target audience, and tools you use.
- For example, the cost of social media advertising ranges from $0 to $8 per action.
- You might want to outsource your restaurant marketing. There are, specifically, social media marketing companies for small businesses that can do SMM for your restaurant for less than $5,000 per month.
- Freelance marketers on platforms like Fiverr or Upwork offer marketing services at prices ranging from $68 to $131 or higher.
Best social media platforms for restaurant marketing
Yes, there are different social media platforms from Instagram to LinkedIn. But not all of them are worth spending time and effort to promote your B2C business.
Here are the most suitable social media channels to promote your restaurant:
- TikTok
Those platforms are your top choices for the following reasons:
- They all have millions of monthly active users.
- They offer various opportunities like photo-sharing, targeted advertising, sending messages, etc.
- These platforms are perfect for targeting younger demographics who are frequent restaurant-goers.
Let’s quickly review the strengths of each platform for restaurant marketing:
| Platform | Strengths |
| Highly visual platform perfect for showcasing mouthwatering food photos and restaurant ambiance. | |
| Massive user base for broad reach, targeted advertising options, and community building. | |
| Twitter (X) | Ideal for sharing recipe inspiration and visually appealing food presentations, often used for meal planning. |
| Real-time updates, good for promotions, special offers, and conversationally interacting with customers. | |
| TikTok | Short-form, engaging videos ideal for showcasing fun dishes, chefs, or creative recipe teasers. Huge potential for viral reach, especially with younger demographics. |
Strategies for Social Media Marketing for Restaurants
Here’s a rundown of essential steps you need to take when marketing your restaurant on social media:
#1. Find your voice
To get started, define your restaurant’s unique personality and communication style. Imagine your restaurant’s personality. Are you fun and quirky Sophisticated and elegant?
Use language that feels natural to your audience and connects to them on a deeper level.
#2. Post food photos that pop
Whether you’re posting on Instagram or Facebook, enticing photos make people crave your food!
Good lighting is key! Natural light is best but avoid harsh shadows. Be creative and play with angles and close-ups to show off details. Try using props like plates, silverware, or drinks to create a dining experience feel.
#3. Shoot tempting videos
Short videos grab attention! With Reels on Instagram and Facebook, and short videos on Pinterest and TikTok, you can show your chefs in action making signature dishes. Or, take viewers on a quick tour of your restaurant’s atmosphere.
#4. Post regularly, but not too much
No matter where you’re posting your content, consistency is key to helping you stay in your followers’ minds and social media algorithms. Here’s how often you should post on Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and Pinterest.
- Instagram: Three to five times per week
- Facebook: one or two posts a day
- TikTok: One to four times per day
- Pinterest: 10 to 15 pins a week
- Twitter: One to three tweets per day
Apart from how often you post, it’s key to know the best times to share on social media. That way, more people will see your content.
- Best times to post on Instagram: Tuesdays (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.), Wednesdays (9 a.m. to 4 p.m.), and Thursdays (9 a.m. to 2 p.m.)
- Best times to post on Facebook: Mondays to Thursdays (9 a.m. to 5 p.m.)
- Best times to post on TikTok: Wednesdays and Thursdays (9 a.m. to 11 and 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.)
- Best times to post on Twitter (X): Tuesdays to Thursdays, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- Best times to post on Pinterest: Tuesdays to Fridays at noon
#5. Run contests and giveaways
Running giveaways and contests is allowed on all the platforms. It can generate excitement and engagement. However, the entry rules on the platforms are a bit different.
For example, to do a giveaway on Instagram, you can ask your followers to like the post, tag friends, post photos with a specific hashtag, or share the post to stories.
On Facebook, in addition to liking the page, commenting on the post, tagging a friend, or sharing the post, you can ask your audience to join the group you’ve created for the giveaway.
Twitter giveaways require retweeting the promotional post, replying to it, and mentioning someone’s profile or your branded hashtag.
Entry methods for Pinterest contests include pinning an image, creating a board, following a board, and commenting on a pin.
Participating in a trending challenge related to your restaurant, using a specific hashtag, following your account, or commenting are some entry rules for a TikTok giveaway.
#6. Promote special events & offers
Let everybody know about the exciting things happening in your restaurant. Announce exclusive deals and discounts and Live music nights or themed dinners that encourage your followers to visit your restaurant and boost your sales.
#7. Tag relevant people and places
If you want to get seen by a wider audience, tag relevant people and places. This could be food bloggers who visit your restaurant or local suppliers where you source ingredients.
#8. Share news & updates
Your restaurant’s social media channels serve as a news outlet too. Keep your customers in the loop by sharing updates like changes in operating hours, introducing a new chef, or adding a new item to your menu. It’s all about keeping them informed and engaged.
#9. Use relevant hashtags
Hashtags can be used anywhere from Twitter to Pinterest. They help people find your restaurant on social media.
So, research popular food hashtags and location-specific ones and add them to your posts. However, make sure to take into account the specific circumstances of each platform.
On X (former Twitter), just one or two hashtags per tweet would be enough. This is also true for Facebook posts.
On Instagram, you can use up to 10 or 11 hashtags without any fuss.
To be honest, hashtags on Pinterest aren’t as powerful as on other social media platforms. But they’re still hanging in there. Just make sure to use only the ones that are relevant to your content.
TikTokers can use between 4-6 hashtags per video to increase their visibility.
Tip: Regardless of the platform you’re on, it’s important to mix up your hashtags. Throw in some popular ones, add a few local tags, sprinkle in some niche hashtags, and don’t forget to include your own branded ones for that extra boost!
#10. Show your team
To connect with your customers, you need to put a face to the name! Introduce your friendly waitstaff or feature your chefs and their culinary passion. I’ve got some fascinating ideas to spark your inspiration!
- Share Instagram stories titled “Employee of the Week” and highlight their achievement.
- Use Reels showing them plating dishes, prepping ingredients, or even sharing their favorite kitchen hack!
- Create photo albums on Facebook featuring team achievements like birthdays, anniversaries, etc.
- Tweet fun staff facts or trivia like a hidden talent.
- Share photos of staff-created recipes on Pinterest with their name.
- And TikTok is perfect for jumping on trendy challenges, like showcasing behind-the-scenes moments of your staff with a comedic twist!
#11. Promote your accounts
To draw people to your social media accounts, you need to be outgoing and ask your existing customers to follow you. For instance, put your social media handles on the menus, table tents, or restaurant windows.
#12. Respond to comments & messages
Your customers want to feel the love from you. So, make sure to answer their questions, tackle any worries they have, and give thanks for their positive comments. Spice up your replies with emojis to show off your personality.
#13. Engage with your community
There are local community groups and forums on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok that can expand your network. Join them, participate in discussions, and share relevant content. Use the power of word-of-mouth marketing to strengthen your ties.
More marketing ideas for restaurants
There are plenty of ways to market your restaurant on social media. The tips above are budget-friendly, but for those who are not new to social media,
here are some additional tactics you can try:
#14. Partner with local influencers
These days, influencer marketing is a big deal for all kinds of businesses, big or small. If you’ve got a small or medium-sized restaurant, you can tap into the power of local or nano influencers to spread the word about your place.
Here’s how to do it: Look for local food bloggers or social media folks who are into reviewing restaurants. Offer them a free meal in exchange for a review. If you’ve got an online ordering system, throw in a special discount code for their followers.
Once they’ve posted about their experience, share their review on your own social media, and make sure to tag them for maximum exposure!
Suggested content: Influencer marketing examples in 2024
#15. Run ads
Paid ads are a great way to target your perfect customers and get your restaurant out to more people. The cool thing is, all social media platforms have awesome ad features.
Instagram and Facebook are top-notch for targeting options and different ad styles. If you’re aiming for the younger crowd, TikTok ads are where it’s at. But Twitter and Pinterest? They’re not as hot for restaurant ads, to be honest.
Remember;
- Set your goals, audience, and budget. Use high-quality visuals and ad copies, and strong call to actions. Monitor your ad results.
- Take advantage of diverse content formats from images to carousels and videos.
- Try these ad ideas: Your most tempting dishes, food preparation process, cozy dining area, a limited-time offer, a special menu, or positive customer reviews.
Also read: Are Instagram ads worth it?
#16. Use tools and apps
If you ask me, this is the absolute must-know tip for restaurant marketing on social media.
Without using modern tools and apps, it could seriously take ages to get your restaurant noticed online. I’ve put together a list of some super helpful tools for your social media marketing.
- Design: Canva, Visme, PicMonkey, VSCO, Adobe Lightroom, Giphy, VistaCreate, Pixler
- Video editing: iMovie, Adobe Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve, InShot, KineMaster
- Stock photos & videos: Unsplash, Pexels, Pixabay, Rawpixel, SplitShire, Freepik, Pngimg
- Creating content: AiGrow, Buffer, ChatGPT, Piktochart
#17. Publicly respond to negative feedback
Not every customer will be thrilled with your service, and you can’t stop them from speaking up about it.
So, when dealing with negative comments, handle the situation like a pro. Respond to them quickly and openly. Thank them for sharing their experience and offer a practical solution, like a heartfelt apology or a discount. Skip the excuses.
Best examples of social media marketing for restaurants
Loads of examples of social media marketing for restaurants are out there, just waiting to inspire you. Here, I’m sharing a few of them.
Follow Restaurant
Follow Restaurant, a young eatery in London is making waves on social media, with a strong presence on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.
Their Instagram page boasts an impressive 228k followers and over 150k views, while their TikTok account has amassed 177k followers and a whopping 2.6M likes.
A quick scroll through both accounts reveals stunning photos and videos of mouthwatering dishes and skilled chefs whipping up culinary delights.
Crumbl Cookies
Crumbl Cookies, the go-to spot for delicious cookies, is all over social media – you name it, they’re on it: Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Pinterest, Twitter, YouTube, and even LinkedIn.
With a whopping 4 million followers on Instagram and a massive 7 million followers on TikTok, racking up almost 77 million likes, this cookie maker is crushing it on social media!
Wendy’s
Wendy’s burgers are everywhere online – you can find them on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, YouTube, and more! They’ve got millions of followers and they’re always mixing things up with different types of content, from Reels to memes and single images.
And let me tell you, they’re killing it on TikTok by making the most of hashtags and user-generated content.
Chipotle
Chipotle is dominating on Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest, and more! They’re not just posting boring stuff either – they’re introducing new menu items on Pinterest and whipping up short, catchy videos of their dishes.
Plus, they’re all about fun videos on their social media platforms. They know how to keep things interesting!
Short on time, but still want to win on Instagram?
Many restaurant owners find managing social media alongside everything else can be tough. AiGrow can help by offering tools to:
- Create great content: Find inspiration and plan your posts.
- Schedule effortlessly: Schedule your content in advance.
- Find the right hashtags: Reach more people with relevant hashtags.
- Run giveaways easily: Generate excitement with simple contest features.
FAQs
How can I market my restaurant on social media?
Engage hungry audiences with mouthwatering photos & videos, run contests, partner with local influencers, and make online ordering a breeze through social media for your restaurant.
What is the best social media marketing strategy for restaurants?
There’s no one-size-fits-all, but focus on visually appealing content (food pics, videos), engaging with your audience (responding to comments, running contests), and local reach (relevant hashtags, location tags).
How often should restaurants post on social media?
It depends on social media, the type of content, and your audience. But posting 3-10 times a week would help you stay consistent without overwhelming your audience.
