7 Creative Ways to Use Videos to Promote Your Restaurant

Written by Justine Nightingale
Wednesday, February 10, 2021 at 05:00am CST

Video is king this year, and you’ll reap its benefits.

Video marketing is here to stay. In fact, video marketing is key to your restaurant’s success this year.

What’s more, according to one study, 54% of consumers want to see more video content from a brand or business they support. And this holds true for your restaurant.

Today’s digital arena is focused on interesting, catchy, and unique videos that draw customers in. Restaurant videos can entice diners with mouthwatering videography and keep your restaurant top of mind. (tweet this)

You can (and should) leverage the power of video marketing for your restaurant. You’ll have a better shot at attracting hungry diners while stepping over the competition. 

Let’s look at seven creative ways to use video to promote your restaurant.

#1: Chef Interview Videos

Your menu is the star of your restaurant. It’s what drives business and creates loyal diners.

Your chef is responsible for your incredible menu, and your current and potential customers want to learn more about your chef.

By giving your website visitors and social media followers an inside look into the life of your chef, you personalize your restaurant and make people want to visit even more.

Because people who enjoy your food are more likely to return, and they’re more likely to tell people about your restaurant, you want to do everything you can to engender their loyalty.

You can do this with interviews with your chef. Create a strategy where you do a series of short videos with your chefs. These could be question/answer, or they could highlight specific recipes, or they could showcase cooking tips.

In addition, personalize your chef by asking questions about where he/she learned to cook as well as their favorite at-home meals.

#2: Diner Testimonial Videos

Restaurant reviews are a powerful marketing tool for your restaurant. Why not use them in your video marketing to promote your restaurant?

Customer reviews can drive an exponential amount of business to your restaurant. Harness their power and turn them into videos.

With more and more people listening to what others are saying online, this creative way to use video can supply you with great content.

Pick some of your regular customers and ask them if they’d be willing to answer a few questions in a video. If they say yes, consider giving them a perk to do. For example, offer them several coupons for free meals.

You’ll find that you reach more potential customers on your website and in your social media and email marketing with customer testimonial videos.

#3: Cooking Tips and Tricks Videos

While giving away your top-secret recipes isn’t the best idea, it is a good idea to share some of your restaurant’s favorite tips and tricks for cooking.

You can create multiple videos highlighting your tips. By giving something away to current and potential customers, you’ll engender their loyalty to your restaurant.

These creative videos full of tips and tricks sets your restaurant up as the expert in your community. You will shortly be “the restaurant” that people want to go to because you are the experts.

These short instructional videos can offer tips on how to do things in the kitchen, favorite kitchen utensils, favorite brands, and short cooking and baking tips.

Then, you can encourage your followers to share some of their favorite tricks as well. Very quickly you will have established an ongoing social media conversation, grabbing more followers each day.

#4: Home Delivery Videos

With the pandemic, restaurants have a seen a large rise in home delivery. In fact, many restaurants have survived simply because their customers are ordering for delivery.

This is a perfect opportunity to highlight the ease of delivery for your customers. You can make a creative video following a customer’s order from the initial order and then from the restaurant including the cooking, packaging, and delivery of meals to the customer’s home.

You can showcase your safety measures and let customers know how you are handling COVID-19 safety.

Video marketing can highlight your restaurant and your menu items.

#5: Customer Videos

Another creative way to use video marketing is by creating an in-house strategy.

While you can simply walk around interviewing guests while they’re eating, you can also be more strategic.

Consider coming up with daily customer questions. These can be funny, or they can be more serious. For example, one video might be showcasing everyone’s favorite food at your restaurant. Or, they can have nothing at all to do with your restaurant and be something humorous.

Be sure and get your customer’s permission before bringing a camera to the table.

#6: Menu Videos

Another intriguing video idea is showcasing individual menu items. For example, start videoing as your food delivery trucks arrive. Then, move to a clip of your staff unloading the items for the specific menu item.

After that, you can strategically film the making of item (without giving away your recipe), then the delivery of the item to the table, and your customers enjoying it.

#7: Day in the Life Videos

People want to meet your staff. They want to feel a personal connection to your restaurant.

You can do this with day in the life videos featuring your staff. Get creative with these and really highlight each of your team members.

You can follow them through their workday. You can also ask them questions like, “What is your favorite part about working here?”

Showcase each of your team member’s personality and then share the videos on your website and social media.

Final Thoughts on Video Marketing

Statista tells us nearly 30% of people watch more than 10 hours of video online each week.

In addition, a majority of consumers watch branded videos on social media and websites and then continue on to make a purchase.

So, if you want to take your restaurant marketing to the next level, the best idea is to leverage video marketing to promote your restaurant. (tweet this)

Not only is it cost-effective, but it’s also a smart strategy for getting more diners in your restaurant and ordering online.

At Restaurant Engine, not only do we create great, responsive websites, but you can count on us to create a website that drives business to your restaurant and edges you above the competition by using mobile-friendly design with a terrific user experience. Ready to take the plunge and create a website with an online menu, blog, and beautiful photos? Get your free website consultation today!

Images: David Emrich and Jakob Owens on Unsplash