Social Media Do’s & Don’ts for Today’s Restaurateurs

Written by Justine Nightingale
Wednesday, November 27, 2024 at 08:00am CST

According to one survey, 62% of respondents check a restaurant’s social media before deciding to dine there. In addition, 42% of respondents prefer social media to search engines when they are looking for new restaurants.

What do these two statistics tell you as a restaurateur? They plainly show the importance of social media for your restaurant. So, how can you leverage it to drive new business to your restaurant?

Let’s uncover the social media do’s and don’ts for today’s restaurateurs.

Social Media Do: Know Your Audience

The only way you can craft compelling content for your social media followers is to know your target audience and your ideal customer. (tweet this)

Your content, whether it’s imagery or video, needs to meet the needs and desires of your audience. Unique, creative content is attractive to social media users.

For example, if your restaurant caters to the after-work crowd, you don’t need to publish photos of parents with their families to attract diners. Stay true to your brand and your audience for the best success.

Helpful, informative, and entertaining content is what will drive people to your restaurant.

Social Media Do: Choose the Right Platforms

While you may feel like you need to be everywhere, your restaurant doesn’t have to have a page on every social media platform.

The key is to choose the platform where your target audience resides. While Instagram and Facebook may be the perfect platforms, Twitter may not be.

It’s important to have a solid idea of your audience so you can begin communicating with them.

Social Media Do: Post Regularly

You are a busy restaurant owner or manager, and posting regularly may be just too much. Consider hiring a social media pro to post for you.

Posting one or two times a week doesn’t do your restaurant any good. Depending on the platform, you may need to post every day or several times per day to really get traction.

Consistency is key, so make an effort to post regularly to grow your restaurant business.

Social Media Do: Always Respond to Comments

As a restaurateur, your goal is to engage with people on social media. One of the best ways to do this is by responding to comments on your posts. (tweet this)

If someone asks a question, answer it in a timely manner. If someone is complaining about something, do your best to be empathetic. And if someone “pats you on the back” in the comments, be sure to thank them.

Social media is social, and it’s key to engage with your followers.

In addition, reshare UGC (user-generated content) on your own page. You can easily find this type of content if customers tag you in their own posts. This is a great way to build engagement.

Social Media Do: Monitor Your Analytics

The only way to know if your content is resonating with audiences is to monitor your analytics.

Look for reach and engagement on each of your organic posts. See which ones people like and which ones aren’t very popular.

Do this on an ongoing basis so you can easily pivot with different types of content.

Social Media Do: Run Ads

You can significantly increase your reach on social media by running paid ads.

If you do this, test and try things to see what works best. By experimenting with different tactics, you are better able to reach and engage with your audience.

With ads, you can target specific demographics and create the right content at the right time. You also want to stay up to date with the latest tips and tricks with ads so you can leverage them for your benefit.

Social Media Don’t: Spam Your Followers

There’s nothing more annoying to social media users than accounts that post the same thing 10 times a day or even several times a week.

Your followers want to see new and engaging content. They want to be amused, and they want to see amazing photos and videos of your food.

Self-promotion should be kept to a minimum, and you should concentrate on sharing valuable content once or twice per day.

Social Media Don’t: Post the Same Content

You want to create content for the platform you are using. It’s not the best strategy to post the same content on every platform.

Can you post the specifics of the content on multiple platforms? Yes, but do consider repurposing it. For example, you may have a blog post about a specific recipe that you want to share on LinkedIn. Then, you want to use it on Facebook. You might take some photos and add the recipe as a post and not a link to it. You could again repurpose it as a video and share it as an Instagram reel.

Social Media Don’t: Forget to Fact-Check

Don’t make yourself an easy target by forgetting to fact-check your social media posts.

You can taint your restaurant brand and endanger your restaurant by posting falsehoods.

In addition, do spell check your posts. Some people may be put off by bad grammar and spelling.

Social Media Don’t: Overuse Hashtags

The use of hashtags has become complicated lately. Many experts think they are still relevant, while an increasing number think less is better or even none at all.

Hashtags can be beneficial, but you need to be strategic when using them. Don’t make every word a hashtag, and don’t use them unless they’re beneficial to your restaurant.

Social media experts recommend using one to five hashtags per post on many platforms. If you take a less-is-more stance and plan your hashtags diligently, your restaurant will be on-trend.

Social Media Don’t: Expect Instant Results

Social media marketing isn’t instantaneous. It takes patience, but with consistency in your posting and sharing engaging content, you will grow your pages.

Slow and steady wins the social media race. It takes time to create engaging content and build relationships with your audience. So be sure and take the time to create a strong social media strategy.

Final Thoughts on Social Media Do’s & Don’ts for Restaurants

Social media marketing needs a well-thought-out strategy. It’s a vital tool in your arsenal and can help you connect with current and future customers, build brand loyalty, and drive customers to your door.

Focus on the do’s, such as knowing your audience, choosing the right platforms, and engaging with followers. Stay away from the don’ts like spamming or neglecting content quality, so you can craft a strategy that truly resonates with your audience.

Use these tips consistently, and you’ll soon notice your social media presence growing.

Is your website ready to help your restaurant succeed? When people visit you after they’ve been on your social media pages, can they find what they’re looking for? Have you looked at your restaurant’s analytics? At Restaurant Engine, we can create a website for you that has the right keywords to land you at the top of search engine results pages and bring guests to your doors. Your website is the centerpiece of your online marketing, and it needs to look and perform well. You can count on us to create an amazing website that presents a unified brand for your restaurant and works across all digital platforms. Let us help you make the perfect site that draws customers in, improves customer engagement and your conversion rate, and enables you to grow your new business using website data!  

Are you ready to take your restaurant to the next level with a new website?

Get your free website consultation today!

Images: Timothy Hales Bennett and Alexander Shatov on Unsplash

 

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