User-Generated Content: 5 Tips for More Customer Reviews & Restaurant Photos

Written by Justine Nightingale
Wednesday, July 24, 2024 at 05:00am CDT

Have you ever eaten at a restaurant with a friend and posted photos of the two of you having fun on Instagram? Have you ever shared what you were eating on TikTok? Ever had a great experience at a restaurant and shared a review?

If so, you’ve participated in user-generated content. This type of content is fun for you, but it’s amazing marketing for your restaurant.

In this article, we explore user-generated content (UGC) and examine five tips for increasing customer reviews and restaurant photos. First, let’s define UGC.

What is UGC?

This is original content related to your restaurant that someone else created. These are not your employees.

UGC can come in the form of social media posts, reviews, blog posts, videos, and more.

Generally, the people who post this content are loyal to your restaurant and are your brand ambassadors. Othertimes, they are people who love to post on their social media accounts.

Why is UGC Important for Your Restaurant?

The reason that content created by your customers is important is simply because it doesn’t come from you. Using social proof, it signals to others that your restaurant is worth a visit. (tweet this)

UGC also gives your customers the opportunity to participate with your restaurant in a way that makes them feel good and important. In turn, you engender brand loyalty because your customers thrive on feeling a part of your restaurant community.

User-generated content is authentic marketing for your restaurant. It shows the experience customers have with you without embellishment from your marketing team. This makes it a great form of word-of-mouth advertising.

Now, let’s look at how to encourage UGC.

#1: Create a Photo Opportunity

If you want to engage customers while keeping a consistent style to some of your user-generated content, create a place for diners to take photos and videos. Put up a cool mural or sign with a unique and distinctive background. (tweet this)

It should match the ambiance of your restaurant and your brand. It might even be a photo of one of your menu items, and you can change out the background periodically. You can even add hashtags.

Then be sure to put some information near the photo opp area with links or QR codes to your social profiles. Include your handles and restaurant hashtags and ask people to tag your restaurant.

#2: Incentivize Customers

You can also use incentives to encourage your customers to share content online. This will get even more people talking about your website and stopping by for a meal just to get your incentives.

You can incentivize customers through your rewards program, or you can do it while customers are in your restaurant. For example, if they make a social post and show it to you, you can give them a coupon to return and dine with you.

This is a great way to generate more restaurant photos and videos while nurturing customer relationships.

#3: Host a Contest

Another way to get your customers to share photos and videos is to run a contest on social media.

Start a contest around a particular holiday or event and ask your customers to post photos of themselves enjoying your food. Offer one winner or even first, second, and third place winners a coupon off their next meal.

#4: Send a Text to Ask for a Review

To get a review, you first have to ask for it. There are many ways to ask for a review, but sending a text message is one of the best.

The average open rate for text message (SMS) marketing is 98%. This means you can count on nearly all your customers to open your text message asking for a review.

To get more reviews, send texts asking for them and watch them roll in.

You can use your POS system or CRM to automatically send texts after each customer’s visit. Communicating by text is a more friendly way to encourage this fantastic form of user-generated content. Automating the texts saves time and ensures they get to your customers at just the right time.

#5: Include a Call to Action at the Table

If it’s appropriate to your restaurant, you can add a table tent with a QR code. Your customers can click on it while they’re eating dessert or waiting for their check.

Then, while their meal and experience are fresh in their mind, they can use the link in the QR code to leave you a review.

Tip: This works well when the server points it out to customers and asks for a review. If your customers really enjoyed their time at your restaurant, they may be more inclined to leave a review while they’re sitting at their table.

Train your staff how to ask for reviews without seeming pushy. Expect a learning curve along the way, but it will be easy once they get used to it. You can also incentivize your staff. Offer them something for every review they get.

Final Thoughts on User-Generated Content

Once you have gained positive customer reviews, you want to share them on your website and social media platforms. Make sure they are everywhere your customers are.

While potential customers may find the reviews on their own on Google, Facebook, Yelp, etc., you also want to call attention to them on your website and social media accounts.

Regarding your photos and videos, ask your customers always to use your branded hashtags. This way, you can find and share the content on your restaurant’s social media platforms.

Tip: Be sure to ask your customers if you can share their content on your own pages. This will ensure your integrity.

Now that you have our five top tips, you’re ready to get more customer reviews and restaurant photos.

Is your website ready to help you succeed by hosting your reviews and social media feeds full of user-generated content? At Restaurant Engine, we can create a website that provides the pivotal spot for your digital marketing. Your website is the centerpiece of your online marketing, and it needs to look and perform well to increase your online orders and reservations. 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 business! 

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

Get your free website consultation today!

Images: Taylor Kiser and Blake Wisz on Unsplash

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