Instagram has become an extremely important asset to restaurants. Having a weak Instagram presence can immensely hurt your business. Research shows that 30% of people would avoid a restaurant if their Instagram presence was weak. That is 30% of a potential customer base that you could be missing out on. We’ve assembled a list of 5 tips that can help increase your Instagram presence, generate more customers, and build your brand.
1. FOOD BLOGS
One of the best ways to gain attention is by getting in contact with various food bloggers, food channels, and food influencers in your area. Invite them to your restaurant, offer them food, and let them create content for you, post about your restaurant and food, and essentially advertise your business for you. From this you will gain the benefits of being exposed to their trusted following which is already interested in food. They will create mass awareness for your brand and your food. Be inviting, and treat them to complimentary dishes or gift cards to your restaurant in return for posting about your food. The small amount of investment that you give to them will undoubtedly provide a larger return of your investment.
2. HOLD CONTESTS OR GIVEAWAYS
Contests and giveaways have become a key from of bringing in new customers, creating awareness, and growing your following on Instagram. Create posts holding giveaways for gift cards, meals for two, or tickets to your next event. For best results be sure to offer prizes which are enticing; this will ensure that customers actually go through the steps of entering your contest or giveaway. But how will giveaways or contests make my restaurant grow? It all comes down to the instructions you will list in order to be eligible for the giveaway. Here is an example of this; “Like, tag a friend, follow [your restaurant handle here] and share this post to your story.” This will cause customers to share your giveaway to their friends, and get your name out there. Be assured that an increase of followers and interaction will shortly follow. You can also promote in store contests such as eating contests. For example the customer tries to eat a large quantity of food, and if they finish it they get it for free or get their photo on the wall. This is a classic marketing strategy that ensures in store visitors at your restaurant.
3. IMPROVE CONTENT QUALITY
This can be achieved by your own but it can also be extremely helpful to hire a digital marketing agency, which you can read more about in step 5. We recommend getting a professional camera or hiring a photographer to take your pictures. We recommend doing this because Instagram is a highly visual platform. With high quality images not only will you get more traction and engagement on your posts, but your food will look more enticing to a potential customer. Try taking more dynamic shots, getting creative with your lighting, and editing them afterwards. Having appealing photos is one of the top tips on this list. If you're not already doing it; this is a great way to start.
4. SHOW OFF EMPLOYEES OR LOYAL CUSTOMERS.
A popular trend for restaurants has been creating appreciation posts for employees and loyal customers. These posts detail their background, explain their role, and share any interesting stories they may have. We hope that you celebrate your staff off of social media as well, but doing so on a platform like Instagram can create a positive feeling your business. Try posting some positive feedback from customers, congratulating employees and customers on their birthdays and special occasions, and tagging them in your posts. In turn, they may share your post and bring more awareness to your restaurant.
5. HIRE A DIGITAL MARKETING AGENCY.
Consider hiring a digital marketing agency. Digital marketing agencies are teams of people who are skilled and trained in social media marketing. This means that instead of taking the weight of marketing on your shoulders, you are essentially hiring a team of photographers, videographers, graphic designers, and social media specialists. This is the easiest way to accomplish the tips on this list, and get back to running your business. Visit our contact and services pages to learn more about what we do and how we can help your business.