Would you believe it if we told you that 60% of the world’s population is a social media user? That’s true. About 4.7 billion people use social media actively. This means if you put anything out there on social media, it has the potential to reach 4.7 billion people! That’s insane!
People don’t use social media just for fun. The content they see and engage with on social media influences their day-to-day decisions. According to a survey, 77% of people tried a restaurant based on the content the restaurant puts on their social media. In another research study, 21% of people said that they would never go to a restaurant if the content on the restaurant’s social media is of poor quality. That’s the power of social media for a restaurant business.
If you’re a restaurant owner in Australia, you should most definitely leverage the power of social media. Social media marketing is one of the most efficient and cost-friendly ways of building a loyal following.
This blog will help you understand how you can improve your brand value and build a loyal following through social media marketing.
Why is Social Media So Important for Restaurants?
The most important thing for a restaurant is to let people know about them. Gone are the days when restaurants would advertise through magazines. We’re living in a digital age today. Thanks to modern technology, we now carry the world on our palms – our smartphones! Everyone is on their phone all the time. They’re either browsing through their Facebook feed, watching reels on TikTok, scrolling through Instagram, or sharing snaps with their contacts on Snapchat when they aren’t working (making calls, checking emails, or attending online meetings, all through their phones).
Considering the trend today, marking its presence on social media, where its customers are, is the best way a restaurant can spread the word about it around.
Building a social media presence is extremely important for a restaurant business. Although it takes time, social media presence can help a restaurant in numerous ways, such as:
- Increases brand recognition and brand awareness
- Createsa stronger brand identity
- Converts followers into customers
- Builds social proof
- Expands audience
- Build customer loyalty
Social Media Marketing for Restaurants – How to Make Most of It
Social media marketing is the ultimate tool for restaurants to leverage the power of social media for their benefit. The stronger your social media marketing campaign is, the more customers you’ll attract, and the more profit you’ll make.
However, making money shouldn’t be the primary goal. Your goal should be to build a loyal following. Once you have a loyal social media following, money will follow.
Let’s see how you can build a loyal following for your restaurant on social media:
Tell Stories
The key to building a loyal following is to give your followers something they can connect with on a deeper level. Most restaurant owners use social media to promote their restaurant and food. While food will catch attention, it won’t build a loyal following. To do that, you should tell stories about your business – how you started, how you grew, and what your plans for the future are. The audience will naturally stick around if they feel connected to your story.
You can tell the story through attention-grabbing visuals, short video clips, and before and after pictures of your restaurant –anything that the customers won’t know if you don’t tell them.
Share Behind-the-Scenes Clips
Social media marketing gives you an opportunity to reach a much wider audience than you would have reached with traditional marketing techniques. Let’s say you targeted your social media marketing campaign well, and your content is reaching the right audience.
If your content isn’t interesting, the audience won’t engage, even though they are your relevant audience. As we said earlier, you need to give customers something that makes them feel like they know your story. One of the best ways to engage customers is to share the behind-the-scenes happenings of your restaurant. Give your customers a look inside your kitchen or the pantry, or share clips of the ongoing renovation work.
Build a Personal Connection
You can use social media marketing to build a personal connection with your audience; when you get that, it’ll automatically build a loyal following. One way to build a lasting connection with your audience is to introduce your team to them.
Your customers know you’re a restaurant that serves great food. But too much food on their feed can be a turn-off. Think out of the box. Introducing the faces behind the delicious food served at your restaurant can do wonders. Your audience will appreciate your efforts of giving your staff due credit for the work they do, and that’ll bind your followers to you for good,
Go Live
The live feed is one of the best tools for a solid social media marketing campaign for a restaurant. By sharing live feeds from your restaurant, you can make the viewers feel the vibe of your restaurant. They would want to visit your restaurant and look at the hustle and bustle there. Those who have already visited will feel like they’re enjoying the moments with you. The key is to establish a connection and make it last.
Closing Word
When done right, social media marketing can help improve your brand identity and spread the word about your business to the right people. Social media offers a massive pool of potential customers that’s ready to be tapped. It’s on you how efficiently you do that.
Social media marketing offers an opportunity for restaurant businesses that you must not miss, and our experts at TocToc, a social media agency in Canberra, can help you make the most of it! The right social media marketing company can help you build a loyal following. We at TocToc, won’t disappoint you.
