Top 6 Ways Restaurants Can Use Social Media to Increase Restaurant Sales

The days of wandering into whatever restaurant looks tastiest from the street view are far behind us. Thanks to the internet, customers are well researched and their standards are climbing. They know what they want and they know exactly how to find it. When they see pics of your food in a social media post, they are pretty adept at predicting whether or not they will like how it tastes, which influences if they’ll ever go and taste your food for themselves.

The problem is that not all restaurants make that information readily available. If a customer is looking for images or reviews that confirm your food meets their expectations, they’ll opt for the restaurant that provides that information over one that could potentially be better, but is shrouded in uncertainty. 

Especially considering the current state of our economy -, customers are less willing to gamble their money on a restaurant they aren’t confident will be a winner. If a restaurant is to keep up in the digital age, a strong social media presence is a must. You have to show your customers enticing images that persuade them to try your restaurant and see what sets you apart from your competition.

In this post, we’re sharing some tips that will help restaurant owners use social media to give their customers the information they’re looking for AND attract new customers who fit their target demographic. 

6 Ways to distinguish your restaurant on social media

Throwing up content on social media isn’t enough these days. To really reap the benefits of social media for restaurants, you have to build a strategy tailored to your target audience, their habits, and their communities. Here are some ways to do just that.

#1 Build a Brand Personality

Your restaurant needs a voice and that voice needs to appeal to your customers. Dig into your analytics, check out what your competitors are doing, and cultivate a voice that lets your customers know what to expect from your restaurant the second they read your IG captions. 

#2 Build Out Your Social Calendar 

You can’t stand out with an empty feed. Customers are smart and if they see that you haven’t posted in a year, they won’t trust that the content on your profile is what they can expect when they walk in. Consistent content is vital to growing your audience and putting forth a brand image your customers can trust. Take plenty of photos and build out your content calendar ahead of time using PLANOLY to schedule posts so you never miss a beat. 

#3 Monitor Your Mentions 

Social listening is a fantastic marketing tool for restaurants. Monitoring what customers say about your restaurant online will not only give you the insight you need to develop your brand voice, improve your customer service and spice up your menu. Doing so also corrals user generated content into one place, simplifying the process of sharing what customers have to say about your restaurant. Try out PLANOLY’s Comments Manager + Discover Tool to get started. 

#4 Share Good Reviews

When you get glowing reviews on Google Maps, Yelp, etc., use them. Screenshot them for insta Stories, quote them in Feed posts, or react to them in a TikTok video or live stream. 

Knowing that customers do so much research before ever taking a seat in your restaurant can be unnerving, but it’s a move in the right direction. The more your customers know about your restaurant before they come in, the more likely they are to be satisfied with what they taste. When your tables are filled with people who will love your food, you’ll get better reviews. Use those reviews on social media to find more foodies who fit your target audience to the tee, and you’re all set!

Related: How to Respond to Restaurant Reviews on Social Media

#5 Work With Influencers 

When people know influencers share their taste, they seek out recommendations. Especially when traveling, potential customers will search up what their fav food bloggers eat when visiting that location. Partnering with influencers in your industry will help you tap into a community of like minded foodies. 

#6 Run Some Paid Ads

Once you’ve got a good handle on your audience and how they act on social media, consider creating native-looking targeted ads on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. This is a foolproof way to reach customers from your target demographic and lure them in with drool-worthy food pics.

As we have shown you, utilizing the power of social media for growing your restaurant is extremely advantageous. You now have six tools to reach new customers and drive sales with your social media post.