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12 Ways To Promote Your Restaurant On Social Media

Ahmad Benny

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Today, it’s no longer a matter of “if”  restaurants should have a social media presence, but how effectively they are using it to connect with and attract customers. Imagine the potential impact on your restaurant business if you knew how to promote your restaurant on social media and could successfully harness the power of social media to market your restaurant. 

But, owning and managing a restaurant is already a full-time job in itself, how can you, as a restaurant owner, be expected to simultaneously navigate the often overwhelming world of social media? Let’s discover why and how to promote a restaurant on social media in a way that will draw in customers and enhance your online presence.

Why Use Social Media To Promote Your Restaurant?

Before jumping into how to promote a restaurant on social media, let’s first discuss the why. 

Social media has become one of the primary ways that people discover new restaurants, make dining decisions, and share their experiences with friends and fellow diners. In fact, a recent study found that 3 out of 4 customers use Facebook comments and images to make dining decisions, and 99% of Gen X and Millennial restaurant choices are influenced by online reviews. 

As the stats above show, social media has become a crucial aspect of how people make dining decisions. Let’s get into some of the specific benefits that social media can offer for your restaurant promotion:

Improves Your Brand’s Online Visibility

The buzz created by social media activity can greatly boost your restaurant’s online presence, making it more likely that customers searching for a restaurant like yours will find you before your competitors. 

But let’s set the record straight: social media won’t directly impact your search rankings. However, a more holistic approach that includes social media can strengthen your restaurant’s online authority. 

Provides Massive Exposure 

Social media also provides a large platform to promote special events, deals, menu items, or anything else you want potential customers to know and see. And with features like boosted posts and ads, you can target specific demographics, further improving the effectiveness of your promotions.

Builds Brand Loyalty And Trust

The nature of social media allows for more direct communication and personalization with your customers. This can create a sense of loyalty and trust in your brand, as customers feel heard and valued. And when your customers feel a strong positive connection to your restaurant, they are more likely to become brand advocates, spreading the good word about your eatery and bringing in even more customers. 

Allows Direct Ordering 

Many social media platforms now offer the option for customers to place orders or make reservations directly through their social business pages. This convenience is made possible by solutions like Radyes, which is built to integrate with your restaurant’s social media channels and simplify the ordering process for both customers and restaurant staff. 

How To Promote Your Restaurant On Social Media?

Now that you understand the benefits of using social media for your restaurant, let’s dive into some specific tactics that show you how to promote your restaurant on social media. 

Use Relevant Hashtags 

Adding relevant hashtags to your post can improve its discoverability and reach a larger, targeted audience, especially on Instagram. Make sure to use popular, relevant hashtags related to food, dining, and the relevant cuisine your restaurant serves. This can warrant that your content will be seen by users who are interested in restaurants and potentially looking for a place to order from 

For example, a post about your restaurant’s new sushi roll might include hashtags like #sushi, #seafood, #japanesefood, etc. You can also use Instagram’s search function to find popular and specific hashtags related to your post’s content. Most Instagram users follow and engage with popular hashtags, so using them can expose your restaurant to a whole new audience.

Capture Pictures That Reflect Ambiance Too

Your restaurant has a high chance of getting noticed online with high-quality, drool-worthy photos of its cuisine. But why stop at that? Showcasing your restaurant’s unique atmosphere and décor can also entice potential diners.

District Eatz & Urban Roast’s Tiktok feed, for example, features videos not just of their delicious-looking dishes, but also gives a glimpse into their modern, trendy restaurant atmosphere.

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Incorporating photos that highlight the ambiance and overall dining experience, not just the food itself, can give potential customers a well-rounded idea of what to expect when they visit. And with the rise of Instagram-worthy interior design, featuring your restaurant’s atmosphere can make for some pretty eye-catching posts.

Post Videos Of Your Food

A food picture may be worth a thousand cravings, but a food video can up the ante even more. Posting videos of your menu items or special dishes being prepared can give potential customers a taste (pardon the pun) of what you have to offer, enticing them to come in and try it for themselves. Wave Asian Bistro & Sushi in Florida regularly share videos on their Instagram, like this one showcasing their tantalizing sushi rolls.

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Show The Behind-The-Scenes Action

In addition to enticing customers with videos of your dishes, consider giving them a peek into the behind-the-scenes action in your kitchen. This helps humanize your brand and offers potential customers a unique look at the hard work and passion that goes into creating their dining experience.

Tonkotsu Bar & Ramen, a ramen restaurant in London, regularly showcases the meticulous preparation that goes into their dishes, like this video of their Thai Curry Tonkotsu.

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Encourage Customers To Leave A Review

It doesn’t matter if you have the most beautiful restaurant and the tastiest food in town – if your online reviews are lacking, potential customers may hesitate to order from your restaurant. 

Social media is an excellent tool to remind happy customers to leave a review and spread the word about their positive experience at your establishment. 

You can use a call to action in your social media posts, such as asking followers to leave a review on Yelp or Google. Or, encourage customers to share their thoughts and photos using your brand’s hashtag. Some restaurants even offer incentives for leaving a review, such as a discount on their next visit or entry into a giveaway. 

Whatever approach you take, be sure to respond to all reviews – both good and bad – promptly and professionally. By doing so, you show current and potential customers that you value their feedback and are willing to make improvements where necessary. And if a negative review does come in, take advantage of it to turn things around and prove to future diners that your restaurant provides top-notch customer service.         

If you have a website, then you can also use these reviews to your advantage by brandishing these for  more visibility, especially the positive ones.  

Highlight Positive Customer Feedback 

94% of US diners look at online reviews before choosing a restaurant, making it essential to show potential customers that your eatery’s past diners have enjoyed their experiences. And social media offers a great avenue to do just that. 

Consider featuring customer photos with their positive feedback, or sharing positive reviews and testimonials from sites like Yelp and TripAdvisor. This can be a subtle yet highly effective way to highlight the satisfaction of your current customers. 

Bonus points if the review comes from a food influencer or well-known figure in your local community. Just like this post from Buffalo Wild Wings’s Instagram, showcasing a positive review from popular food blogger Burger Beast.

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Partner With Influencers

Partnering with influencers or businesses for collaboration, promotion, or special events can bring in new customers and offer your current patrons a fun, unique experience. 

For example, a craft brewery could partner with a nearby restaurant for a special beer dinner featuring dishes specifically paired with their brews. Or, you could partner with a local clothing boutique for a special event or pop-up shop, offering customers a fun night out, complete with delicious food and trendy fashion.

You can even create a limited-edition menu item or cocktail in collaboration with the partner business, further tying in the partnership and offering customers a one-of-a-kind experience. California-based pizza innovator Pieology, for instance, teamed up with Foodbeast, the iconic influencer network, to create the Western BBQ Pizza. 

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A partnership like this not only brings in customers who already follow and trust the influencer or brand but can also amount to great content opportunities for you to share on your social media channels.

Invest in paid ads 

Running targeted ads on social media is a surefire way to get your restaurant in front of a qualified, local audience. You can use these ads to promote specials or discounts, announce new menu items, or even highlight any accolades your restaurant may have received. Plus, with the ad targeting options on Facebook and Instagram, you can easily pinpoint your audience by location, interests, and demographics for the most effective ad campaign. 

Just be sure to track the success of your ads – are they driving more foot traffic or online orders? Are people actually redeeming the offer or discount? Make adjustments if necessary to ensure you’re getting the most bang for your advertising buck. And don’t forget to include a compelling call to action in your ad – whether it’s urging customers to come dine at your restaurant  or encouraging them to place an online order; give them a clear next step.

Leverage Holidays

Holidays offer a great opportunity for restaurants to create special menu items, events, and promotions. It could be a Valentine’s Day special event for couples, a themed menu for Halloween, or offering deals for large parties on game night, leveraging holidays in your social media posts can give potential customers another reason to come in and try your restaurant. 

Condado Tacos, a popular taco joint, regularly posts about their specials for holidays and events, like this post for Christmas Eve that features their take on a holiday classic.

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Just be sure to plan ahead, as holidays often mean increased demand and a busy schedule for both patrons and restaurants alike. A great way to ensure that you don’t miss out on holiday marketing opportunities is to create a social media calendar,mapping all your holiday-related posts in advance. This would give you the leeway to ,proactively plan and promote any special menu items or events well in advance.

Offer Social Media Exclusive Discounts

Who doesn’t love a good deal? Offering specials and discounts on your social media channels can attract new customers and incentivize current patrons to come back for more. Whether it’s a happy hour promotion, a discount for followers and subscribers, or a special deal for birthdays and holidays, offering promotions can increase brand loyalty and customer engagement on your social media pages.

American casual restaurant chain Steak ‘n Shake has a whole section on its Instagram page dedicated to exclusive deals, like this free shake coupon for new app signups.

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Promotions and discounts like these can help you as a restaurateur in  gathering customer information for marketing purposes, such as birthdays for targeted campaigns. 

Just be sure to advertise the promotion effectively and make it easy for customers to redeem – nobody likes a complicated coupon code. You can use QR codes to make it simple for customers to access and utilize their vouchers, or promote a special hashtag for in-store redemption.

Run Competitions And Polls

Social media competitions and polls can be an engaging  way to interact with followers and get new eyes on your restaurant.It could be a simple giveaway for free meals or merchandise, or a fun poll about customers’ favorite menu items; these posts often elicit a higher degree of engagement with followers. Just like this Twitter poll from Applebee’s, asking followers to vote on their preferred way to celebrate National French Fry Day. 

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The poll garnered 429 votes, which isn’t a huge figure in terms of absolute numbers, but for a brand that gets eight to ten comments or retweets on average, that’s a significant spike in engagement for one single post. 

You can also use competitions and polls as a way to gather customer feedback or ideas – for example, asking followers to submit their own original burger toppings for a chance to have it featured on the menu. Or gather suggestions for specials or events, like a wine and cheese tasting night. Besides engaging your customers, these types of posts also show that you value their input and are willing to go above and beyond to bring them a unique dining experience.

Use Social Media To Drive Emails Sign-Ups

Of course, social media shouldn’t be your only marketing channel. In tandem with the right marketing mix, it can amplify your marketing efforts. Take advantage of the opportunity to expand your reach through social media and grow your customer base by driving followers to sign up for your email list.

Include a call to action in your social media posts, directing customers to sign up for your emails to receive exclusive offers or be the first to know about new menu items. Or, promote a special offer for email subscribers – for example, a discount on their next visit or a free appetizer. Remember, customers today are very cautious about parting with their personal information, so make sure to clearly outline the benefits and any related terms and conditions.

Getting Started With Social Media Marketing For Your Restaurant 

As you get started with social media marketing for your restaurant, you’ll be met with a lot of decision making. From choosing the right platforms to figuring out your content strategy, it can all feel overwhelming. Here are some tips you can keep in mind to make the most out of your social media efforts:

Keep your branding consistent

Whether it’s on your website, social media pages, or physical materials like menus and business cards, ensure that your branding is consistent across all platforms. This means using the same logo, color scheme, as well as language and tone in your messaging. Consistent branding helps customers easily recognize your restaurant and instills a sense of trust and familiarity.

Employ QR codes

Soon after the pandemic hit, QR codes quickly became a popular way for restaurants to offer contactless menus and payment options. But their capabilities go beyond just that – you can also use them to direct customers to your social media pages, website, or even run a special offer or promotion. All these actions can ultimately lead to increased visibility and sales for your restaurant.

QR codes are fairly inexpensive and easy to generate and can be added to your physical marketing materials like menus, flyers, table tents, and even clothing or staff uniforms. So consider adding QR codes to your restaurant’s marketing strategy for a simple, yet impactful way to drive customer engagement.

Engage with your followers

Social media is a two-way street – so it isn’t just a place to constantly promote yourself, but is a great medium to engage with your followers and customers. 

Respond to comments and messages, share user-generated content (with their permission), and ask for feedback on your restaurant and menu items. This can help foster a positive community around your business,and give you valuable insights for improvements or new ideas.

Post frequently, but not too frequently

Establish a posting schedule for your social media pages and stick to it. Aim to post at least once a day, but don’t overwhelm your followers with too many posts in one day. Otherwise, they may start tuning you out or worse – unfollow your pages.

A schedule also helps you plan out your content and make sure you’re sharing a good mix of promotional posts, engaging content, and interaction with followers.

Take Advantage of Analytics

Most social media platforms have built-in analytics tools, allowing you to track the performance of your posts and determine what content is resonating with your audience. You can use this data to inform your future social media strategy and ensure you’re creating content that your followers actually want to see.

Plan Out Your Resources

Last but not least, remember to plan out your resources for social media management. This includes not just creating the content itself, but also scheduling and monitoring your pages. Analyze your existing resource’s capacity and determine if you need to assign a team member or hire an outside agency to handle your social media efforts. Proper resource planning and management can help ensure your social media presence is consistent and effective. 

What’s next for restaurant owners

Promoting your restaurant on social media isn’t just about boosting sales, but also building a positive community and brand image. With a clear strategy and commitment to engaging with your followers, you will see success in growing your social media presence and ultimately driving customers to your business. 

Having said that, you’re still bound to find yourself overburdened with managing your restaurant while also overseeing your social media channels

In fact, many restaurateurs don’t know how to promote their restaurant on social media, but these tips and tactics can point you in the right direction. So, start creating that social media plan and get ready for some online success!

How To Increase Your Restaurant Sales: Tricks Of The Trade

The advancement of technology and changing consumer trends amidst the pandemic have proven to be a boon and curse for restaurants, who are experiencing a transformation and facing their toughest predicament yet – attuning to the changing customer demands in a technology-driven age as they discover how to increase their restaurant sales in a dynamic market environment.

Whether you’re a successful restaurant owner or an aspiring one, having a consistent revenue stream for your restaurant can be a really intimidating task at any level of your business. But what is actually holding you back is the lack of proper resources on how to increase your restaurant sales in the digital era.

Without a doubt, restaurants have a lot of unlearning and relearning to do amidst the overhauling customer behavior patterns but increasing your revenue is not as challenging as it appears on the surface.

The thing about your revenue is that no matter how much you are already garnering, there comes a point where you realize you could be doing so much more. This is why restaurants have always dabbled between the constant need to create an exceptional experience for their customers and still striving to grow, without losing sight of their business bottomline.

At any point in your business journey, if you have ever pondered upon how you can get more customers in your restaurant or how to increase your restaurant sales, you’re just a few simple steps away from actualizing your most important business goal!

How To Grow Your Restaurant Business

The question that lingers in the mind of every restaurant owner – “how do I get more customers in my restaurant” actually stems from their incapacitation to generate a constant revenue or in some cases, no revenue at all.

There are many strategies to increase restaurant sales and it’s most imperative is to make a mark wherever your customers are. For your restaurant to increase sales and scale your business, your strategies to increase sales for your restaurant must revolve around integrating platforms and channels that your customers use and prefer.

Let’s find out how you can get more customers and do everything to keep the revenue stream flowing!

1. Offer Takeout and Delivery

As a restaurateur, you shouldn’t be left wondering how to get more customers at your restaurant. Keeping your options open is always a safe bet when it comes to serving your customers because it will undoubtedly widen your customer range. With COVID-19 and social distancing looming in the picture, dining in has been replaced by takeout and delivery services for the most part.

Technomic’s May 2020 report titled Menu Monitoring the COVID-19 Pandemic, states that “46% of consumers said they were still ordering food and beverages from restaurants” and of course the trend continues to make great strides.

The demand for delivery and takeout is on the rise and customers are leaning towards services that offer them convenience and safety. At the same time, it’s a great chance for businesses to recalibrate how they have fulfilled customer expectations so far. Although the importance of creating a great experience for customers dining in is imperative, take out and delivery services can not be ignored any longer.

2. Optimize your online menu

What you need to make note of when it comes to your menu is that the digital era calls for convenience and the simplification of things to a point where customers can experience something with minimal time or effort. And this also holds true for how they experience your menu for instance.

This is why your online menu should be comprehensive enough to answer all of your customers’ questions about the items that are on it yet also be concise enough to not confuse them more. Since the menu is the essence of your restaurant, it should be a reflection of what you truly hope to offer to your customers as a restaurant brand..

On the digital spectrum, customizing an order should be a painless process for customers otherwise they’ll be on to the next restaurant before you know it!

As a restaurateur, you must plan a menu that travels well because not all the food that is on your dine-in menu will be in an edible condition by the time it reaches your customers. Streamlining and optimizing your menu to stitch together a seamless experience will get you a lot more customers and subsequently, a larger order volume and higher sales!

3. Enhance your mobile presence

Mobile accounts for approximately half of web traffic worldwide and this is reason enough for any restaurant that is not present on mobile to get their restaurant mobile-ready. Customers have adapted to the convenience of mobile and this has maneuvered a lot of their habits in that direction, as far as shopping and buying preferences are concerned.

Earlier, if being present on mobile was synonymous to a competitive advantage, in this day and age, it is an absolute necessity for any restaurant that wants to be ahead in the game. Today, the need to build a mobile presence has become more essential than ever.

Augmenting your mobile presence is a great way to grow your restaurant business as it can make your restaurant more accessible and approachable, help you build a digital brand, expand your audience online, improve your search engine rankings, open up a key outlet for you to sell and market your restaurant more effectively.

4. Develop a customer loyalty program

Rewarding customers for their loyalty has been an age-old strategy for businesses to keep their customers coming back and consequently increase their restaurant sales. Fast forward to the current day and applying this success formula to the modern-day customers is still prevalent.

Although marketing aimed at engaging potential customers is a prerequisite for growth, retaining customers is where the real value rests. Building a relevant customer loyalty program lets you foster meaningful relationships with existing customers in the long-term.

A customer loyalty program can have multifold benefits – it is a solid cornerstone of customer engagement, can deliver unique customer insights and market research, and is extremely cost-effective in driving sales for your restaurant.

While being on the lookout for new customers will certainly get your restaurant more orders, there’s nothing that will benefit your restaurant more than gratifying old and loyal customers who are true to your brand.

5. Focus on SEO to increase restaurant sales

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) should be a focal point for any new-age business, not only because it can amplify your visibility and reach online, but also because it can boost sales by driving more traffic to your website. For a restaurant owner, it is essential to leverage the free traffic to your website that is offered by search engines. Even though it may be free, there is a lot of groundwork that goes behind earning and keeping those coveted spots.

Optimizing your website ensures that search engines rank you higher, allowing you to elevate your overall user experience, and ultimately lending your restaurant business a lot more credibility.

Considering that your content is already optimized, being device-responsive is definitely a big tick in any search engine’s books. It is exactly the kind of thing that can lead you to the top of search results, and help your restaurant get noticed. Your website should be easily accessible across various devices especially if you consider that different audiences are likely to use a device of their choice to search for your restaurant.

With a whopping 5.03 billion unique mobile users globally, getting your restaurant equipped for mobile becomes a no-brainer. Making sure that your website is optimized and responsive for mobile will serve you well from an SEO perspective.

What you need to remember is that centering your attention on SEO will prompt your customers to engage with you (and the bottomline will prosper!)

6. Optimize your Google My Business listing

Let’s say you’re a customer and you want to order from a restaurant for the first time. Your automatic response is to Google the restaurant, take a quick peek at the reviews, note down the contact information, website and order away! Within seconds, you’re on the restaurant website and are now ordering your favorite food. That is the power and simplicity of ordering for your customers if you have a Google My Business profile in place.

It comes as no surprise that over 90% of worldwide search engine traffic comes from Google. This goes to show the sheer magnitude of Google’s impact. Needless to say, creating a Google My Business profile for your restaurant can definitely magnify your reach and help you tap into a massive revenue stream.

But before we jump the gun, as a restaurant owner, you need to understand what creating a Google Business Profile means for your restaurant business. Since you’re on the Google playfield, you must abide by the Google Business Profile guidelines or risk having your listing suspended.

Keep in mind that your Google Business Profile is a community profile, not just yours. Anyone can post their experience with your restaurant so it becomes all the more essential to ensure that you create a sublime one at that.

Now you’re probably wondering if it’s worth the effort to invest all that time on building and maintaining your Google My Business account. The reason to create a Google My Business profile may just be the fact that people are actively surfing the most popular search engine platform out there. With almost 92% of the market share, Google has monopolized the industry and is the default choice for customers to search for their favorite restaurants.

7. Run digital ads to increase profits

Performance marketing is one of the most effective additions to your overall digital strategy and social media marketing plan. Digital ads that are run on a cost-per-click basis give you the advantage of limiting your marketing spend and reserving it only for those leads or potential customers who are likely to engage with your restaurant in some way or form. Basically, you only shell out money when you get a desired result from your ad. This is the secret sauce to scaling profitability and saving yourself a big chunk of your marketing spend while still reaching out to your target customers.

All the strategies to increase restaurant sales and traffic, while they are great on paper, must be put into action. Taking the time and effort to strike these off your checklist will work wonders for your restaurant business.

But what’s next once you’ve set up this game plan for your restaurant?

We’re about to reveal some extremely useful tips – an action plan to increase sales for a restaurant.

4 Simple Ways To Get Started With Increasing Your Restaurant Sales

Start by choosing the right ordering platform for your restaurant

As an independent restaurant owner, depending on aggregators to get you sales will only eat into your profits. This is why you must select an ordering platform that can give your business a cohesive edge and complete claim to all of your profits.

So how would you know which platform is the right one for your restaurant? For starters, you need a direct ordering platform that entrusts you with full ownership of your restaurant. Also, one that caters to the end-to-end needs of your restaurant is definitely a plus point. You could really gain from having a full-fledged ecosystem that takes care of every business touchpoint for your restaurant.

This is where we enter the playground. At Radyes, we have integrated the different steps of the customer journey into our vast direct ordering ecosystem – from ordering, to managing stocks as well as tracking your invoices to finally delivering them. There are many reasons you may see Radyes to be a good fit for your restaurant, one main factor being that with us, you’re not forced to pay high commissions just to keep your restaurant business afloat. In fact, you can be assured that you’ll be reeling in a consistent flow of revenue.

Additionally, Radyes also gives you:

  • An automated dashboard to organize your restaurant business
  • Deep business insights to maximize your profits and sales
  • Customer behavior data points to build a seamless experience
  • All your profits hence no bleeding money on commissions

What do you need to do? Just plug and play and you can reap the numerous benefits. It’s that simple!

Master the art of restaurant menu engineering

For restaurants that sell items with varying levels of profitability and popularity, menu engineering could help in increasing your profits. Menu engineering can be broken down into these key courses of action:

Costing your menu

Even though costing a menu is a highly time-consuming process, it is one that must not be skipped at any cost! Costing your menu involves putting a cost against each individual ingredient and henceforth, determining the cost of each item on your menu. This can give you a margin for profits and make some room for the revenue to stay.

Categorize your menu

Segmenting the menu based on common categories such as “entrees”, “sides”, “mains”, “beverages”, “desserts”, etc. is one of those must-have features on your menu. It is also advised to go more specific with your categories like “Pastas”, “Pizzas”, “Grills” or whatever best suits your restaurant’s cuisine.

While most restaurant owners already follow this best practice, further splitting up your menu on the basis of popularity and creating categories accordingly is also recommended.

Design and test your menu

Part of the design process involves highlighting the items that sell the most but it goes beyond this and can’t be accomplished as easily as just shortlisting the best-selling items on your menu. When designing your menu it pays to consider your customer base: what types of customers order which items and what items they may be curious to try.

Testing the menu can really help you strike the right chords with your customers and give you real insights into what it is they are really looking for on your menu and what they’d like more of.

Offer online ordering through website, social media and whatsapp

In the digital-driven era, it goes without saying that having a strong web presence can be a crucial factor in ensuring the success of your restaurant business. A digitally armed restaurant is not only more likely to rope in more customers but also multiply the incoming revenue by creating sales channels across various social media platforms.

The name of the game is social commerce and is taking the restaurant industry by a storm. There is a clear distinction between your restaurant’s offline sales and online sales but social commerce blurs those lines with ease of convenience while placing an order.

Social commerce is quickly becoming the buzzword around the block and one can only imagine why! Social commerce is capable of transforming your social media platforms into a sales engine.

Giving your customers the option to order from any social media platform that they are browsing is a blessing to the world of direct ordering!

Invest in fast delivery

Even as the food-delivery industry continues to expand, it is still evolving. This trend toward convenience and fast food delivery has grown more pronounced during the pandemic. Increasing restaurant sales with food delivery is a sure shot at getting repeat customers.

Not only can quick and hassle-free food delivery increase your restaurant sales but it can also tighten the knot on a wholesome customer experience. Partnering with delivery partners who can help you fulfill your orders seamlessly is going to add up in the bigger picture.

With such a detailed action plan to increase your restaurant sales, you may have gained a fair idea on how to get started but there are a lot more things you’ll need in place to really nudge the growth of your restaurant sales.

What’s Next For You?

A comprehensive sales strategy is the first step to building a sustainable business that readily generates revenue and has an influx of customers at any given point in time. However, it is also vital to carefully implement everything you know about increasing sales for your restaurant, with little margin for error.

We know it’s a lot to take into consideration but at Radyes, we can mobilize your restaurant sales with our expertise, filtered from years of experience. Having empowered over 1000 brands with their direct online ordering experience, we have all the tools in our arsenal to manage every aspect of your business with dexterity. Let us lead the way and help you discover how to increase your restaurant sales and broaden your customer base.

The Honest Social Media Marketing Guide For Restaurants To Get More Orders

Let’s be frank! As a restaurateur, the mounting pressure of trying to stand out in a crowd can really weigh you down; now more so than ever, with restaurants continuing to witness a complete overhaul in the way they function.

The changing patterns in customer behavior have left restaurants with real challenges on navigating an uncharted territory. Going in with a solid plan dedicated to social media marketing for your restaurant could be a real gamechanger.

The Truth About Social Media Marketing For Restaurants You Need To Know

When the pandemic first hit, most restaurants struggled to build an online presence and eventually realized the importance of being on digital platforms. In the digital age, it is a necessity to integrate social media marketing for your restaurant business. But the advent of social media marketing for restaurants is a tale we’ve all heard before.

To ensure that your restaurant prospers in a cut-throat environment can be a daunting task. Juggling between the need to grow your customer base while simultaneously trying to get more orders is quite the balancing act; one that you may find is worth your time and effort.   

In a study conducted on the restaurants of the future, 64% consumers said that they don’t anticipate returning to their pre-pandemic habits of dining in restaurants anytime soon. 

Consumers are now choosing convenience and frictionless experiences prompted by their safety concerns. With online ordering replacing the traditional dining experience for the most part, the need to make your voice heard where your customers are, becomes critical. 

What you really need to know when it comes to the social media marketing plan for your restaurant is that consumer psychology has spun on its own axis. The next step is to understand how your customers think and build a meaningful relationship with them, wherever they are. 

Which Social Media Platforms Could Work For Your Restaurant

For your restaurant to make a mark on social media, it is crucial that you understand and define who your customers are, where they are present and how you can gain their trust by coming across as a genuine brand. That being said, there are social media platforms that could potentially work for your restaurant, based solely on the magnitude of their impact. 

Facebook 

Anyone would tell you that Facebook has etched its way into every digital user’s screen space over the last decade. Almost 15 years after it went live, Facebook has transcended customer expectations and continues to constantly evolve with the changing technological landscape. Today, everyone we know is on Facebook and it’s no wonder that Facebook has earned a reputation as the most popular social media platform with over 2.91 billion active users! 

If you’re still doubting whether Facebook would be the right fit for your restaurant, these whopping numbers should give you the assurance that it is the most sought after social platform there is! 

Instagram 

If you mull over how clean the entire user experience and visually driven Instagram is, you will conclude that Instagram is the kind of niche platform that your restaurant is cut out for. Moreover, Instagram is easy to explore and discoverability is definitely one of its unique selling points. All this considered, you as a restaurant owner, would be wise to build a social media presence on Instagram because it offers an incredibly cost-effective way to advertise.

Again, much like Facebook, Instagram too has over a billion users which makes it a great channel for your restaurant’s customer engagement. And the odds of your target audience being on Instagram are extremely high! 

WhatsApp

Although many would consider WhatsApp to be an instant messaging platform, it qualifies as a social media platform because it checks all the boxes of a social channel including the ability to communicate, share audio plus video files, and social networking.  

Coming to the prospect of WhatsApp being a top contender for restaurants, it follows through by offering what other platforms may not. The very essence of engaging customers is to know them and get their data. By the virtue of being an instant messaging and social media channel, WhatsApp adds immense value to your business by giving you direct access to your customer data. As soon as you receive a message from your customers, you have their name and number. This makes WhatsApp the reigning king of social media and is a must for your restaurant! 

While these are the default platforms for most restaurants, you will have to deep dive into your customer profile and figure out where your customers are scrolling. Let’s say your customers are into video content, then you may want to look at YouTube as an option. If your customers are consuming bite-sized content pieces, you may consider TikTok. 

The thing to remember here is that there is no one-size-fits-all rule that applies to choosing the right channel for your restaurant! So don’t be afraid to experiment with platforms and see what best suits you.

What Restaurants With Great Social Media Marketing Ideas Have Taught Us

A single compelling picture of your food can certainly help you widen your reach. However, when it comes to social media marketing ideas for your restaurant, there’s a lot more than just fancy food pictures that you’ll need to make it work for your business. Thankfully, there’s much to learn from restaurants that continue to push the boundaries on social media marketing. 

Along the way, we have gained some key insights on the different nuances of social media marketing from restaurants who seem to have discovered the mantra to their success. 

We have seen restaurants using social media marketing ideas in an ingenious way, allowing them to acquire new customers and increase their order volume. Let’s detail out the lessons that we have learnt from other restaurants:

1. Social Selling Is The Future

Until recently, social media was a way to communicate with people across the globe. On the surface, businesses were making use of social media to connect with their customers so far. Enter social selling and now the entire customer journey gets clubbed on social media – right from discovery to sale, social commerce offers a wholesome shopping experience and ensures authentic connections between customers and the brands they interact with. 

As a restaurateur, you’ll be happy to know that enhanced audience ad profiling, targeting, better customer understanding, and deeper insights have presented a tremendous opportunity on social media. And this can be attributed to the rise of social commerce. 

When executed with perfection, social selling strengthens a brand among existing customers and lets businesses acquire new customers that are keen on innovative social shopping formats and experiences.

Social commerce is expected to grow three times as fast as traditional commerce to $1.2 trillion by 2025. This is great news for restaurant owners who can now utilize social media not only to reach out to their customers but also elevate their entire ordering experience by letting them make a purchase wherever they are.

2. Performance Marketing Is An Investment Not An Expense

Restaurant owners have always been conflicted on whether to take the organic path to marketing or allot a budget towards their paid marketing. However, there’s a lot more than meets the eye here. 

Truth be told, while organic marketing may appear to be the ideal option, it can actually limit your growth as a restaurant; so much so that you may just end up lagging far behind. This may be the reason behind some of the best restaurants relying on performance marketing and not just on their organic marketing.  

Performance marketing leverages the paid social media marketing strategy for your restaurant based on your relevant business objectives and intended results. The conversions that you would pay for, typically fulfill objectives like downloads, leads, purchases or clicks. But the great news for you as a restaurant owner is that you only pay when you get the desired action and if you don’t, you can optimize your ad campaigns further in the future, without losing a penny! 

Using the right performance marketing channels can scale your marketing to meet the needs of your restaurant and not drain you monetarily. However, looking at performance marketing as an investment and not an expense, is the shift in perspective you need because there is no doubt that it can get you a lot more traffic and orders than you are hoping for. 

Since you can specifically target audiences, instead of waiting for them to stumble upon your restaurant, performance marketing is one of those social media marketing ideas for your restaurant that will become the beginning of your own masterstroke.

3. High Engagement = High Recall Value

Engagement is proof that your audience is invested enough to make a positive action. And it is clear as day that engagement is directly correlated to conversions.You can garner high engagement by using interactive content, or asking questions and creating polls – something that most marketers would agree has reusable value and plays a key role in ensuring repeat visitors. Although, this is not the full stop to customer engagement. 

There are restaurants who have shown us, time and again, that meaningful engagement could prove fruitful in leaving a lasting impression on customers.

By diving into more sensitive issues such as mental health, Nando’s is engaging their audience on a deeper level, while coming across as a brand that can positively contribute to the progressing dialogue on such topics. 

The advantages of running a campaign like this are multifold – first, it shows us that customers are seeking relatable experiences that strike a chord with them and makes them feel cared for. Secondly, they are bound to remember such campaigns that go beyond the stereotypical conversations used by brands to wow customers. Also, they make a statement that reverberates with a large segment of their audience, giving them the confidence that this brand is really listening to them.

Earning your customers’ trust and support can take your restaurant places. It can also occupy space in your customers’ minds and truly build a sincere relationship with them. When customers are happy with the experience you create, they are likely to refer friends and family, and those friends and family members will in turn bring you more customers. So start interacting with your social media followers if you hope to get more customers for your restaurant. 

4. Customers Are Everything

Customers are the essence of every business. We’ve heard it all – “Customer is God”, “Customer is king”, “Customers are always right” and this is because your restaurant wouldn’t be a talking point at all if it wasn’t for your customers. 

Everything that you do on social media or for that matter, even your restaurant business, is undeniably for your customers. Customers give your brand meaning and a reason to improve your experience on the whole. 

There is a competitive edge in seeing the world through the customer’s eyes. 

We have all seen and love restaurants that go the extra mile to please their customers. The lesson we learn from such restaurants is that great customer service echoes the type of deep-rooted culture that takes years to build, and then it just feeds itself. Being a restaurant owner gives you the means to dig into your customers’ preferences by starting a conversation with them and really listening to what they want. 

A Social Media Marketing Plan For Restaurants That Spells Success

Social media has not only impacted how we communicate with each other but it has also changed the way restaurants connect with their customers. This is a clear opportunity for restaurants to take charge of how they interact with customers and earn their trust.

Not leveraging social media for all it offers, is bound to hamper the growth of your business!

For restaurants, conceptualizing a social media marketing plan can be rather tricky because you’re always trying to figure out how you can stay ahead of the competition and still come across as a reliable brand to your customers. But social media marketing for your restaurant business can go a long way in realizing both these goals. In fact, as a restaurant owner, you may just find yourself propelled into gaining new customers and getting more orders. 

Social media marketing amplifies reach and building a social strategy that hinges on customer centricity is vital to the success of your business. That’s why your restaurant’s social media marketing plan must consider placing customers first. If your restaurant has to succeed, taking a route that is authentic and highlights your journey, would certainly put you in a favorable position with your customers and widen your influence. 

How Radyes Can Support Your Restaurant

As a restaurant owner, you’re obviously wondering how to get started. Engaging customers on social media is one thing but trying to convince your customers to make a purchase from you on social media is another. But fret not! This is where we come into the picture. 

Radyes works seamlessly on all social media channels and enables you to sell directly to your customers, absolutely anywhere. Whether it’s Instagram, Facebook or WhatsApp you want to sell on, Radyes works on a plug-and-play basis which means you can quite simply add it to any social media platform and get started with your direct ordering journey. Furthermore, the social media strategy for your restaurant business can be amped up with end-to-end solutions that we offer. 
We can lead the way as you crack the code to successful social media marketing for your restaurant and write your own success story!

What The New-Age Customers Expect From Brands

The customers of today are flooded with choices. But what they are truly seeking is a more wholesome and seamless experience in the digital world. 

In the post-pandemic world, customer experience must be recalibrated with transforming customer expectations. In fact, research reveals dramatic shifts in customer preferences and expectations which boil down to the overall experience they receive from a brand. 

In this day and age, how customers choose to shop has pivoted and brands must now be agile enough to reflect these changing patterns in customer behavior. 

There is a trend amongst consumers who are more inclined towards interacting and transacting with D2C brands. A whopping 88% of consumers prefer to buy directly from a brand! The result of these morphing customer expectations for brands is to stay ahead of the curve. Brands must step up their D2C game; even more so now with customers gravitating towards brands who are going direct. 

It’s no more a secret that the modern-day consumer is more than willing to go the extra mile and buy their favorite products directly from brands. 

For this reason, “It is no longer enough for organizations to sell a product or service they need to win the client’s heart. Consumers are demanding more… they want to be part of something greater than just buying a product or a service.”

Brands must be willing to build close-to-perfect shopping experiences to meet the needs of their customers.  

Embracing the leap 

The need of the hour for brands is to adopt an omnichannel strategy and D2C approach. By not providing your customers a direct channel, you are making it easier for middle men to get in the way and stunting your own brand engagement and loyalty. 

Even though it may seem like the long haul to take the D2C route and actually make it count, there is also enormous scope to improve your brand’s standing by disrupting the status quo and delivering on the expectations, values and experiences that the modern shopper desires. 

It so happens that customer loyalty is synonymous with the experience that you stitch for your customers. Going direct to your consumers is a sure shot way of being in control of your brand message and consumer engagement. 

D2C channels become an ideal platform for brands to articulate their values in driving higher demand. 

One of the most effective paths to standing out in the crowd is to share what makes your brand unique. Consumers find that when they buy directly from brands, they can make choices that align with their personal values based on the brand’s values. 

Another research conducted states that values such as “convenience” and “ease of use” top the list of benefits that a D2C brand has, with 94% of customers choosing at least one of these as a reason to opt for a D2C brand.  

With this D2C trend making the headlines, the door of opportunity is wide open for numerous brands out there. But the trick is to create a brand that customers feel connected to.

As a brand who is looking to tap into the D2C movement, you must have a lot of questions on how it all works. The good news, we’ve got you. At RadYes, we have empowered hundreds of brands to take charge of their direct ordering journey and cater to their customers’ expectations. 

Reach out to us today and let’s discuss the best way for your brand to seamlessly transcend the dynamic and ever-changing needs of the modern-day consumer.

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