Do you run a restaurant and want to improve its communication strategy on social media? Discover all the steps to follow and how to use Edit.org to achieve so.
Advantages of using social media for your restaurant
Remember that food, first of all, is perceived by your eyes, so sharing images of your dishes will generate a strong engagement with Internet users, who will want to come to your business and try your delicious recipes. In addition, social network profiles will help:
- Make your business known to increase the number of customers
- Immediate feedback
- Cheap advertising
- Increase the customer experience
Create designs for your restaurant's social media profiles
It's not easy to find a moment to manage the company's social media platforms, so we will expose you which are the most important ones to focus on not to waste your time in other secondary apps. Of course, if social networks are your passion, do not hesitate to be active in all of them since the more you use them, the more your brand will get known.
- Instagram: as it was born as a platform to share photos exclusively, it is your best ally. When food enters through the eyes, no one can take it out of the head. Furthermore, in recent years, this platform has become the most used one. Our personal recommendation is to stay active through both stories and posts. Share photos of your meals, cocktails... but don't forget to inform your followers about menus, special offers and promotions as well. Don't skip to encourage your customers to also share photos of their food and mention your establishment on it. Also, create your own hashtag for all your followers to use when sharing their photos.
- Facebook: it continues to be a benchmark for all users when it comes to learning about a company, so don't leave it aside. It is crucial to reply to all users who contact you in the shortest possible time and, like Instagram, to promote your premises through photos, promotions and offers. As Instagram belongs to Facebook, you will be able to upload stories and publications simultaneously to both profiles. But watch out! You should not share the same content on the two social networks always since each one is different: Facebook is the best platform to share valuable content for users such as news, tips, or videos about your restaurant or establishment, whereas Instagram is more based on aesthetics rather than quality content.
Edit social media pictures for your restaurant on Edit.org
- Click on any image of this article or go to the editor to get started
- Select the template you want to edit
- Customize it with images, texts, elements, and logo
- Save the changes and download the composition in JPG, PNG or PDF format
- Share the final result on social media
Customizable templates for restaurants from Edit.org
After mentioning which networks work better for any establishment, now let's talk about what kind of content it's best suited to be shared. Of course, each brand has its personality and its star products (a restaurant is not the same as a bar, for instance). However, there's a series of specific templates adapted to the needs of any sort of catering establishment. Remember to be active on social networks and to post content on a very regular basis. Here are some ideas for regular posts you can do!
- Menus: there's no better way to inform your customers than by showing them a menu with an attractive design! In the editor, you will find many templates that will serve as a bedrock for just having to upload images of your dishes. If there's a change in any of your meals, just change the picture while keeping the same format. Then, download the result in the most suitable size for you or share it online.
- Daily special: surprise your followers with a daily special... they will surely dare to go to your restaurant! Once you have created your template, change the photo every day you have a new dish and print it. Having a different meal every day, week or month will create engagement towards your establishment, so share it on social media too.
- Drink menus or dessert menus: they're similar to the menu, but they will inform your customers about a specific range of products they can taste in your establishment, from wine to desserts. If you want to create a better image and more impact, use the same design style in all charts, menus and other graphic resources. In Edit.org we have special packs for this occasion.
- Promotions: they make your product or service more attractive. For instance, imagine you're not interested in a particular store when walking down the street, but one day, it has a poster announcing some discounts. Then you start paying more attention. Don't forget to share these offers on networks too. In Edit.org, you will find templates for these occasions such as a "Happy Hour" template with 50% discount. Also, bear in mind that if you get your followers used to a specific day to share your promotions, they are likely to be aware of your profile every week so as not to miss it.
- Giveaways: impossible to miss them! They are a powerful way to win followers and to strengthen customers' bonds to any company as their esteem for the company increases. To do so, offer one service (a dinner voucher for two, or a drink voucher, for instance) and explain the conditions of participation, which usually are: like the post - follow the profile - tag one or more friends. Of course, add any extra condition to differentiate from other giveaways.
- Staff wanted: if you are seeking staff, you would be surprised by how many people you would be able to find through social media. At the same time, it would be easier for them to decide to apply for the job as they would get an overall picture of your establishment by the company's profile pictures.
- Business Cards: even though it's not a post for social media, we've considered to include them in this guide as they are fundamental for any bar or restaurant. They're a resource you can easily create in Edit.org following the same design line of the other elements already designed, such as menus or posters.
- Loyalty cards: they're thought to register the number of times a client has visited your establishment by putting a stamp. When getting a certain number of them, the customer will receive the service for free.
Other restaurant marketing tips and advice
- Promote your business with Facebook and Instagram Ads. Thanks to this tool, it's now possible to go one step further with the promotion of your business! Paid advertising is available for Facebook and Instagram, which enables to reach a higher number of potential customers. Otherwise, posts are shown to very few people. An advantage of it is that making a paid ad turns out to be very economical if we know how to segment well: by investing a small amount of money, our ad is shown to the target audience.
- Invite your customers to use your hashtag. As mentioned before, the trend of sharing photos of delicious food or spectacular cocktails is something quite common on Instagram. Therefore, take advantage of it and invite your clients to share their photos using your own hashtag (you can encourage them, for example, by making a giveaway among all who use it). Sharing pictures promoting your establishment may help with the word of mouth, which can lead to the attraction of new potential customers in the future.
- Measure your actions. This section is fundamental in any marketing strategy. There are different ways to measure how all actions you are carrying out in your social platforms are working: the easiest and most basic one is to use the metrics the same networks provide you. On the other hand, if you desire to examine the results better, there are other professional and complicated tools with more advanced statistics (we will discuss them below). By doing so, you will be able to know your audience interactions and investigate which are the best hours and days to post pictures, or which type of content works better.
Now that you have learned how to manage the social media platforms of your firm, we encourage you to try our free templates for restaurants. Save a lot of time and create the best designs for your establishment. Gain reputation and reach new clients! You can also use the branded packs with the premium version if you desire. And check our other articles about restaurants, bars and pubs!