The power of social media for restaurants cannot be ignored whether it’s an old favourite like Instagram or a newcomer like TikTok. However, not all platforms are the same, they serve different purposes and accomplish different goals. Additionally, given the Covid-19 crisis and the economy as a whole, restaurants need to be more proactive with their video marketing strategy and engage more with their customer base. But don’t worry, you can have your cake and eat it. This blog will provide you with practical tips, so grab a snack and settle in. 

Time to get your gram on

You might be wondering why on earth you need to be on Instagram. The answer is simple. Users like to suss out a place before going there – and since Instagram is a visual medium, it’s one of the platforms they like to check out. Knowing this, be sure to post not only pictures of your food, but the restaurant as well. If someone wants to visit your restaurant for a special event, they will most definitely want to see what it looks like before making a booking. “Instagram goes hand-in-hand with word-of-mouth,” says Maree Suteja, owner of Crate Cafe.

What to post on Instagram 

You need to be consistent if you want to get noticed on Instagram. So plan and schedule your posts. It’s recommended that you post three times a week at least – and that’s just posts. You also need to invest in making Reels (videos). You can use the free scheduling tool, Later. You can also change the filter of your photos and see a preview of what it will look like on your feed.

Speaking of feeds, make sure you stick to a feed colour palette. Whether it’s the colour of your walls, the surface of your tables, or a selection of vibrant dishes, try and stick to a consistent colour scheme. In Instagram, restaurant marketing is entirely visual and a cohesive feed can make or break whether someone follows you or scrolls on.

Try to create an Instagrammable brand symbol. Take Café Kitsuné for example, the restaurant that serves fox biscuits with its beverages. The Instagram marketing strategy is simple yet so effective because not only do your customers become brand ambassadors by sharing their photos of your drinks, but others will come to visit because they saw it on Instagram.

ice coffee on bar table

TikTok’s waiting on you 

This app garnered attention in 2019, but it wasn’t until the past year that restaurants began to make more use of it. TikTok’s growth in recent months has been largely driven by the pandemic and isn’t about to slow down.

The key to success on TikTok is to be active on the platform. Many people simply post on social media and wait for engagement to happen, but it doesn’t work like that. Social platforms usually reward users who are active. 

Download the free app and use your restaurant’s logo as your profile picture. Make sure your username is as close to the name of your restaurant as possible. This is important because TikTok’s platform has the power to increase brand awareness for your restaurant exponentially. 

What to post on TikTok

Effortless, go-to videos you can share are cooking tutorials. The thing about food is that you can easily create drool-worthy videos that are bound to get some attention. My Cookie Dough gets it right because it makes use of satisfying videos displaying food coupled with trending music. 

Try to keep up with the trends. The only way to pull this off is if you’re active on the platform. One of the biggest food-related videos so far was the Tortilla hack. The users absolutely loved it. Check it out here. Sharing a life hack on TikTok is quite popular and people just gobble it up. 

Another video you can share is about the fun things you can do in your restaurant. You have to think of TikTok as a platform that displays short commercials. Urban Roast does this very well with its videos showing off the restaurant’s decor changes. 

For more restaurant marketing tips, feel free to download our Restaurant in The Digital Age guide.  

Author : Rudi Badenhorst

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