Social media can be overwhelming for any small business. Most venue managers know that they need to be marketing themselves on social platforms, like Facebook, Instagram, Tik Tok and even Google My Business, but just simply do not have the time or resources to commit to it.
Social media can be an incredibly effective way to bring new customers through the door and to build a relationship with existing customers. So, what can you do to get the most out of your social media accounts (without losing hours of your day)?
The main focus of any successful social media marketing for brick-and-mortar businesses, like cafes and restaurants, is customer engagement. Here we take a look at the main ways to increase engagement with your accounts and build a social media marketing machine that sees customers flooding through your door.
Creating content
This is often the most daunting part of any social media strategy. Sometimes a quick snap on your phone will do the job (like a photo of your venue or your cooking team for example), but other times will call for a professional photographer (or at least a proper camera). Food photos are hard to get right, so it’s worth investing in some great pics. This may sound like yet another thing to put on your plate, but with some careful planning you can get a couple of months’ worth of content done in one session. When you change your menu, get a photographer to capture every menu item. But don’t just take everything from the same angle, incorporate hands grabbing elements, drinks in the background, take photos of a few menu items together. If you make all your shots different your content will remain fresh for months to come.
Being authentic
Let’s just make something clear from the start. Checking out your competitors and copying what they are doing is not a winning strategy. You want your social channels to be an extension of your venue’s personality. Is your venue playful and doesn’t take itself too seriously? Your socials should reflect that. If it’s more formal, it should reflect that too. If you care about environment, you should reflect that in your social posts. You get the point.
Choosing your platform
The number of platforms available is overwhelming. Yes, some venues are on Facebook, Instagram, Tik Tok, Linkedin and Google my Business. But that doesn’t mean you should be. If you’re strapped for time (and let’s face it, who isn’t?) choose a couple of platforms that feel achievable. We suggest Instagram (to show off your amazing food) and Google (so your potential customers can get up to date information on opening times etc).
Day to day management
A few things to keep in mind if you’re starting from scratch… Always use a business account and not a personal account for your venue’s social media profiles. Business accounts come with layouts and settings that help you promote your business and analyse your efforts, it also allows you to run ads if you choose. (It also means you don’t have to ‘follow’ customers). Also, consider who will have access to your account inside your business, will it just be you? Or can you add some others? It’s important that you are replying to customers comments and sharing their content if they take photos in your venues so be clear from the start who will be in charge of this important step.
Social media can certainly be a powerful tool for foodservice venues. It is certainly something you can achieve yourself, if you put in a little bit of time and effort. Do you already have social accounts you’re proud of? What worked for you? We’d love to hear from you.
