Marketing tips for restaurants

Advertising your restaurant on social media and ofcourse showing up on Google is a pretty important part on getting more customer and being visible on the web.

But what should you do to advertise your restaurant?

Here are a few tips:

1. The use of Social media

Social media in restaurants

One of my discoveries when working in the restaurant and wanting to share the stories and actions behind the scenes is using social media.

My recommended platforms are Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok.

For example, in Norway, you're not allowed to fish for sharks, but sometimes it happens that they get stuck in the nets of ordinary fishermen, and sadly pass away. The shark is sold to restaurants and hotels which is very rare. But it's a perfect moment to share on your social media. Once a rare opportunity arises you should grab it straight away.

Sharing posts of staff is really a smile-inducing strategy. People love to see your staff smiling happy and content. Potential customers will get a sense of "welcome to us" starting already on Social media.

Sharing user-generated content. When a guest shares a picture in your restaurant you should re-post it on your site. Sharing what other people post helps boost your visibility and makes it more welcoming.

Using social media helps you to connect with your audience on a personal level, and it starts even before and after they visit your restaurant.

As well as using social media to welcome and present your location to new customers!

The easy use of Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram helps you to create both pictures and videos on the spot!

And on a side note - Sharing reels has a higher chance of being viewed than posting text and images.

But how many times should you post on social media?

A part of building your brand and connecting with your audience is to consistently share on social media. I would recommend sharing 2-3 posts a week to keep a consistent flow of content. IG and FB you can connect so the same post is shared on all platforms.

2. Have an easy-to-read and beautifully designed website.

   But don't overcomplicate it.

   
   

When customers are visiting your website their first impression is very crucial like any other website. Having a beautifully designed website will help of course.

Once your customers have clicked through to your website the first thing they look for is your Menu. Below are a few tips on what to incorporate into your website.

• Having your food menu and drink on the top visible, and easily accessible.

  • Always include your prices in the menus

• Keep a copy of your reviews close to the top and never at the bottom, since people rarely tend to scroll all the way to the bottom.

• Book a table button - keep it as well on the top or a button in the middle of the page

• Have your high-quality images on a carousel or separate gallery section.

  • It's important to show off your fantastic food, the cozy atmosphere, and your happy and smiling staff.

• Contact information - Telephone, mail, Google Maps direction, and social media links.

• Have your website translated into your country's language and English.

• Connect your social media posts to your website.

• If you offer any Chambre Separeè, have high-quality pictures of it and a "Contact us" for close. Keep it on a separate page.

• Any links to takeaways like Foodora or Wolt.

3. Use Apps and programs.

App logos

Apps like Foodora and Wolt will help you drive more revenue

Apps like table reservations will help your customer experience a stress-free experience and find all the relevant information needed to book a table.

Apps like Tripadvisor, The Fork, or Google will help you drive more customers.

Well it's almost 2025 and I don't think Apps are going to disappear for a while, so you might as well start using them.

Every app you start using will have a natural exposure to new customers.

People are browsing through Foodora and find your restaurant - they get hooked on your food pictures and decide to visit your website.

When potential customers are looking for a restaurant on Friday night, they will most likely use a review platform like TripAdvisor or Google Maps. Having your business listed on Google and making sure you have high-quality pictures on both platforms, as well as all the relevant information customers seek, will help drive more traffic to your restaurant.

Using a table reservations program will not only help customers to reserve tables without hassle. It will also help your restaurant to properly plan for the evening.

You can also communicate directly with your customers, sell gift cards, create paying events, or follow up on bad reviews and send out newsletters.

It's a beautiful tool that you really should consider.

Programs like Dinnerbooking even have their own blog with thousands of readers, and they publish an article about your restaurant for free when you open an account with them.

I have worked with Dinnerbooking myself and highly recommend it.

Claim your business on Google Business Profile.

From there you can add all your relevant information on your business so people can find it on Google Maps and read and look at your pictures, as well as linking directly to your table reservation site, the main website, and reading reviews posted on Google.

4. Engage your local community

   
   

Your local community will always be a key focus point when you want to succeed in Hospitality, especially with a restaurant.

Having your locals on your side will keep your revenue coming, and the advertisement "Word-of-mouth" for free.

Tips for engaging your local community.

Tourists love local food and traditions, and they usually end up communicating in some way with the locals, which in turn will most likely end up in them recommending the "local restaurant" to tourists.

Local food is a word everyone adores, by using local and fresh ingredients your restaurant will certainly stand out. Working closely with your local farmer will make you stand out even more.

For example, sharing your visits to the local farm on your social media.

Offer your space by offering the space you have in your restaurant to local groups, like unions, local wine clubs, sports clubs, schools, etc. You will build a strong connection with your local community.

Participate in local events like football cups, music festivals, school events, etc. Here you have the chance to reach out to your locals with your food and with your name on it.

Partner up with a restaurant, bring a chef from your neighboring restaurant, and locally sourced food together with the local guitarist. Turn it into an event and invite only the locals.

Give back to the community by sponsorship, sponsor your local football club or whichever sports club is in your area.

5. Get a seasonal calendar

   
   

Many restaurants work by following the seasonal calendar. For example when different types of fish, meat, or vegetables are in season.

Seasonal calendar

The same goes for "International days" like International Cinnamon Bun Day, Mother/Father's Day, Valentine's Day, Constitutional Day, Halloween, Springbreak, Autumn break, Winter holidays, Easter, etc.

It gives you an overview of what and when you can start to advertise about the upcoming specific days.

And to start planning your campaign or engaging the local community in different events. After a year has ended you simply transfer it to the next and keep building.

Compiling as many international days and seasonal products into a calendar to keep above your PC in your office.

6. "SEO" for Your Website

Search Engine Optimization.

As the term suggests, optimize your website for search engines.

Search engines are utilized for hundreds of millions of searches daily. Therefore, ensuring that your restaurant appears when someone searches for a relevant location is crucial. We need to optimize our website so that search engines can index it and display it in response to customer queries. Makes sense?

SEO is a vast topic, and Wordstream offers an excellent and comprehensive guide.

Visit their site to learn about techniques and strategies for optimizing your website.

All credits to Wordstream.

7. Invest in a professional photographer

   
   

Getting High-quality pictures and videos of your restaurant, staff in action, drinks, and food will keep you looking more professional.

Professional photography

In the start, there are unlimited free high-quality pictures you can find on the internet to first build your website or social media

But after a while, you really should get a photographer to come in and follow your team for a whole day.

Make sure that you take pictures that represent you and your identity and images/videos you can use on your website and social media. Take as many pictures as you can in a whole day, it gives you a lot of options later when you want to post more content.

Hiring a professional is not the cheapest option, but you will get a very professional result and it will be worth the investment.

8. Start Advertising

It's time to start advertising!

Common platforms in the hospitality industry include Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.

Sharing reels, posts, and user-generated content is an effective way to attract new customers to your restaurant.

Meta offers the Meta Business Suite app, connecting Facebook and Instagram, where you can publish reels, promote posts, or run ads with specific goals such as increasing website traffic, receiving more calls, or growing your follower count.

You can set your budget and let Meta handle the rest, suggesting target audiences or allowing you to create your own.

Traditional methods like advertising in local newspapers and distributing flyers still prove effective in engaging the local community.

9. Responding to Reviews

A crucial aspect of marketing your restaurant is responding to reviews, whether positive or negative, across all platforms.

Engaging with reviews fosters a connection with your customers and builds trust between your business and its customers. Taking a minute to respond to a negative review has a more positive impact than not responding at all.

People read through reviews and responses when choosing a place to dine, especially in smaller communities where your tone and voice significantly could influence the hard-earned trust.

Dedicate time, perhaps one time a week, to review and respond to feedback across all platforms.

Best regards, Ludvig.