How to Increase Restaurant Footfall with TikTok

Table of Content

• 1. Why TikTok is Crucial for Restaurants Today

  • 1.1 The power of TikTok in marketing

  • 1.2 Success stories: Restaurants thriving on TikTok

• 2. Creating Engaging Content on TikTok

  • 2.1 Tips for filming appealing food videos

  • 2.2 Using trending sounds and hashtags effectively

  • 2.3 Incorporating user-generated content

• 3. Collaborating with Influencers Through Joli

  • 3.1 How Joli connects restaurants with the right TikTok influencers

  • 3.2 Planning and scheduling influencer visits

  • 3.3 Tracking and measuring campaign impact with Joli

• 4. Maximising Reach with TikTok Ads

  • 4.1 Types of TikTok ads suitable for restaurants

  • 4.2 Best practices for crafting compelling ad content

  • 4.3 Analysing ad performance to refine strategy

1. Why TikTok is Crucial for Restaurants Today

1.1 The power of TikTok in marketing

You've likely noticed the explosive growth of TikTok in recent years. With over 1 billion active monthly users, it’s now one of the most influential social media platforms. TikTok’s unique algorithm tailors content to user preferences, making it easier for your restaurant to reach potential customers who are genuinely interested in dining experiences.

TikTok's visual and engaging nature makes it ideal for showcasing your restaurant's unique dishes, ambiance, and special events. Users are drawn to authentic and creative content, allowing you to build a connection with your audience. Creating short, engaging videos can showcase your restaurant’s brand in a lively manner, capturing the attention of local foodies and tourists alike.

Pro tip: Use TikTok's in-built analytics to understand which content resonates most with your followers and adapt your strategy accordingly.

1.2 Success stories: Restaurants thriving on TikTok

Several restaurants have already successfully leveraged TikTok to increase their footfall. For instance, Inamo, a London-based restaurant, has seen significant engagement thanks to their creative posts showcasing interactive dining experiences. Their TikTok presence has attracted new patrons seeking a unique dining adventure.

Similarly, Snowflake Gelato used TikTok to highlight their premium dessert offerings, resulting in a noticeable uptick in both online and in-person visits. Their visually appealing and mouth-watering content captivated users, translating social media engagement into real customer traffic.

Pro tip: Feature your customers' TikTok videos on your restaurant’s account. It not only builds a sense of community but also serves as authentic testimonials for your dining experience.

By understanding the power of TikTok and learning from successful examples like Inamo and Snowflake Gelato, you can effectively integrate TikTok into your restaurant’s marketing strategy to drive more footfall and boost your brand’s presence.

2. Creating Engaging Content on TikTok

2.1 Tips for filming appealing food videos

When creating food videos for TikTok, the visual appeal is paramount. To capture the best angles, you should always use natural light. Daylight brings out the vivid colours of the food, making it look more appetising. Filming during the golden hour, the period just after sunrise or before sunset, offers the soft lighting that enhances the texture and details of your dishes. Consistency in lighting also matters, so avoid mixing natural and artificial light.

Use a tripod for steady shots, as wobbly videos can deter viewers. This will also allow you to experiment with overhead shots, which are a popular angle for food videos. Moreover, invest in a good quality smartphone or camera that can shoot in high resolution. This ensures the details of your dishes, like the crispiness of fried items or the steam rising from a hot dish, are clearly visible. Remember, details matter in making your food appealing.

Pro-tip: Label and caption your videos appropriately, highlighting the special ingredients or unique preparation methods you use. This provides context for viewers and makes your content more intriguing.

2.2 Using trending sounds and hashtags effectively

Leveraging trending sounds and hashtags can significantly increase your content's visibility on TikTok. Start by exploring the 'Discover' tab to identify what’s currently popular. Incorporate these trending sounds within your videos, but ensure they complement your content. For example, if there's a popular upbeat tune, use it for a vibrant cooking or plating sequence.

Be strategic with your hashtags. According to a TikTok study, using a mix of niche and broad hashtags yields better results. Broad hashtags like #Foodie or #Delicious reach a wider audience while niche hashtags such as #LondonEats or #VeganRecipes attract specific viewer groups interested in those topics. Typically, using about 3-5 hashtags works best.

Engage through challenges and trends. Participate in trending food challenges or create your own. Tagging these challenges helps to position your videos in line with trending topics, ensuring they appear in relevant searches.

Pro-tip: Craft catchy and relevant captions that encourage viewer interaction. Ask questions or run polls to maximise engagement on your videos.

2.3 Incorporating user-generated content

User-generated content (UGC) can be a powerful tool for building trust and engagement on TikTok. Encourage your customers to share their dining experiences at your restaurant. You can incentivise this by offering discounts or featuring their videos on your restaurant's official TikTok account. UGC not only showcases your dishes from a customer's perspective but also fosters a sense of community.

Repost customer content with permission. Featuring content from your patrons provides authentic promotion and diversifies your feed. It also demonstrates that you value and appreciate your customers, which can enhance loyalty. Utilize TikTok’s ‘Duet’ feature to create side-by-side videos with your customers, adding your comments or reactions to their clips.

Organise UGC campaigns around specific themes or events. For instance, during a seasonal menu launch, ask your diners to share their favourite new dishes. Maintain an archive of these valuable videos for future promotions.

Pro-tip: Always credit the original creators in your reposts or duets. This could foster further participation and appreciation from your audience.

3. Collaborating with Influencers Through Joli

3.1 How Joli connects restaurants with the right TikTok influencers

Joli simplifies the process of finding the right TikTok influencers tailored to your restaurant’s needs. You start by creating an offer where you describe your business, your promotion, and the audience you want to reach. From there, Joli uses this information to match you with influencers who have a suitable following and engagement rate. Finding influencers manually can be a time-consuming task, but Joli does the heavy lifting for you, helping you focus on other crucial aspects of your marketing strategy.

Matched influencers are then invited to apply to collaborate with your restaurant. You get to review their profiles, which include their audience demographics, past performance, and engagement rates. Approving influencers that best fit your brand ensures the authenticity and effectiveness of your marketing efforts. For example, if your restaurant specialises in Mediterranean cuisine, Joli will find influencers whose followers are interested in similar foods, thus maximising your campaign's impact.

Pro-tip: Use Joli to streamline the influencer selection process and ensure you collaborate with content creators who resonate with your brand.

3.2 Planning and scheduling influencer visits

Once you’ve approved the influencers you want to work with through Joli, the next step is planning and scheduling their visits. You can set availability to align with quieter shifts, ensuring that their presence doesn’t overwhelm your staff or other customers. Influencers then book directly through the Joli app, and all the relevant details are sent via calendar invites to keep everyone in the loop. This eliminates the usual back-and-forth in scheduling and allows you to coordinate effortlessly.

Communication is key when working with TikTok influencers. Joli provides messaging features to discuss details, set expectations, and address any last-minute changes directly within the platform. Ensuring a smooth and well-coordinated visit helps influencers create quality content that will promote your restaurant effectively. The internal communication eliminates the risk of missing important details, which can often happen with traditional email exchanges or messaging apps.

Pro-tip: Leverage the scheduling and messaging features of Joli to maintain clear communication and seamless planning with influencers.

3.3 Tracking and measuring campaign impact with Joli

Monitoring and measuring the success of your influencer marketing campaigns is essential for understanding your return on investment (ROI). Joli offers a comprehensive dashboard where you can track upcoming visits, follow-ups, and the performance of each campaign in real time. This dashboard provides key metrics, such as reach, engagement, impressions, and more. Tracking these metrics allows you to see which content resonates best with your audience and adjusts future campaigns accordingly.

According to a recent survey, over 60% of marketers struggle with ROI measurement in influencer marketing (source: Influencer Marketing Hub). With Joli, you can access detailed analytics to understand the true impact of each influencer visit. This is particularly useful for restaurants with tight marketing budgets that need to ensure every pound spent shows tangible returns. Real-world success stories, like those of Nightcap and Rocket Leisure, demonstrate how effective influencer partnerships can boost your restaurant's visibility and customer footfall.

Pro-tip: Utilise Joli’s tracking features to measure campaign performance accurately to optimise your marketing spend and strategy.

4. Maximising Reach with TikTok Ads

4.1 Types of TikTok ads suitable for restaurants

Restaurants have several types of TikTok ads at their disposal to boost their visibility. In-Feed Ads appear as users scroll through their feeds, seamlessly blending with organic content. These ads can include a call-to-action such as "Book Now" or "Visit Us" that drives direct traffic to your website or reservation page. Brand Takeover Ads are more aggressive, occupying the entire screen for a few seconds when the app is opened, making them ideal for launching new menu items or special promotions.

TopView Ads resemble Brand Takeovers but last longer, giving you up to 60 seconds to hook viewers with engaging visuals and storytelling. If you're aiming to engage users interactively, consider Branded Hashtag Challenges, which invite users to create content around your brand's hashtag. This not only increases visibility but also encourages user-generated content. Finally, Branded Effects let users apply custom AR filters and effects related to your restaurant, adding an interactive and personalised touch to your campaign.

4.2 Best practices for crafting compelling ad content

Creating compelling TikTok ads hinges on embracing the platform's style and authenticity. Focus on storytelling: Instead of straightforward promotion, show behind-the-scenes action, chef profiles, or customer testimonials. Use high-quality visuals that highlight the appeal of your dishes; close-ups of sizzling plates and colourful desserts can capture attention instantly. Make sure to pair footage with trending sounds and music to align with TikTok’s playful vibe and boost engagement.

Include clear and compelling CTAs (Call-to-Actions) that match your campaign goals, such as "Order Now" or "Visit Us Today". Short, snappy videos perform best; aim for 15-30 seconds to keep viewers engaged. Additionally, analysing and iterating on ad performance is crucial—track metrics like view rates and engagement to refine your content strategy. TikTok's ad analytics provide insights on what resonates with viewers, helping you optimise future campaigns for better results.

4.3 Analysing ad performance to refine strategy

Tracking and analysing the performance of your TikTok ads is essential to know what works and what doesn't. Start by monitoring key metrics like impressions, click-through rates (CTR), and conversion rates. Understanding these metrics helps you identify the most effective aspects of your campaigns. Pay attention to engagement rates as well, such as likes, shares, and comments, to measure how well your content resonates with the audience.

Use TikTok’s analytics tools to get detailed insights into audience demographics and behaviours. Are most viewers local to your area? Are they engaging with your content at specific times of day? These insights can guide you on when to post and who to target. A/B testing different versions of ads can reveal which elements drive better engagement and conversions. Regularly review and refine your strategy to continually improve performance and maximise your return on investment.

Running effective TikTok ad campaigns requires understanding the platform's unique features and user behaviours. You can achieve greater reach and engagement by choosing the right types of ads, crafting appealing content, and continually analysing performance metrics. With these strategies, you're well-equipped to attract more customers to your restaurant.

Looking to transform your influencer marketing strategy and restaurant visibility? Book a demo with Joli to see how we can help you streamline your campaigns and maximise your results.

Frequently Asked Questions

How to use TikTok to promote your restaurant?

Promote your restaurant on TikTok by creating engaging food videos, using trending hashtags, collaborating with influencers, and running targeted ads to reach a wider audience.

How does TikTok affect restaurants?

TikTok affects restaurants by boosting their visibility and customer engagement. Viral trends and influencer recommendations can lead to increased foot traffic and higher sales.

How do you attract customers on TikTok?

Attract customers on TikTok by posting high-quality, appealing food videos, using trending music and hashtags, offering behind-the-scenes content, and collaborating with influencers.

How can I increase foot traffic to my restaurant?

Increase foot traffic to your restaurant by engaging with local TikTok influencers, running geo-targeted ads, promoting special offers, and encouraging user-generated content with engaging challenges.