A recent study shows almost 40% of young people prefer Instagram or TikTok over Google Maps to find restaurants. This consumer behavior has revolutionized how restaurants must approach social media platforms in 2024.
Many restaurants face challenges with their social media presence. The biggest problem remains consistent - creating content that turns followers into actual customers. This happens regardless of whether you handle it yourself or partner with a restaurant marketing agency. We created these 10 social media marketing strategies to help restaurants succeed. They cover everything about content creation and strategic collaborations.
Let us guide you through tested methods that will strengthen your social media impact and attract more diners to your restaurant in 2024. Our strategies are practical and useful. You can implement them right away - from making your profiles discoverable on social platforms to using user-generated content effectively.
Leveraging Social Search Optimization
Social search optimization is revolutionizing how restaurants do business. The way people look for places to eat has changed dramatically. Social media platforms have become the new search engines that drive dining choices.
Optimizing profiles for social search Your social media profiles must be ready for discovery. A well-set-up profile makes your business more visible. Your restaurant needs a complete business profile that has:
A searchable business name and consistent handle across platforms
Complete address and contact information
Detailed business description with relevant keywords
Direct website and menu links
High-quality profile photo and cover images
Creating searchable content The sort of thing I love about social media content goes beyond just looking pretty. Recent data shows 30% of millennial diners won't visit restaurants that have a weak Instagram presence. Your content should be both visually appealing and searchable.
Each post should use three relevant hashtags. Popular restaurant hashtags like #happyhour, #foodie, and #delish work well. Location-specific content helps you reach local customers better.
Integrating local SEO with social media Social media now disrupts local SEO in unexpected ways. Google has started to add social posts to Google Business Profiles. This makes social media a vital part of your digital marketing strategy.
Restaurants see great results when their social media strategy lines up with local SEO efforts. To name just one example, see how customers can access your menu directly from Google search or maps. An accurate listing and current Google Business Profile help boost your brand's authority in search rankings substantially.
A daily twenty-minute session to manage your digital platforms works wonders. This regular involvement keeps your social search visibility high and content fresh. Create location-specific content you can use across platforms, including Google posts, to reach more local customers.
Mastering Platform-Specific Content
Social media platforms are changing how restaurants build connections with their audience. The numbers tell an interesting story - Instagram Reels now get a 22% higher engagement rate compared to standard video content. This makes them essential for restaurant marketing.
Instagram Reels and Stories Strategies Instagram stands out with its 1 billion daily active users, making it ideal for restaurants. Our data shows Stories pack quite a punch - businesses create one-third of the most-viewed Stories. These strategies work best:
Behind-the-scenes kitchen action
Quick plate-up demonstrations
Daily specials announcements
TikTok Content Optimization TikTok has become a major player in social media. Users spend 53.8 minutes daily on the platform. Restaurants find success by creating genuine, unpolished content that shows their true personality. The numbers speak for themselves - 36% of TikTok users have visited or ordered from restaurants they saw in videos. This number rises to 65% among content creators.
Cross-platform Content Adaptation The real magic lies in smart content adaptation rather than creating new content for each platform. Social video gets 1,200% more shares than text and images combined.
Smart content adaptation should prioritize:
Visual appeal - 81% of people research companies and services on Instagram
Platform-specific features - TikTok's location tagging helps local discovery
Engagement optimization - platform-specific hashtags and trending sounds work best
Many restaurants find it challenging to manage multiple platforms. The solution? Pick the platform where your target audience spends most time and start there. A compelling TikTok video can easily become an Instagram Reel or Facebook short-form video.
Content creation goes beyond just posting - each platform needs experiences that appeal to its unique audience. Our work with restaurants shows that authentic content beats perfection. Your audience wants the real story behind your restaurant, regardless of the platform.
Building a User-Generated Content Strategy
Something exciting is changing the game in restaurant marketing - user-generated content (UGC). 79% of people say UGC highly affects their purchasing decisions, and our restaurant work proves this daily.
Encouraging customer content creation
Your diners can become amazing content creators. Our restaurant clients succeed with these proven strategies:
Create unique Instagram-worthy moments
Develop unique hashtags for your restaurant
Offer incentives for sharing experiences
Set up designated photo spots with proper lighting
Display social media handles prominently
Managing UGC campaigns
Successful UGC campaigns build communities, not just content collections. 85% of restaurant-goers would post about a positive restaurant experience. Success comes from making the sharing process simple and rewarding.
UGC campaigns work like digital word-of-mouth marketing. Our campaign management focuses on three core elements: encouraging people to participate, maintaining quality, and proper attribution. Getting permission before sharing customer content builds trust and shows respect.
Leveraging UGC across platforms
The numbers tell an amazing story - UGC influences the purchase choices of 70% of Gen Z and 78% of Millennials. Restaurants can boost their social media presence by sharing customer content strategically across different platforms.
Real magic happens when UGC becomes part of your broader marketing strategy. A client's conversion rate jumped by 17.27% after we showcased customer content throughout their digital touchpoints. Each piece of UGC serves as authentic social proof, from website galleries to social media stories.
Your customers make the best marketers. Their shared dining experiences tell stories that appeal to potential customers. A detailed UGC strategy helps build a community of brand promoters who showcase your restaurant's unique qualities authentically.
The goal balances professional content with genuine customer experiences. Restaurants create incredible engagement when they mix polished promotional content with authentic user-generated stories.
Implementing Micro-Influencer Partnerships
You might be surprised to learn that micro-influencers generate up to 60% more engagement than their macro-influencer counterparts. My experience as a restaurant marketing consultant has shown how the right micro-influencer partnership can change a restaurant's social media presence.
Finding and vetting local influencers
The perfect partners for your restaurant need specific qualities. These qualities off the top of my head are:
Authentic connection with followers and high engagement (5-10% or higher)
Content quality and brand fit
Local audience demographics
Consistent posting history
Previous restaurant collaboration experience
Pro tip: Your best potential influencers might already be fans of your restaurant. Take a good look at your current social media followers!
Creating effective collaboration guidelines
Clear expectations make partnerships work. Many partnerships fail because people aren't specific enough about what they want. Your collaboration agreement should include:
Content deliverables (specific number of posts/stories)
Timeline for content creation and posting
Key messages or themes to highlight
Photo credits and reposting rights
Disclosure requirements for sponsored content
Note that all details need confirmation before the event, including menu options and who to speak with upon arrival. The core team should know about upcoming influencer visits to avoid any awkward situations.
Measuring influencer campaign success
Numbers tell the real story of success. Restaurant clients need to track these key performance indicators (KPIs):
Engagement Metrics:
Increase in followers during the campaign period
Engagement rates on influencer posts
Social shares and saves
Sentiment analysis of comments
Business Impact: Sales tracking for 8 weeks after the influencer campaign reveals long-lasting effects. Restaurants have seen up to 45% increase in specific promotion sales through mutually beneficial alliances with influencers.
My campaign management experience shows that success goes beyond numbers. Building authentic relationships with influencers who genuinely love your restaurant makes a difference. Their followers can spot genuine passion for your food, and that creates real magic.
Utilizing Social Media Analytics
A restaurant without analytics is like cooking without tasting - you're just guessing! I've seen analytical insights revolutionize a restaurant's social-first presence, and I can't wait to share what I've learned with you.
Key metrics for restaurants
The sort of thing I love about restaurants is how they generate an incredible wealth of data, from customer priorities to dining habits and social media interactions. These are the foundations of what we track for our restaurant clients:
Engagement Rate: Comments, shares, and saves
Reach and Impressions: Content visibility
Click-through Rates: Website visits and menu views
Conversion Tracking: Reservations and orders
Brand Mentions and Tags: User sentiment
Pro tip: Your customer lifetime value needs attention. To name just one example, if your average check is £157.13 and customers return 3 times every 3 months, with a £15.71 acquisition cost, each customer is worth £455.67!
Platform-specific analytics tools
The right analytics tools make all the difference. These tools work best for restaurants now:
Meta Business Suite: This tool analyzes both Facebook and Instagram performance. You'll learn about your audience demographics, engagement patterns, and content performance.
Instagram Insights: Business or Creator Profiles give you access to 60 days of detailed analytics. Understanding these metrics helps restaurants optimize their content strategy.
TikTok Analytics: Users spend an average of 53.8 minutes daily on TikTok. Its analytics are vital to understand video performance and audience engagement.
Data-driven content optimization
Up-to-the-minute data analysis lets restaurants track marketing campaign performance, social media engagement, and foot traffic. Our content optimization involves:
Content Performance Analysis
Track which posts generate the most engagement
Monitor peak posting times
Analyze audience response to different content types
Audience Insights
Study demographic data
Track follower growth patterns
Monitor engagement trends
Analytics help you identify key patterns and understand customer behavior to make informed decisions that stimulate both customer satisfaction and profits. To name just one example, high reach with low engagement signals that your content doesn't resonate with your audience.
Note that tracking numbers alone won't cut it - action matters. Your audience's response should guide your content strategy. My restaurant clients spend twenty minutes daily reviewing their analytics. This habit helps spot trends early and adjust strategy quickly.
Our most successful client achieved a soaring win in their social media ROI by using tracking services for every link and installing a 'tracking pixel' on their website. This approach showed which content drove engagement and converted to actual reservations.
Conclusion
Restaurant discovery has evolved with social media at its helm. Your restaurant can thrive in this digital world through proven methods. A strong social presence demands optimized profiles for search and content that strikes a chord with your audience on each platform.
Your social media marketing works best with a mix of smart approaches. User-generated content helps build trust. Strategic collaborations with micro-influencers boost your reach. Evidence-based decisions shape your content plan. These elements blend together to build an authentic online presence that turns followers into regulars.
A focused approach works wonders. Start with one platform and get it right. You can branch out to other platforms once you're comfortable with the simple stuff. Your content quality and authenticity should stay intact. Run a test campaign on Joli and see how influencer marketing affects your 2024 social media strategy.
Social media marketing goes beyond regular posting. It creates lasting bonds with your audience. These strategies, applied consistently, will build a powerful online presence that delivers tangible results for your restaurant.
