5 Tips To Ace Restaurant Marketing on Instagram

From using #foodlove hashtags to self-proclaimed foodies, we can get an idea if and what a person loves to eat, and many use Instagram to do that. It is a powerful platform for restaurants to tap into, as it provides the best way to connect with the customers and build a brand online.

Post a photo, share a video, write a caption, and add hashtags—there is plenty of space for food lovers to demonstrate their love. But if you do all that, and your followers still not increasing, it may be the time to reconsider your Instagram marketing strategy.

Herein, we are suggesting 5 tips for Instagram Marketing for Restaurants: 

• Stick to your brand

Focus on your brand. Create an Insta page that encircles your brand’s look. Keep your posts aligned to the core features—color, font, and even images. Maintain a specific tone in all of your posts that reflect your brand values. 

For example, a local bar may post images featuring glasses of beer, and musicians. But If a page like that includes photos of the chaos after a party, the overall image would be disturbed.

Your consistency on Instagram is important. It attracts the right audience, one you would want to retain for growth. 

• Hashtags are a must

Posts with right hashtags get more than 12% engagement from target audience than posts without. 

It is good to invest some time to create the right hashtags. For example, #NYCfoodie instead of #foodie looks more specific and relevant. Also, include hashtags in your official bio which tells potential customers what to tag while sharing images of food or celebrations at your restaurants on Instagram. 

Pro Tip: Use hashtags that are admissible and handy to your restaurant brand. Do not complicate them. 

• Follow a successful influencer or food blogger

There are tons of people who are earning a good surge in new followers and online engagement. So, they must be doing something right. 

Do they use the best images, hashtags, and captions? Or are they highly recognized in the industry?

While you want to create your individual brand space, learning strategies that have worked for others can boost your efforts. Following a popular blogger or a social media influencer is the best way to get you the desired online traction. 

• Captions matter

Many Instagram users doubt if caption matters since food images or videos draw maximum eyeballs.

As much as food imagery matters, people love reading interesting captions too.   Good captions engage people. 

For example, how often do you want to like the pic of your favorite sweet dish but improper caption or lack of a caption leave you confused? Give the right words to your Instagram posts. 

Having said that, do not flood it with longer text. Keep it short, simple yet engaging—add extra space too. Ideally, divide your text into short fragments to make the captions readable and draw more clicks. 

• Run Contests & Giveaways

Possibly the best way to lure more people visiting your Instagram profile is running some online competitions. This not only boosts user engagement via likes, comments, or shares but improves the online reach of your restaurant. 

Your current followers can be given a special offer for inviting more people into the contest. However, clearly define the terms and conditions of participation to make calculated growth and not blindly going behind that. 

Wrap Up

Opening your restaurant isn’t only just about offering great food and ambiance.  But you have to spread the word online to gain good followers and boost user engagement for business growth.