Why is Social Media Marketing a Must for your Restaurant?
As we’re all aware, Social Media is growing and a must-do marketing tool for businesses of all shapes and sizes. The food and beverage (f&b) industry is a particular sector where Social Media should be a number one marketing priority.
Why?
How many times have you logged onto your Facebook or Instagram, only to be bombarded by photos of your friend’s meal out with their partner or friends?
Social Media is everybody’s way to show off and through the use of food and drink, users are able to show a certain lifestyle.
Businesses can thrive off consumer content as people tend to trust the reviews of their fellow followers.
Why do you need to be socially active? What’s the point in letting your customers do all of the work, without a Social Media presence? Yes, it’s great that they’re doing the sharing for you, but you need an online base for customers to come to and check out your offering. Social Media sites are used as a review platform and without a presence, how are your potential customers going to trust your brand?
As a business within the f&b industry, Instagram is becoming the best place to situate your online marketing. The aesthetic of food and drink is heavily trending across the platform.
However, even though Instagram is the main place to be, you shouldn’t neglect other social platforms such as Twitter and Facebook to make some noise.
For example, did you know that the total number of posts for the hashtag #Food on Instagram is currently 186,535,071?! Additionally, the ever-rising trend of blogging is helping the hospitality industry massively with ‘foodies’ and food bloggers, again, encouraging other individuals to become customers through the use of influencer marketing.
Who’s doing it well?
Check out these three Manchester based restaurants using Social Media to its full potential:
With over 10K followers on Instagram, Federal Cafe & Bar is an independent New Zealand/Australian coffee shop in Manchester.
Federal’s Instagram screams lifestyle aesthetic, featuring rustic wooden backgrounds and quirky props. Their food photography is also 100% on point.
Fazenda, based in Spinningfield’s Manchester, is an absolute meat heaven. With as much choice as you can imagine, coupled with the most varied salad bar ever, Fazenda’s Social Media channels are definitely something to avoid when hungry.
Fazenda’s branding is portrayed through the use of images – slick and traditional. Fazenda is a restaurant you’d visit on a date, special occasion or important lunch meeting and that messaging shines through across all platforms.
The ‘Subway’ of Mexican cuisine, Changos is a dedicated Mexican bar with a brilliant online personality.
Due to its location, Changos tailors its online content to appeal to its local clientele – students and office workers. With its tongue in cheek tone of voice, Changos’ online presence is definitely in keeping with its street-food image.
Have you put much thought into your businesses online strategy? Perhaps time isn’t on your side to start? The Juice Academy works with young, savvy people and trains them to use their Social Media skills to a high and professional standard, enabling you to grow your digital marketing presence. Get in touch with the team to find out how a Social Media apprentice could help you.
