In today’s digital landscape, social media is a battlefield for restaurants vying for
customer attention. But with trends constantly evolving, how can you ensure your
restaurant stays ahead of the curve? The answer lies in strategically leveraging these
trends to create engaging content and build a loyal following. Here are 5 ways to
transform fleeting social media trends into powerful marketing tools for your restaurant:

1. Ride the Hashtag Wave
   Hashtags are the lifeblood of discoverability on social media. Participating in trending
   hashtags allows your restaurant to tap into a wider audience searching for specific
   content. But don’t simply jump on every bandwagon. Research relevant hashtags that
   align with your brand identity and target audience. For instance, a local bakery could
   leverage #NationalDonutDay to showcase their delectable creations, while a trendy
   gastropub might capitalize on #MeatlessMonday to promote their plant-based offerings.
   Remember, using a mix of broad and niche hashtags increases the chances of your
   content being seen.
2. Embrace the Power of User-Generated Content (UGC):
   People trust their peers more than brands. User-generated content (UGC) – photos and
   videos posted by your customers featuring your restaurant – offers a powerful form of
   social proof. Encourage UGC by running contests with enticing prizes for the best
   photos or videos depicting your dishes or ambiance. Feature customer posts on your
   social media pages, giving them a shoutout and fostering a sense of community. This
   not only saves you content creation time, but also showcases the authenticity of your
   restaurant through the eyes of satisfied customers.
3. The Short and Sweet Revolution: Capitalize on Short-Form Video Platforms:
   Platforms like TikTok and Instagram Reels have exploded in popularity, offering a
   dynamic way to capture attention spans in a fleeting digital world. These platforms are
   perfect for showcasing your restaurant’s personality. Create bite-sized, visually
   appealing videos that tease your menu items, highlight your chefs’ skills, or offer a
   glimpse into the fun and dynamic atmosphere of your restaurant. Leverage trending
   sounds and challenges to organically reach a wider audience. Remember, humor,
   creativity, and authenticity are key ingredients for success here.
4. Go Live and Interact in Real-Time
   Live streaming offers an unparalleled opportunity to connect with your audience in real-
   time. Host live Q&A sessions with your chefs, showcase your kitchen’s energy during a
   busy service, or even offer exclusive behind-the-scenes glimpses of your restaurant’s

preparation process. Live streams foster a sense of connection and transparency,
allowing viewers to feel like they’re part of the action. Additionally, consider collaborating
with local food bloggers or influencers for live taste-tests or recipe demonstrations,
further expanding your reach and attracting new customers.

5. Partner with Micro-Influencers for Hyperlocal Focus:
   While celebrity endorsements can be alluring, a more strategic approach lies in
   partnering with micro-influencers. These individuals, with localized followings in the tens
   of thousands, often hold immense sway within their communities. Find micro-influencers
   who are passionate about food and whose audience aligns with your target
   demographic. Collaborate with them to create authentic content that showcases your
   restaurant’s unique offerings to a highly relevant audience. Offer them exclusive menu
   tastings, host them for a “restaurant takeover” on their social media, or partner with
   them to create engaging giveaways – the possibilities are endless.
   By embracing these five strategies, restaurants can harness the power of social media
   trends to not only stay relevant, but also build a loyal customer base. Remember,
   authenticity, creativity, and audience engagement are paramount. So, get out there,
   experiment with these trends, and watch your social media presence transform into a
   powerful marketing tool that drives customers straight to your door.

In today’s digital age, where social media reigns supreme, restaurants are constantly
seeking innovative ways to reach their target audience. While partnering with celebrity
influencers with millions of followers might seem like the ultimate goal, a more strategic
and cost-effective approach lies in the power of micro-influencers.

Micro-influencers boast followings typically ranging from 10,000 to 100,000 people.
However, what they lack in sheer follower volume, they make up for in engagement and
authenticity. These individuals have cultivated a loyal community built on trust and
shared interests. Here’s how restaurants can leverage the power of micro-influencers to
elevate their marketing strategies:

Finding the Perfect Fit:

The key to a successful micro-influencer campaign lies in alignment. Don’t be swayed
by follower count alone. Focus on finding influencers whose audience aligns with your
restaurant’s target demographic. Look for individuals who actively post about food,
showcasing a genuine passion for the culinary world. Consider their location – a local
blogger with a strong foodie following is likely to resonate more with your local audience
than a national influencer with a broader but less relevant focus.

Building Relationships:

Micro-influencers are often more approachable than their celebrity counterparts. Take
the time to nurture genuine connections. Research their content, understand their voice,
and interact with their posts. Engage with them on a personal level before proposing a
collaboration.

Craft a Compelling Campaign:

Gone are the days of generic sponsored content. Today’s audience craves authenticity.
Instead of dictating every aspect of the post, present a clear campaign objective and
allow the influencer creative freedom to express themselves within their established
style. Partner with them to develop engaging content that showcases the unique selling
points of your restaurant.

Content is King:

High-quality visuals are crucial for any restaurant marketing campaign. Partner with
micro-influencers who excel at food photography and videography. This doesn’t
necessarily mean they need professional-grade equipment; a keen eye and an
understanding of lighting and composition can go a long way. Encourage them to

capture mouthwatering visuals that highlight the presentation and quality of your dishes,
creating a visual feast for their followers.

Beyond the Plate:

While food is undoubtedly the star of the show, consider extending the invitation to
capture the entire dining experience. Micro-influencers can showcase the restaurant’s
ambiance, the friendliness of the staff, or even the unique cocktails offered at your bar.
These glimpses into the overall experience will provide potential patrons with a more
well-rounded picture of your restaurant, increasing its appeal.

Incentivize Engagement:

Simply featuring your restaurant isn’t enough. Encourage micro-influencers to
incorporate calls to action within their content. This could involve offering a discount
code for their followers, running a giveaway of a free meal, or even hosting a live Q&A
session where viewers can ask questions about the dining experience.

Tracking and Measuring Success:

Don’t just throw content out into the digital abyss and hope for the best. Track the
performance of your campaign. Monitor metrics like post engagement, website traffic
generated, and even reservation bookings. Utilize tools offered by social media
platforms to gain valuable insights into how your audience is interacting with the
content.

The Long Game:

Micro-influencer marketing isn’t a one-time shot. Aim for long-term partnerships.
Regularly collaborate with the same micro-influencers to develop a consistent narrative
about your restaurant. This fosters trust with both the influencer’s audience and your
own, creating loyal brand advocates who can organically promote your restaurant over
time.

By implementing these strategies, restaurants can harness the power of micro-
influencers to reach new audiences, generate excitement, and ultimately drive more
customers through their doors. In an age of information overload, authenticity reigns
supreme. Micro-influencers, with their genuine voices and engaged communities, are
the perfect partners to help your restaurant stand out from the crowd.

Running a successful restaurant business isn’t an easy job. With rising competition every day, and with most customers on the hunt for new food experiences, many restaurants eventually suffer a slump. To help your sales pick up, why not try these ten restaurant marketing ideas? We know they shall improve your business and help you get the deserved attention you seek.

1. Develop a clear brand identity

Even if your restaurant is only starting to take off, think big. Pay a closer look at your brand identity. Ask yourself, who is your target customer? What makes your restaurant stand out among the rest? Reflect on these points on your social media platforms. It could be your large family or teen customers, or it could be your retro interior style or current, hipster vibe.

2. Make an appealing online menu

You won’t believe how restaurant marketing is positively influenced by high-quality, user-friendly online menus. Loyal as well as prospective customers usually do research before ordering from or visiting your restaurant. Don’t give them a hard time looking up your menu, but rather offer them an accurate and updated one.

3. Partner up with an online ordering system

When it comes to restaurant marketing, this one is an absolute winner. With an online ordering website or application, menus get easily accessed, orders placed, and payments accepted from a distance. Your restaurant is; thus, promoted on the online ordering system, orders are organized, and the ordering process is made simple for customers.

For the best online ordering management platform for restaurants, check out Taker

4. Post mouth-watering food photos

As it is frequently said that “People eat with their eyes first”, you may want to go visual with your restaurant marketing. Pick out your best dishes, and get them photographed by a professional food photographer and stylist. Post them on your website and social media, especially Instagram where playing with popular hashtags and coming up with new ones can be loads of fun.

For Instagram marketing for restaurants, check out these twelve detailed ideas here

5. Turn your customers into marketers

Host a photo contest and ask customers to share a photo they’ve taken of their favorite dish at your restaurant. Share the entries on your social media platforms and make sure to award winners with discount coupons or free side dishes! Such a restaurant marketing tactic will cost you almost nothing, but you’ll get a ton of engagement and publicity in return.

6. Do influencer outreach

It is a great way to get honest reviews and press on the web. All you have to do is get in touch with food bloggers – preferably the ones interested in your specialty cuisine –  and invite them to give your restaurant a try. Some food bloggers have thousands of followers. Imagine getting honest, positive reviews of your restaurant posted on their social media platforms! That is what we call clever restaurant marketing.

To learn more about influencer restaurant marketing, click here

7. Go old-school blogging

You may think blogs are so yesterday, but Google thinks otherwise. A recent study found that blogs are the third most influential digital resource (31%) when making purchase decisions after retail and brand sites; 56% and 34%, respectively. On your blog, share your success stories, struggles, or even recipes that customers find of great benefit.

8. Offer discounts, coupons, and giveaways

This tactic never gets old, for people tend to like anything free/discounted. By advertising your offers online, you’ll increase your exposure and will have customers running to place orders. Another restaurant marketing strategy that works well in keeping customers coming back is a loyalty program. How does it work? In return for placing a certain number of orders, a customer gets a special discount.

9. Send out an email newsletter

By sending your customers a monthly email newsletter, they will be kept updated without having their inbox flooded by email messages. There is various stuff to share with your customers via emails such as new menu items, expansions and milestones, and special discounts.

10. Target ads to your geographic location

In restaurant marketing, you win the game by going local. Investing in geo-targeted ads saves you money and ensures targeting customers within your geographic radius. This works on Google and other social media ads alike. A more current restaurant marketing tactic is to make sure your ads are visible on mobile phones. Mobile ads work well during dinnertime, especially when people are looking for dining options while on the move.

Online Marketing has become essential for restaurants in 2021, with hundreds of trends popping up every day and millions of customers using and depending on social media to make their purchasing decisions.

Still, online marketing is not all about social media and, there many other channels that can help you get free targeted traffic for your restaurant. And with some optimizations you will be able to convert your visitors into satisfying customers. So to make use of those online marketing channels, here is what you need to do.

1- Create A Website for Your Restaurant

Having a website for your restaurant is not part of online marketing per se, however, it is the base on which the whole process stands.

In order to start your endeavor in restaurant marketing, you have to have a digital presence first, that is why having a website is a must. A smooth professional website reflects your brand to your online audience and gives your restaurant authority in your industry.

Your website will need to be backed up by an efficient online ordering system to provide a hassle-free ordering experience for your customers.

Taker provides restaurant with an online ordering system that is tailored and customized to increase the efficiency of your restaurant operations and provide you with several marketing tools to enhance your online presence. In addition to your own restaurant website, Takers gives you the option to have an app for your restaurant, which will help you reach your customers easily and send customized notifications based on their preferences.

Those features among others help you create your own online tribe and increase your customer satisfaction.

2- Use Local SEO Practices

Local SEO is used to make your restaurant website rank for searches related to the city or district where your restaurant is located; e.g. “Where to Eat in Jeddah”  “Burger restaurants in Riyadh”. There are many practices used to improve your local search ranking including; keyword research, titles and content optimization … etc.  You can easily find a checklist of the best practices to rank locally and apply them to your website to increase your website’s relevancy and get the targeted traffic.

3- Build Your Social Presence

You can’t compete successfully with other restaurants without having a strong social media presence. There are several social media platforms and you have to choose the platform that works best for your restaurant and country. In some countries Facebook is more popular than other social media platforms. In others, Instagram and Twitter take the lead. It is important to understand your audience and reach to them through a strong social media plan on a related social media platform.

4- Start your Restaurant Blog

Blogging is a powerful strategy to generate leads and drive sales. In fact, many studies show that blogging continuously can increase lead generation by 89%.

Creating food related sharable content will aid your customers in making purchase decisions and will also support your local SEO efforts. Creating a blog for your restaurant requires patience and commitment, but is always rewarding on the long run.

Here are some tips to help you start your restaurant blog;

Be Unique: your audience will love if your blog posts are creative and original. Share new recipes and information about your restaurant and engage them in the food making process.

Be Relevant: Know your audience interests and create content that appeals and adds value to them. Answer their questions and respond to their comments in an easy creative way. This will help you clear any misunderstanding and will show that you apply transparency policy at your restaurant.

Be Versatile: be versatile in your content and how it is presented. Blog about different topics and hop on food trends to engage your customers. You should also present your content in diverse ways including; videos, text, images, infographics… etc.

Go Beyond Publishing: Share. Share and Share. Share your content on you social media platforms. Share it to related website, contact influencers to share it on their social media pages,  do whatever you can to spread your content and make it go viral.

Keep it Open: You don’t have to do all the work by yourself,  get other food bloggers to write on your blog and create your own food blogging community.

5- Use Email Marketing

Restaurant owners can easily take advantage of email marketing to collect data about their customers and use it to provide a more personalized ordering experience.  Building a targeted email list will allow you to know more about your customers and cater to their needs and preferences.

Here are some effective ways to build your email marketing data base:

1. Offer voucher or discount for customers who provide their email and/or phone number.
2. Ask your customers to provide their emails and signup for your newsletter to get the latest offers and discounts.
3. Offer a free drink for customers who provide their email while ordering on premises or takeaway.
4. Offer special discounts for customers ordering via newsletter.

There are many other ways to collect customers’ emails and understanding your customers’ behavior would help greatly in finding and applying the right way.