This is the third blog post in the Social media for ‘x’ series. Not a bunch of cut’n’paste fluff on the ‘7 best retweets’ or ’10 ways to max LinkedIn’ that is so typical of social media posts, but some real ideas on content for the blogs, Facebook, Twitter and Youtube accounts of specific industries.
If you haven’t already seen the first two in the series ‘Social media for recruitment’ and ‘Social media for music venues’ then check them out here
Social media for restaurants
A basic social media mix of a blog and Twitter, Facebook and Youtube accounts can be used by a restaurant or restaurant chain to
- Enhance traditional marketing initiatives like seasonal offers at Christmas or Valentines, lunch menus, vouchers and off-peak bookings mid-week.
- Attract the right kind of attention and protect the restaurant’s reputation for excellence
- Find staff
Twitter can be a billboard, but use it exclusively for advertising and you’ll never build follower numbers. Intersperse sales tweets with content that is conversational, quizzical, funny and topical
Build follower numbers by giving one free starter or beer to restaurant visitors who become followers and rewards them for recruiting new followers from amongst their friends
- Post tweets with links to food media like
- Last night’s episode of Masterchef
- Gordon Ramsay and other celebrity chefs
- Reviews of your restaurant
- Articles on the cuisine you serve
- Posts on your blog
- New YouTube videos
- Facebook events including updates
- Post alerts on
- Special events – Valentines dinners, Christmas Lunch
- Special seasonal offers
- Recent successes at competition
- Attendance at food fairs or local festivals
- new top staff
- Ask questions on
- favourite foods
- what customers would like
- Announce job vacancies
- Answer criticisms promptly and politely
Because so many people use Facebook (500 million and counting) your business would be mad to ignore it.
There should be a button on your website linking to Facebook page.
Like Twitter, Facebook can be used to alert visitors to information on your blog. Its format allows for a longer intro to blog posts.
BLOG
The blog is your very own 24 hour rolling news bulletin designed to entertain and inform – content uncut. You can post film, audio and texts of unlimited length.
Blog posts could be
- Articles on the restaurant’s cuisine
- Short introductory articles with links to reviews of the restaurant
- Professional reviews
- Customer reviews
- Diary entries written by members of staff
- Recent visits or attendance at local or national food events
- Embedded videos from YouTube channel
- Picture galleries
- Of famous guests
- Customers (with prior agreement)
- Embedded YouTube video
YOUTUBE
- Your special being prepared
- Parties and functions (with prior agreement)
- History of restaurant
- Special events that included entertainment
Promoting Social Media offline
It is important to sell your social media at every opportunity. Make sure your Facebook and Twitter accounts are present in things like
- Posters (in the bathrooms for example)
- Brochures
- Lunch vouchers
- Menus
- Receipts
- Business cards
- E-mail campaigns
- Press ads
The list of ideas for social media content above is not exhaustive. Do you have any other good ideas? Please comment below. Likewise, if there are social media platforms you consider particularly useful for the restaurant business that are not mentioned here then please comment.
If you want further advice on effective social media in your industry and you live in the UK you might consider looking at my social media solutions
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