Instagram is a great platform to market your restaurant, but only when you know how to do it properly. Luckily, restaurant Instagram marketing does not have to be difficult. Here are 10 excellent ways you can promote your restaurant on Instagram!
1. Post Regularly
No one wants to see an empty restaurant Instagram account, but how often should businesses post on Instagram? Your customers want to see updates about your restaurant and feel that you care about your restaurant. The key is not to post daily; you do not want to spam people’s Instagram feeds. Instead, you can post a new post every 2-4 days to keep your customers engaged, not overwhelmed.
Are you looking for some general inspiration for your captions? Then check out this post of ours on Restaurant Instagram Captions.
2. Know What Time to Post
Now that you know how often you should post, you need to figure out the best time to post. Another essential part of restaurant Instagram marketing, because posting at the wrong time means fewer people will see your post. So, you want to find the ideal time to make a restaurant Instagram post. Most people agree that the best times to post are between 11 am – 1 pm and 7-9 pm.
However, you may need to test out the best times for yourself to get the most out of your results. You can use Instagram’s convenient Insights feature to see what time your followers are most active. You can also take note of which posts gained the most traction based on what time you posted them.
3. Mix Up Your Content
Let’s face it; people get bored quite quickly. If you consistently post the same style of photo with the same subject, your followers are going to get bored of you fast. You want to capture people’s attention and keep them on their feet. However, it might be hard for some people since they think they can only post a photo of their products.
Try to mix up your content by showcasing other aspects of your restaurant. An example often popping up in our favorite restaurant Instagram post ideas are videos. For instance, if you serve coffee, you can show how your barista makes coffee with an aesthetically pleasing video. You can show off your restaurant’s ambience by showing the interior. Or you can take people behind the scenes whilst preparing dishes.Â
4. Cater to Your Target Audience
Think about who your target market is before you make a restaurant Instagram post. While you may have a great post, it may not do well if it does not cater to your target audience. For instance, your restaurant may promote a relaxing, calming vibe, so a post with vibrant colors may not match your customer’s feelings about your restaurant.
Do you have a primarily young audience? Try to cater to their needs by following some online trends for your restaurant Instagram marketing posts and using their slang (be careful not to overdo it).
5. Create Mini Contests or Raffles
You can effectively get customers to interact with your restaurant’s Instagram page and get your restaurant’s name out there by holding a raffle or a contest. It does not have to be a huge prize; you can offer people a gift certificate, meal, etc., at your restaurant if they win.
Making a contest or raffle does not have to be complicated. You can ask people to tag 5 friends in the comment, and then you select a random winner. You could also collaborate with a local influencer to make your contest bigger.
6. Make Your Posts Interactive
You want your customers to interact and engage with your posts. Post interaction can help get your posts to Instagram’s explore page. And that’s really the place you want to be! Being featured here will greatly help your restaurant Instagram marketing. An easy and effective way to encourage customers to engage with your posts is by having a mini raffle or contest. For instance, you can ask your customers to comment and tag 5 of their friends, and you can choose a random winner to get a free meal at your restaurant.Â
7. Use Hashtags
You should not underestimate the power of hashtags. Restaurant Instagram hashtags can give your post a huge boost. For instance, posts that use at least 1 hashtag experience a 12.6% increase in engagement. So, adding a few hashtags to the comment section of your post would not hurt.
So, what kinds of hashtags should you use? First, focus on the content in the post and use hashtags related to that. For instance, you can use #coffee, #icedcoffee, #drinks, etc., if you have a post that showcases coffee. Do not forget to add hashtags that contain your restaurant’s name, location, what city you are in, etc.
8. Always Add Your Location
People often use Instagram to browse restaurants before they visit them. For instance, many people will look for posts that added a restaurant’s address to their location to scope out the restaurant. You can use your location to your advantage by using it for each post. That way, people can see your restaurant’s posts whenever they look at the tagged location. An unskippable restaurant Instagram marketing trick!
9. Share Your Customer’s Photos
Other customer’s opinions can greatly influence potential customer’s decisions. Potential customers like to read reviews, feedback, etc., before they even think about stepping foot into a new restaurant. So, if your customers make posts or stories on Instagram about your restaurant (especially good ones), do not be afraid to show them off!
For instance, you can share your customer’s Instagram story of your food to your profile or use the “add to your story” feature. If one customer takes a particularly great photo of your restaurant, reshare the photo (do not forget to tag them).Â
10. Get Involved with The Community
Customers love businesses that love their community and try to make it better. People are more likely to do business with owners that give back to the community because they grow “loyalty” to the brand. For instance, if you own a cafe, you could offer free drinks to all the teachers for teacher’s day, and you can let everyone know about it through an Instagram post. If there is a local fundraiser, do not be afraid to lend a helping hand and post about it on Instagram!
You can also get the community involved with your restaurant. For instance, let’s say that you want new designs for your coffee cup sleeves. You can ask the local schools if their students can come up with a few ideas, and you can use those for your coffee sleeves! Do not forget to give them something back, like a gift certificate.
Ready to level up your Restaurant Instagram Marketing?
Stepping up your restaurant Instagram marketing game can help boost your sales and stay relevant. You can keep your restaurant’s Instagram page on top of the game by trying out any of the tips above!
Do you also need tips for your overall marketing? Then make sure to check out this guide: Simple Restaurant Marketing Guide And Effective Tips For 2021
