According to one source, more than 75% of people make a purchase decision based on something they see on social media, and that holds true for restaurants. Today’s consumer spends hours on social media each week, and if you aren’t leveraging the power of social media marketing, it’s time to get off the fence and take action.

#1: Social Media is Valuable

The most important reason to be on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and others is to connect and interact with current and potential diners. In addition, social platforms give your restaurant a place to build relationships so you stay top of mind with customers.  

Consider the importance of word of mouth marketing. For example, someone dines at your restaurant on a Friday night and has such a great meal and customer service that they tell their family members at brunch on Sunday. Then those family members come to see you, love your restaurant, and tell their friends.  

Now imagine that same word of mouth marketing on an exponential level. That’s the power of social media marketing. That same diner shares a photo on Instagram of their delicious meal with a caption describing the meal, your restaurant, and their excellent service. That post is seen by thousands of their followers. 

What’s more, strangers will also see their posts, note the name of your restaurant, and make a point to visit the following weekend.

 You can see how that one good meal and a great experience can greatly impact your bottom line.

#2: Social Media Drives Traffic

With a solid social media strategy, you can drive traffic to both your restaurant’s website and your restaurant.  

By having a solid posting plan, you can engage your customers on a daily basis by giving them reasons to visit your restaurant. (tweet this) For example, you might share a coupon on your Facebook page, but to get the coupon, social media users have to go to your website and enter their name and email to download the coupon.  

You can also promote events, new menu items, and even drawings and contests.

You win two ways here: you get their contact information to add to your email marketing strategy and encourage them to visit your restaurant with a coupon.  

To harness the power of social media, you should consider using a social media posting tool. This allows you to create posts in advance and schedule them by day and time. Using a posting tool helps you keep your content full and makes daily posting easy.

Don’t forget to check back in on a daily basis, though, answering people’s questions and responding to comments.

Driving traffic to your restaurant and your website again impacts your bottom line.

Use organic social media and paid ads for the biggest success.

#3: Social Media Helps Reach Your Target Audience

You may know that all social media platforms run on algorithms. These algorithms determine who sees your posts and how often.

Because of these algorithms, you can reach your target audience and provide them with the content they’re looking for.

This involves working on your social media strategy. You first want to know your target audience so you can target them. Then, you can create the right kind of content to engage them, thus increasing your bottom line.

The key here is to craft engaging and enticing content that is shareable. Then, when people start sharing your posts, you can reach an even broader audience.

One tip – don’t forget to use hashtags on all your posts, especially on Instagram. This helps people find your restaurant when they’re searching for related hashtags.

#4: Social Media Helps Improve Customer Service

As a restaurant owner, you may know that even if your food is fantastic, if guests have a bad customer service experience, they are less likely to return. Luckily, social media helps you improve your overall customer experience. (tweet this)

Because social media marketing is about engagement and connection, you have an incredible opportunity to show your current and potential diners how much you actually care.

You want to respond to all comments on your social media pages, and you also want to respond to mentions on the posts of others.

This is an extension of your in-restaurant customer service.

In addition, you’ll find many people leaving you reviews on Google, Facebook, and Yelp. Assign one person you trust to respond to all reviews. Not only should they respond to negative ones, but they should also respond to the positive reviews.

When responding to negative reviews, empathy and understanding are key.

You have a unique opportunity here to show reviewers and those reading the reviews that you are open to suggestions. You want to show people you care about their overall experience and improving it for others.

By paying close attention to comments and reviews, you can see how social media again impacts your restaurant’s bottom line by bringing in repeat and new diners.

Final Thoughts on Social Media Marketing

Social media benefits are overwhelmingly positive. In fact, one study shows that over 45% of diners in the United States tried a restaurant for the very first time after they were enticed by a social media post.

Social media is impactful and vital for your restaurant. By having vibrant social media platforms, you give validity to your restaurant. You’ll find that many people will research your restaurant on social media before deciding to dine with you.

If they can’t find your restaurant on social media, they may move on to one that is.

Finally, it’s worth mentioning that paid social media ads are another impactful way to boost your restaurant’s bottom line.

So, create a paid strategy that uses ads to reach your target audience. Give them a reason to visit your restaurant by offering a promotion, discount, or freebie. Do make sure that your paid ad’s call to action gets the social media follower to give you something in return, such as their email address, so you can market to them in the future.

You’ll find that harnessing the power of both organic and paid social media is the key to your overall marketing strategy for growth.

Justine Nightingale | Restaurant Engine