Social Media Marketing for Local Restaurants

We're eating out less, and restaurants are suffering. But if you're reading this, we likely don't need to tell you that.

YouGov recently published a report on Brits and dining out, and to be honest, considering the cost of living, the data is not surprising.

In this blog post, we examine some of the report's data, discuss how powerful social media can be, and offer some tips on marketing local restaurants on social media.

So what's the data saying?

38% of diners say they're eating out less frequently than a year ago, and 63% cite a perceived rise in cost as a reason for going to restaurants less often.

Of those still eating out, 59% say they choose cheaper options, and 52% order fewer items.

YouGov asked whether people thought restaurant prices had noticeably increased in their area in the past 12 months, and 79% said yes.

How about attracting diners?

As we said, the data is unsurprising, and there's a lot more in there, but we want to focus on the report's section on attracting diners.

6 in 10 diners (59%) cite discounts as a potential incentive to make them visit. 49% say that BOGO offers are appealing, and a quarter of potential diners see value in loyalty points.

What's really interesting is that different deals attract different generations. Gen Z loves loyalty points, and Boomers love happy hour. If restaurants want to attract millennials, it's discounts and BOGO offers.

We are not saying that restaurants should offer discounts to attract new customers; however, consumers are being more thoughtful in their purchases, so they're more likely to spend money in a place that offers something in return. That could be a loyalty card, excellent and personable service, entertaining content, on-trend/Instagrammable menu items. Anything that makes them feel heard and special.

What about getting the word out?

Unsurprisingly, social media is the most effective way of getting the word out (36%). Coming in at 32% is word of mouth. Below is a breakdown of how discovery shifts by generation from the report.

Honestly, nothing about this report was surprising, but it's good to see the numbers.

So, what's the solution?

Restaurants are also struggling with rising costs; hospitality has had an awful time since COVID, and places are closing left, right and centre. We don't have the answers to all the issues and don't know the nuances and struggles of running a restaurant. But what we do know is digital marketing and how powerful social media can be.

Unfortunately, too many restaurants, particularly local places, dismiss social media. If they use it, it's an afterthought, and often, it's executed by someone who lacks experience or the desire/time to do it. It's so frustrating that places are cooking up incredible food but struggling because they're not making time for social media and treating it with the respect it deserves.

Look, margins are tight, so we're not saying that the only solution is to hire a social media manager or agency, but restaurants need to use social media. If you can't commit to outsourcing yet, you need to dedicate time to educating yourself and executing content.

Social media marketing tips for restaurants

Draw up a strategy

Who are your ideal customers? What do they like/dislike? What are their gripes with eating out? What do they want to see on social media? If you struggle with this, think about people you know in real life and what they like. The better you understand your ideal customers, the easier it'll be to create content.

Plan your content

Your ideal customers don't want to be sold to. Adopt the 4-1-1 strategy for your content: 4 high-value posts, 1 soft-sell post, 1 hard-sell post. Research what works for other eateries or businesses your ideal customer is into. If you don't have time for that, we have some tools to help.

Hospitality Content Calendar

If devising a content plan seems impossible, we've done it for you. We've created a content calendar with 100 posts made by social media experts using the 4-1-1 strategy that you can adapt to your restaurant, cafe, coffee shop, etc.

Find it here.

Trend Watch

Trends are an incredible tool for high-value/top-of-funnel content, but searching for them does take up a lot of time. Trend Watch for local businesses could be an extremely valuable tool for you. It's updated weekly by a team of professionals. Don't worry, no TikTok dances. We find Trends that are relevant for B2C businesses.

Find it here.

FYI, when planning your content, consider how much time you can dedicate to it each week. This will determine how often you can post. If possible, try to aim for three posts a week.

Shooting content

Ensure you've set aside a few hours and have a plan. List the posts you want to shoot for and run through them like a checklist. Having a shot list helps a lot.

While shooting, make sure you get some B-roll. It's basically complementary footage that comes in handy when editing or for future purposes. Think wide shots, close-ups, and action Shots.

On the subject of content, make sure you save and categorise your footage. Trust us; it will make your job easier in the long run.

You don't need expensive cameras; you can shoot content on a phone with a decent camera and good lighting. But we do recommend getting some mics if you're going to be shooting talking content.

Posting content

Once you've got your content, schedule it. Scheduling tools like Later (other ones are available) make it really easy to manage and save you a lot of time. It also means you can get everything done in one go.

If you put consistent effort in, it'll pay off.

Just some advice before we go

• Always keep your ideal customers in mind when planning your content. What do they want to know? How do they want to be entertained?
• Try to avoid the 'sell, sell, sell' all the time. That's not what people want.
• Do what you can. We love ambitious queens, but consistency and quality are most important. If you can only manage two posts and a couple of stories a week, that's where you start.
• Let your restaurant's personality shine through. Are you a family-run Pizza Place? That's the vibe we want to see on social media.
• Don't let your ego get in the way. Ask for feedback and listen to it. If you can't take a good photo, find someone who can. As much as you need to let personalities shine through, you must still look professional.
• On the subject of optics, social media is likely the first impression people have of your restaurant, so make sure it really reflects the food, service, and vibe you provide in real life.
• Know your limits. Just like you hired an accountant as soon as possible, hire a social media manager when you can. You've done a great job getting this far, but now it's time to scale up.