Restaurants need a comprehensive Instagram marketing strategy, but what should you do after you publish a photo? Read our unexpected tips to improve your restaurant's Instagram marketing.
Did you know that social media is the second most popular way that consumers find restaurants?
That's why restaurants need a comprehensive social media marketing strategy that includes Instagram marketing.
If you're posting high-quality photos, publishing consistently and interacting with followers, you're already on the right track, but you shouldn't stop there! It's time to give your strategy a boost.
Why should restaurants have an Instagram marketing strategy?
- Instagram is the 2nd most popular social network, with 700 million users
- Engagement with brands is 10 times higher on Instagram than Facebook
- Your customers can serve as social media influencers
Ready to supercharge your strategy? Read on to learn our Instagram marketing tips!
Instagram Marketing Tips for Your Restaurant
We often tell our restaurant clients to use Instagram Stories and relevant hashtags to maximize their Instagram reach. Here are six tips for restaurants to increase engagement on Instagram:
- Try Instagram Stories! Consumers love feeling like an insider. Giving them a peek behind the scenes can keep them up-to-date about what’s going on at your restaurant.
- Don’t neglect relevant hashtags. Posts with at least one hashtag get 12.6 percent more engagement.
- Take part in national food holidays, and use relevant trending hashtags, like #nationaldonutday, #pancakeday, etc.
- Use local hashtags, too! For instance, in Columbus, we have #eat614 and #cbuseats, which restaurants and diners use to give their Instagram posts more exposure.
- Retargeting ads on Instagram are a must for restaurants. Use enticing photos of menu items to retarget consumers who have visited your website, and they’ll remember your business the next time they’re hungry.
- Post at the right time. Some of the best times to post on Instagram are before meals, when consumers are hungry and searching online for a business.
Bonus Tips for Increasing Instagram Engagement
- Put a strategy behind your interactions with followers. Since you probably don't have time to interact with every follower's post about your restaurant, be sure to interact with the individuals who have the bigger following. This will ensure that your business gets in front of the most Instagrammers possible even if you can't reply to everyone.
- Don’t underestimate the power of influencer marketing. Send your city’s influencers promotions to get them to come into your restaurant. You’ll trade a free meal for a huge boost in visibility. Bonus: influencers know what they’re doing when it comes to taking killer food pics, so not only will you reach more people, but your food will look great too!
Let's Recap
- Instagram is a part of any good social media marketing strategy
- Use Instagram Stories
- Add relevant local and trending hashtags
- Try retargeting ads
- Post right before meals, when people are likely to be hungry
- Interact with customers who have tagged your business in their photos—especially if they have lots of followers
- Find local influencers and offer promotions to get them to your restaurant – you know they’ll share a photo of their meal with followers, giving you more exposure
