Nowadays, businesses that don’t have a social media presence get lost in the sea of competition. This is especially true of restaurants, where the competition is fierce.
If you want a bigger following and the ability to forge connections with your customers online, social media is the way to go.
In the article below, we’ll discuss how Facebook can help your restaurants attract a wider audience and, ultimately, increase sales.
How Restaurants Can Attract Customers Using Facebook
1. Post often and diversify your content
The number one rule of social media is that you need to post consistently to increase reach, engagement, and followers. It’s not enough to create a Facebook profile for your restaurant and just expect customers to follow it.
You need to give them a reason to, which typically comes in the form of both informative and fun posts. Striking a balance between the two is also important.
First of all, you need to make sure that every potential customer who accesses your Facebook page will be able to find your address, website URL, opening hours, and contact information at a glance, in your bio. Don’t make them go looking for it because they will quickly switch over to the competition.
If anything changes, for example, you’re now open longer on Saturdays, create a dedicated post announcing this change and pin it at the top of the page for a while to make sure as many people as possible see it.
Besides content that informs people of schedule changes, menu updates, and so on, you also need content that will make customers want to visit your restaurant.
Post about your dishes, the story behind your restaurant, interviews with your staff, and engage followers by asking them questions such as “What’s your favorite item on the menu?” or “If you could create a new item for our menu, what would it be?”.
2. Interact and engage with your followers
Posting is just one side of social media. The other is interacting with the people who comment on or like your posts.
Make sure to check the comments daily in case there are pressing issues you need to address, such as a customer complaint, or a question you need to answer.
No one likes to receive a bad customer review, but they are inevitable. When that happens, instead of ignoring it, reply in a positive and proactive manner. Apologize for the issue and do your best to solve it.
Doing all of this in the public eye is ultimately good publicity for you because it shows that you care about your customers, listen to what they have to say, and make changes to improve your service based on the feedback you get.
That said, getting good feedback and encouraging comments can be extremely uplifting so make sure you reply to those as well. Seeing your reply will encourage customers to comment in the future as well.
3. Share photos of your dishes
A huge part of social media for restaurants is visual, largely because customers have short attention spans and like to see photos or short videos over reading a long text, but also because we enjoy looking at photos of food.
Before visiting a restaurant, many people look it up online. This is your chance to make a good first impression with your Facebook page by posting appealing photos that will motivate customers to book a table or place an order.
To that purpose, it would be a good idea to invest in a professional photoshoot of your menu that highlights its ingredients, plating, and what sets it apart. This can be a professional approach towards your brand recognition in social media.
Even if that will involve a larger initial investment, it will pay off in the long run because you can use those photos for everything, from your menu to social media, website, flyers, ads, and so on.
4. Start accepting food orders on Facebook
Facebook is no longer just a social media platform where you can promote your restaurant. While that is its main function, it can also serve as a place to accept online orders for pickup and delivery.
You can take orders on your restaurant’s Facebook page by adding a direct link to your online menu on the Start Order button provided in their Action Button section.
That way, the moment someone views your Facebook page, they will also see that they can place an order online without having to go to another website. Talk about convenience!
5. Promote discounts and special offers
A great way to increase menu profitability is to provide customers with what they crave most besides your food: promotions.
If they can get a percentage discount for a large order, free delivery, or a menu bundle at a special price, they’ll return to your restaurant knowing they can get delicious food at great value.
Now, if you have those offers available on the menu, why not promote them on your social media? Not many customers will take the time to browse your menu just to check for a promotion. But if they see it while scrolling through social media, they might be tempted to place an order.
Regularly post about your discounts and promotions and don’t forget to include a mouth-watering picture of the dishes too.
If the promotion is limited, make sure to mention that, not just because it’s the right thing to do but also because this will create a sense of urgency that customers must take advantage of it before it goes away.
6. Organize contests and giveaways
Another excellent way to increase engagement on Facebook and reach a wider audience is to give your followers the chance to win something if they interact with your posts or share them with their friends.
Don’t worry, that doesn’t mean you’ll have to buy expensive prizes. It can be something as simple as a discount coupon code for a future visit or a free meal for them and a friend.
You can also use this opportunity to involve your customers in the creative process of naming a new menu item. The winner of the most popular suggestion will get to enjoy that dish for free for a month.
7. Experiment with Facebook Ads
Finally, as a business owner on Facebook, it would be a pity not to experiment with their Ad feature to see if you can bring in more business.
Facebook advertising can be complicated, especially if you’ve never done it before, so you can ask for help from a specialized agency that can help you create ads that will reach a higher number of people and convert better.
Final Thoughts
Facebook is an excellent platform for restaurant owners who want to improve their online presence, form meaningful relationships with their customers, and find new and exciting ways to sell their products.
Get started on your journey with Facebook for restaurants by implementing the tips and tricks above.