Facebook has over 3 billion active users globally. As of 2023, there are 15 million business pages out of which a sizeable number of pages are restaurants.
So, both the opportunity and competition are high.
Every other restaurant is on Facebook with unique ideas looking to capture the attention of its target audience.
But not all succeed.
So, what’s the secret to going viral on Facebook?
How do you attract your target audience on Facebook?
How do you take your followers on Facebook to your website, and engage and convert them?
Only posting content on Facebook won’t give you the results you want.
In this blog, we have compiled a list of proven ideas and strategies for restaurant Facebook marketing that can make you famous on the online platform and convert followers into customers.
The Facebook marketing ideas you choose for your restaurant will depend on your niche and target audience. Don’t just follow your competitors or usual tips on the internet.
Always try to get into the minds of your audience and understand what excites them. Get creative and find ideas that will encourage people to engage with your brand.
To help you out, here are some unique restaurant Facebook marketing ideas.
A Recipe Contest
A recipe contest can help you promote your restaurant in many ways. Let’s assume you are holding the best pasta recipe contest in your town. You can attract the crowd to participate by keeping special coupons or memberships as prizes.
This contest will attract local people to participate and create a buzz in the town. You can even have local media houses to cover the event. This way you get maximum brand exposure and recognition.
If you want to get more creative then, you can introduce the best dish in the contest on your menu. This will excite the participants more and get people to your restaurant to try it out.
Loyalty programs
Who doesn’t love free stuff?
You can start a loyalty program by partnering with online apps or nearby stores. A loyalty program lets customers buy free things from partner shops in return for visiting the restaurant a certain number of times.
You can announce this loyalty program on your Facebook page and create hype for it. Once this idea kicks off, you can continue to add more partner stores and make announcements on Facebook to get attention.
Foodilicious photos
Food porn is real and isn’t only for Instagram. Turn your Facebook page into a heaven for foodies with alluring photos and videos of your dishes.
From ads to regular posts on Facebook, try to compliment them with either an appetizing video or photo. In the case of food, the eyes are the brains that ignite our cravings.
Have a photoshoot of your popular dishes on the menu. You can also shoot chef cooking some dishes, or creative videos like what big Franchises do.
Food blogger outreach
Influencer marketing isn’t helpful only for the beauty and fashion industry. Today we have famous food bloggers who explore the authentic dishes around the town and promote them in their videos.
You can also get in touch with some influencers in your town and partner with them. Choose influencers who have a positive image, huge following and high engagement rate.
Show off your staff
Appreciating your chefs and staff is the new trend in social media marketing for restaurants. This enhances your brand image by sending a message to the people that you care for your staff.
Moreover, it will also boost the confidence and loyalty of your staff. They will cater to customers with more care. Therefore, this will enhance your service quality and overall customer experience.
Get creative with celebration days
Don’t just formally wish your followers on festive days. Even IT companies are getting creative with celebration posts on social media.
You can introduce a special menu for festivals and announce them on Facebook. Or you can announce special discounts on festivals.
For example, in the month of Sawan, you can have a special vegetarian no-onion-garlic menu. This will attract people who are looking to enjoy delicacies in the holy month but are restricted due to limited options. Also, if you are experiencing a drop in sales, people will get a new reason to visit your restaurant.
Facebook Marketing Strategies For Restaurants
The above-mentioned ideas will work only when you have a strong presence on Facebook. Here are the top 8 Facebook digital marketing strategies for restaurants.
Optimize your restaurant's Facebook page
The first thing to building a good brand image on Facebook is having an up-to-date and optimized profile. Always make sure that your Facebook restaurant page has the correct address, contact information and opening hours.
The next thing is to have a high quality cover photo and profile image. Plus, make sure you have nice pictures of the menu. And if you have recently made changes in your menu, have the photos updated on Facebook too.
Your restaurant page is the first thing people will see. So, ensure that you leave a good impression.
Showcase reviews
Positive customer reviews add credibility to your brand name. The more reviews the more new customers will trust your restaurant and book tables.
Always ask your customers whether dining offline or ordering online to leave a review. Do not forget to thank your customers for their feedback and leave a reply.
Share the positive reviews on your Facebook page. You can even post videos or photos of happy customers sharing their experience at your restaurant.
Invest in Paid Ads
Facebook ads are an excellent way to promote your restaurant to people who you cannot reach organically. The best thing with paid ads is that you can target a specific demographic and reach a wider audience than your regular posts.
Meta Ads Manager has categorized paid ads into three categories based on the intent of the advertisement. They are awareness, consideration, and conversion. You can choose the ad type that suits your campaign objective.
For example, if you choose the conversion category and “store visits” as a subcategory, the Facebook algorithm will not only show your ads to the selected target audience but also to the people who reside near your restaurant locality.
Promote user-generated content
User-generated content is posts whether photos, videos or text created by your customers. These are a great way to indirectly promote your restaurant and spread its positive image.
Host a photo contest and ask your customers to post their photos of the restaurant tagging you on Facebook. You can lure people to post more by announcing lucrative prizes like hefty discounts, coupons, free drinks and more.
Use Facebook Live
Facebook Live is an exciting feature that you can use to engage with your customers directly. You can show your new menu, behind the scenes, give a tour of your restaurant or show off any new additions to the interiors.
Post when the highest number of your fans are online
Leverage Facebook Insights to find out when your followers are most active online. By posting at peak times, you can boost engagement and maximize the reach of your content!
Include CTA, Book & Like Buttons
The end goal of your posts on Facebook is to get people to book tables at your restaurant or order online. So, always ensure that you are including the right call-to-action buttons at the right places.
Do not forget to add “Book Table”, “Order Online”, “Get Discount,” etc with your posts. Also, to get more engagement on your posts, you can encourage people to like, share and comment on their thoughts. You can add these CTAs at the end of the posts.
Conclusion
If you are new in town or even a decade-old restaurant chain, having a Facebook page is a necessity in the age of social media. First, start by setting up your business page correctly and then create a strategy aligned to your target audience and business goals.
The start on Facebook may be slow. But if you are consistent in your marketing efforts, you will soon start to see the results.
Struggling to establish your restaurant brand online? Explore the best restaurant marketing agencies and hire the one that suits your needs.
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