Restaurants Get Social

Thursday, March 22, 2018

It is no secret that social media is the way of the future. Every year the movement towards a larger online presence gets stronger. Restaurants are taking advantage of social media platforms to build brand awareness and have fun while doing it! Restaurants who take advantage of the world of social media find them to be a tool to build an organic following and allows owners and the marketing team to converse with guests!

Squisito Franchise Embraces a Strong Social Media Presence

Squisito has embraced a strong social media presence and is confident in the impact it has. Read on to learn some benefits of social media, the top platforms for restaurants to utilize (and why!) and other outlets that can be just as helpful!

The Top Benefits of Social Media For Restaurants

• Building brand awareness in a new area (or reaching new potential customers) • Post for FREE and engage with followers • Utilize social media analytics to determine who your followers are • Announce (and host) events • Cross market social media platforms and your website • Build a loyal following who then create organic referrals

Best Social Media Platforms for Restaurants

• Facebook: Facebook is an amazing, versatile tool in the business world. Every page can have both free and boosted posts to reach followers. Facebook advertising lets you target specific audiences from shopping behaviors to friends of your current followers. Facebook organic posts go directly to those who already follow you and keep brand awareness up. Facebook lets restaurants post events, business information, menus and even advertise for a job! It can be as simple as a post a month or an extensive ad campaign and with more users than any other social network, you can really reach your target audience! • Instagram: With more than 800 million monthly active users, Instagram is a powerful tool, especially for restaurants. The entire platform is focused on the visual and with restaurants this can be extremely beneficial to promoting a menu filled with crowd pleasers. Other than using Instagram to post photos, you can also connect with bloggers in the area to gain an even higher following/ awareness and see customer photos through hashtags and tagged locations. • Yelp: Some restaurants are nervous to utilize Yelp since the platform is mainly focused on reviews, but if you embrace it, you can really take control of the reviews and platform! The business app even allows business owners to respond right away from their smart phone to show other users that they are proactive and involved in their restaurant. With advertising you are able to put forth your best photos and utilize a call to action and check in offer to drive even more business and incentivize customers.

Other Social Media Options for Restaurants

• Snapchat: Have an event? Build a filter! With snapchats A-Z guide and affordable pricing filters are a breeze and a blast for the 300million+ snapchat monthly users! • LinkedIn: Want to network or post a job for a higher position, while it might not be the cheapest option, LinkedIn is an awesome tool to connect with professionals online • Twitter: Twitter focuses on quick facts which might be great if you are a large corporation or wanting to build a portfolio of social platforms. With over 67 million Twitter users in the US, it’s a great way to engage and stay relevant!

While there are a wide array of social media options out there, it’s important to find the top ones for your business and focus on making them shine. For restaurants, Facebook is key and the combination of other platforms is up to the owners and marketing team.

Squisito Pizza & Pasta focuses on a strong marketing plan utilizing both organic and paid posts to stay relevant, post exciting content and interact with guests on a personal level. A delicious menu and inviting ambiance are important in 2018 and when you add social media and an online presence, the experience keeps guests engaged and coming back for years to come!

Sources: 1. https://sproutsocial.com/insights/instagram-stats/ 2. https://blog.hootsuite.com/facebook-statistics/ 3. https://www.omnicoreagency.com/snapchat-statistics/ 4. https://www.omnicoreagency.com/twitter-statistics/