In today’s world, social media is an important tool for all businesses, but for restaurants it is a vital component of your overall marketing and customer service strategy. Today’s customers are no longer the type to pick up the phone to see your specials or take a chance on dining with you without having an idea of what’s on your menu. Social media allows you to share this information and more to attract new customers and keep your loyal diners coming back. Here are some of the biggest mistakes restaurants bring to the table on social media:

• Using Social Media as a Substitute for a Website:

  As essential as social media is for today’s restaurateurs, it is not a viable replacement for a website. Social platforms simply don’t give you the same amount of control and flexibility as a website. Your customers want to be able to find your hours, menu, locations, information about how you started and more all in one place. Something as simple as not being able to find a website for your restaurant in a Google search of your name is enough to prevent some diners from ever setting foot in your door.

• Skipping Visual Platforms:

  The phrase “We eat with our eyes first” is certainly true when it comes to social media. Something as simple as seeing a mouthwatering looking dish on Instagram is enough to convince potential customers that you’re worth a visit. What’s more, they want to be able to tag you in their posts when their incredible meal comes to the table!

• Posting To Your Social Media Platforms Infrequently:

  I recently wanted to know if one of my favorite pubs had pumpkin beer on tap yet. After checking their website with no luck, I consulted Facebook. Their last post was from August 3rd. Needless to say I did not find the information I was looking for. People want to know what’s going on at your restaurant, be it a special event, a new chef, or something as simple as your seasonal beers. Seeing that your last post was from a month ago is not only off-putting, it could cause even your loyal customers to choose competitors who are updating their social media over you when they dine out.

• Forgetting to Share Specials:

  If you have daily specials, frequent posts aren’t enough. You should be sharing your specials each and every day to get people excited about visiting your restaurant. A delicious sounding special is all the convincing a reluctant cook needs to decide that tonight is the night to visit your restaurant. It’s the power of suggestion!

• Consistency from Season to Season:

  You should be updating your cover imagery and types of posts from season to season. An apple cider cocktail is much more appealing now than the mojito of weeks past. Keeping your imagery and posts fresh allows you to keep up with your customers’ changing taste buds.

The last mistake should be the most obvious: skipping social media altogether. Your potential diners are looking to social media to find out more about you before they decide to take the plunge. If they can’t find you, you can bet there are plenty of other restaurants in front of them.

If you’ve been putting it off because you’re not sure how to start, reach out to us. We’ll help you develop a social media strategy that will leave your followers salivating for more and rushing through your door!