Are you a restaurant owner out of ideas on what to post about on Facebook? Here are a few things to get you inspired and your Facebook feed looking fresh! We cover Facebook and Instagram posting tips for restaurants that every owner should do.
I ) SHOW OFF YOUR DISHES
Ok, so you’re already posting about your food. How is the quality of your images you are using? You do not need to write a novel? People are visual and need to see your food too. You are a restaurant owner though I don’t need to tell you about that. I recommend investing in some high-quality pictures of your food. It is so easy to do as well.
My recommendation is to prep your food and then take a picture of your menu items on a white background throughout the day. Maybe you don’t have a white backdrop or think it cost too much to get one? I know restaurants are on a budget, so how about running to Dollarama and picking up some white poster paper for a few bucks? Walmart also sells some at 5 for $10, and they got the curbside pickup too.
Tips:
- Good quality lightning
- Use a smooth white surface
- If you have a newer phone, chances are it has a good enough camera
- Take the photos overhead, not on the side
- Use a white background with no distractions.
These photos will get you a long way. You can use them on your website, Facebook, Instagram and Google My Business pages.
Now that you have taken some mouth-watering professional photos using a dollar store budget, you are ready to show the world. Give a brief description of each of your fantastic recipe creations!
II) SHOW OFF YOUR RESTAURANT
Inside, outside, mid-side, bathroom. Ok, maybe not the bathroom, but show off your restaurants inviting interior or exterior. Snap a photo of some tables, your in-store menu as you walk in or just the cashier at the front with a big smile. Your staff are your restaurant’s most significant assets. Show them in action! Whether that is the chef at the back making a pizza or Joe packing up the delivery drivers’ food.
Tips:
- Show your crew in action!
- Create an inviting atmosphere.
III) COVID UPDATES AND STATUS UPDATES
With all the COVID updates happening, customers will want to know the status of your restaurant. Take a page from Big Media and use this to create a post that not only informs but engages customers. These posts are usually very successful and create lots of engagement. Customers have questions. Posting some of the FAQs to Facebook and your website will save your staff lots of time answering them on a phone call later on. Answers to the most important questions should be at the top of your website and Facebook page.
- Are you open for dine-in? At what capacity?
- Have your hours of operation changed?
- Are you doing curbside pickup, and if so, should I call or order online?
- What precautions/changes are you taking at the restaurant, plexiglass, social distancing, mask policies, limited hours?
IV) HOLIDAY HOURS AND HOLIDAY GREETINGS
Holidays are some of the busiest times for restaurants. Entice customers with a special menu or promotion and post these on your social channels. Even if you are not in the mood for doing a promo or special menu for certain holidays, a quick Happy <Insert Holiday Here> couldn’t hurt.
Tips:
- Do mention how long the promo lasts. It might be evident to you that your Valentine’s Day menu is only on Valentine’s Day, but many restaurants do up to a week-long special for certain special days of the year.
- Do update your hours on social media and also on Google My Business. Google My Business hours are the source of truth for most customers. Make sure you are in control of your Google My Business, or your competitors will!
V) POST CONSISTENTLY AND ON BRAND
I don’t recommend posting multiple times or even every day for most restaurants as it creates needless fluff, especially if you have nothing too important to say. If you post a bunch of noise, then a vital update post may fall on deaf ears.
Nevertheless, a good “Quote Post” can capture your audience’s attention just as well as a good food pic. Use these sparingly and with intention. Keep it light, keep it fun and keep it on-brand as well. If you are a small local restaurant, I recommend posting a couple of times a week at most. Posting once a week is much better than doing many posts every day and then not posting for five months or more. Remember, the goal of your restaurant’s Facebook Page is to build your brand. If you have the time and capacity for posting every day and it is a vital part of your restaurant community, brand and sales, then, by all means, keep doing that.
Tips:
- Keep the fonts, colours, images consistent.
- Deliver messaging that speaks to your audience.
- Mix the posts up sometimes but don’t spam your followers with annoying or irrelevant posts
