In dining, social media platforms have become the main digital guide for tourists and locals to discover new places and stay connected with the ones they’ve visited or plan to visit.
However, not all restaurants effectively use these platforms which end in losing potential revenues. Despite maintaining a consistent presence with regular posts, they often fail to achieve the desired results.
We have worked with Restaurant Social Media for many years in Koh Samui, and have audited thousands of our clients’ competitors’ accounts to find the top five mistakes that restaurants make on social media, so you don’t have to.
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N1
Low-quality visual media without enough diversity
Restaurants often make the mistake of only posting menu-quality staged photos of their food, or reusing the same images over and over. Your followers want to see a variety of visually appealing pictures & videos, that will “speak” to them and guide them to decide to visit your place or order a delivery.
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N2
The absence of a strategy and brand
Many restaurants fail to establish a clear brand identity on their social media platforms, they manage the account like a personal account. Without a strategy or a consistent theme, tone, and style across posts, your social media presence may come off as disjointed and unprofessional – which will create a shade on your food and service. According to customer behaviour, unprofessional marketing will make your customers think that so is your food and service.
It’s essential to have a thought-out strategy that aligns with your restaurant’s brand.
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N3
Not using paid ADs
While organic reach is important, avoiding paid ADs can limit your visibility on social media. Paid ADs are created to boost your content, and for a relatively small fee similar to a minimum wage, you can x500 your results in just a month. Paid ADs allow you to reach a wider audience and can be particularly effective when used for promotions, special events, or new menu items.
We recommend our Restaurant clients plan a monthly budget for ADs, and we also offer interesting rates for AD management for our Social Media clients.
Discover our Social media Services:
- Social Media Services
- NEW Social Media BOOSTER (Meta ADs)
N4
Not having a measurable and specific goal for your sales
Restaurants often overlook setting specific and measurable goals for their sales which are pivotal for tracking progress. Social Media should be an extension of the restaurant. Without clear objectives, it becomes difficult to assess the effectiveness of your social media marketing efforts and make necessary adjustments to improve the content.
It’s easier to track the AD or organic reach effectiveness on specific criteria, rather than on the overall wellbeing of the restaurant.
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N5
Not having anything interesting happening at the restaurant, like special meals of the week/month, special offers, degustation, new meals or menus
Have you heard about FOMO? Even if it’s not a positive feeling, perhaps that is what will push your customer to action. Restaurants often neglect to create special offers, set dinners, or signature dishes, or if they do, they fail to mention it on their social media platforms.
This makes their Social media content less engaging and misses an opportunity to give customers an extra reason to visit.
Regularly sharing unique and exclusive offers or dishes & menus on your social media channels can keep your audience intrigued and make them interact with your posts and visit your place more often.
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Some Statistics about Social Media for Restaurants in the US
1. 38% of Tiktok users in the US have visited or ordered food from a restaurant after seeing the food establishment on the app. (Cision)
2. 55% visited a restaurant after seeing it in TikTok because its food looked appetizing, while 51% visited because of the unique items it offers. (MGH)
3. 39% of US diners follow restaurants on social media to help them decide whether they would dine in or order food from the restaurant. (QSR)
4. 71% of customers who quickly receive a response on social media would likely recommend the brand, which is an advantage for restaurants that are responsive to customers on social media. (Forbes)
5. In 2021, 67% of restaurants had spent money on at least one social media advertisement or campaign. (Sprout Social)
6. Facebook is where restaurant patrons are most likely to leave positive reviews. (ReviewTrackers)