How to create an appetite for your food on social media

LUTHO PASIYA

BY NOW we all understand that one of the greatest marketing challenges that food operators face is making their businesses stand out among the crowd. Even once you have defined your niche and mastered your specialities, you still have to overcome the competition by setting your business apart from others. This can be extremely difficult to do for businesses that have not yet defined their brand using branding.

It becomes even more challenging for food businesses that have failed to implement a social media strategy and are entering late in the game. The good news is that marketing your business online through social media can help you create an identifiable brand and leap ahead of your biggest competitors. Social media marketing can help you reach lots of your customers relatively easily.

It is also pretty inexpensive and can have an immediate impact when done well. Below are some of the ways to nail social media marketing for your food business.

Choose the right platforms

Trying to decide which social media platforms to use for your restaurant's social media marketing can be overwhelming. There are many different social media platforms.

Consider your ideal customer and on which one they are likely to spend their time. Have an online presence Developing a social media marketing strategy and staying active on social networks is a big part of success.

It will allow you to reach out to a larger audience. It gives you the opportunity to engage with your customers and build a connection with them.

Having a website will increase your chances of being found

by people searching online for a nearby restaurant. Providing them an online menu will filter those who would come to your restaurant and leave if your menu did not have what they were looking for or the prices were too high.

Interact with your audience

Social media platforms are primarily for social networking. You have to network with people, have a conversation, and listen to them. Reaching out to your audience is as essential as creating attention-worthy posts.

Use high-quality images

Using images is absolutely crucial on social media and a sure-fire way to grab attention quickly. They are proven to be more impactful than text – a post accompanied by a photo is more likely to generate engagement. On Facebook and Instagram in particular, photos are prioritised, so keep the visual elements very strong in your posts.

Make your food ‘Instagrammable’

You already know how effective imagery can be on social media, it is time to reconsider the way you present your dishes.

The more ‘Instagrammable’ your food, the more likely your customers are to share photos of it online and spread the word about your restaurant on social media themselves.

So, think about how you can present the same food and drink in a new, imaginative way.

The more ‘Instagrammable’ your food, the more likely your customers are to share photos of it online. | Pexels