Whether you use one social network or several, you've asked yourself that dreaded question:
WHAT DO I POST TODAy? So we scoured the Facebook, Instagram and Twitter accounts of restaurants large and small, collecting real-world examples into this handy reference guide. You can use it to plan out your posting strategy or to find a quick new idea any time you're stuck. We've arranged our examples by topic so they're easy to reference. So get ready to be inspired – and remember to have fun!
THERE’S MORE TO EXPLORE Ask your Sysco Marketing Associate for more information on building and improving your digital identity.
CALENDAR Make a calendar of things you want to post and topics to post about, even if it’s only a week in advance. This eliminates the daily stress of brainstorming, and allows you to hand a thought-out posting schedule to a designated social media manager or other trustworthy employee.
PHOTOS You’ll need lots of great photos. Upgrade your smartphone as soon as you can (the camera quality improves with each hardware iteration.) Recruit your staff as smartphone photographers to get the best variety of shots, but be selective about what actually gets posted. Find a place with indirect natural lighting for consistently great photos. Try enhanced camera apps like VSCO Cam or Camera+ that offer more control when taking photos. Follow up with retouch/editing apps like TouchRetouch or SnapSeed. For creative collages, the Instacollage and Framatic apps make great looking posts on the fly. PicMonkey.com has a great suite of easy-to-use photo editing tools, many of which are free.
GRAPHICS Canva.com is an amazing free tool for creating all kinds of graphics, from printable posters, flyers and menus to Facebook headers and Instagram posts. It’s VERY easy to use, producing pro-level graphics in minutes. You can upload your own images for free or purchase stock photos for $1 each. Their new ‘Canva for Work’ subscription service keeps marketing output consistent for your entire team by using your brand colors, logo, and other approved graphics that can be accessed and edited 24/7 from any internet-connected computer.
VIDEO If photos have been critical to your digital identity up to this point, videos are the future. Your phone and your staff’s phones probably record HD video already. It’s time to start using them to promote your restaurant! Snapchat’s popularity is making vertical video the new standard for social media posts. Don’t forget the gif-making apps like GifGrabber for posting animated images to Twitter and Facebook.
FUN Even if you run an upscale or white tablecloth restaurant, customers still want to have fun when they dine with you, so as long as you’re being true to your brand, your social media posts should have an element of fun, as well.
CUSTOMIZING YOUR HOUSE BLEND Many articles online will suggest exactly what you should post, what time of day is best to post it, and more. But in reality, social media best practices are different for each business. Your customer mix may be dramatically different than another neighboring restaurant, and your digital identity should reflect your unique personality and speak to your specific audience. The only foolproof method is through trial and error, a slow but effective way of determining what your customers are most interested in, and what time of day they’re most responsive to your posts. Of course, we can learn a lot by observing the social media pages of the dominant restaurant chains, but the better you know your audience, the more success you’ll have reaching them and connecting with them through these networks. 3
The biggest mistake many restaurants make with social media is just posting their daily specials, and nothing else. No conversation, no interaction, no appetizing food images – just boring, predictable, advertising-y posts. Your customers will quickly tune that out, and maybe even unlike or unfollow you. But food is a huge part of your identity, and that’s especially true online. The trick is to make your food into a compelling, buzzworthy message for your customers.
1. EXPERIMENTATION IN THE KITCHEN
12. FOOD & FLAVOR TRENDS
Where the magic happens! Show us your creativity at work with some behind-the-scenes excitement.
Local / Sustainable / Organic / etc.
13. RETIRING ITEMS
2. HOW-TO/ INSTRUCTIONAL Simple, hands-on educational posts or videos, like on YouTube.
You hated it, so it’s going away! Last call!
14. DESSERTS
3. RECIPES Share your famous wing sauce or salad dressing recipe.
4. FOOD PHOTOS Take them every day! Upgrade your smartphone and find the best lighting in your restaurant (near a window.)
5. FOOD VIDEOS The future of restaurant marketing!
6. HIGHLIGHT A FEATURED INGREDIENT
An easy way to increase check totals, differentiate your business, and send your customers away with a positive final impression of their dining experience with you.
15. VENDOR RELATIONS Whether you’re in a small town or a large city, you can give your restaurant context and credibility by showcasing your local connections – tastings at area breweries, visits to local Farmer’s Markets and menu consultations with Sysco’s culinary team.
A great way to promote seasonal or trendy flavors.
16. FOODIE LINKS
7. MENU GRAPHICS Creatively communicate your menu listings – not just text.
• Food Blogs (Local / Regional / National) • FoodBeast • “Look what we found on Pinterest”
8. YOUR RESTAURANT’S FOOD TRIVIA
17. OTHER FOOD-RELATED POSTS
“We serve more than two tons of french fries each year!”
Start by browsing Food Network links: recipes, celebrity chefs, TV show sites. You’ll find cool stuff to share!
9. New ITEMS Show us the latest and greatest you have to offer.
18. PROMOTE CARRY OUT
10. SIGNATURE ITEMS
Especially if you offer online or mobile ordering and use well-branded carry out packaging.
Make sure prospective customers know about the unique dishes at the heart of your brand.
19. CATERING
11. BEVERAGES
Just a few excellent photos can say more about your restaurant’s catering capabilities than paragraphs of prose.
What’s new on tap? What’s local? What do you make in-house?
PHOTOS > TEXT Keep text-only posts brief. Post with photos whenever possible. For better branding and engagement, include a photo and brief text that includes a ‘call to action’ – a specific direction for your customers to follow now.
NO RERUNS Don’t repost the exact same photo over and over. That gets old quickly. It only takes a minute to take a photo and give your customers something new and interesting to look at!
EYES ON THE BIG GUYS Still stumped for what to post? Check out the chain restaurant social media sites to see their sparing use of traditional advertising messaging and a bumper crop of creativity.
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SIGNATURE ITEMS They differentiate your restaurant from the competition in the minds of your customers.
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FOOD TRENDS Your customers are more food-literate then ever before. Demonstrate that you’re up to date.
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INSTRUCTIONAL Entertaining while educating – what a great combination!
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CARRY OUT Even your regulars might not realize your to-go capabilities. Show them off!
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FOOD PHOTOS The bread and butter of any restaurant’s social media posting. Start shooting!
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FOOD TRENDS Local, organic, gluten-free, natural... does your menu reflect any of these current trends?
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CATERING A few great photos allow your customers to envision what a meal, catered by you, might look like.
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DESSERTS & CARRY OUT If you promote desserts to go, pack them to travel well.
RETIRING ITEMS Give LTOs or low-sellers one last hurrah and you might spur impulse visits!
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NEW ITEMS Regulars as well as prospective customers are interested in knowing what’s new on your menu.
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NEW ITEMS There’s a fun urgency in knowing today is the FIRST DAY a new item has ever been offered.
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HOW-TO You don’t have to post a step-by-step recipe. Sometimes it’s just fun to see behind the scenes.
CATERING Catering customers are looking for reliable, stress-free options. Show them you’re the best choice!
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FOOD PHOTOS Over 65 million Instagram posts use the hashtag #foodporn. People love great food photos!
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DESSERTS Most restaurants don’t do dessert trays any more, so show off your sweet side on social media!
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FOODIE LINKS For some great ideas, Google Saveur magazine’s Best Food Blogs of 2015.
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FEATURED INGREDIENT If you’ve got it, flaunt it. Especially if it’s interesting and delicious!
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FOOD VIDEOS Most smartphones shoot HD video now, so no excuses for not posting some fun clips!
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NEW ITEMS Appetizing concept. Appetizing photo. Appetizing description... SOLD!
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VENDOR RELATIONS We’re all working together to bring your customers an excellent dining experience.
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BEVERAGES An easy way to increase check averages and enhance the overall dining experience.
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FOOD PHOTOS Only post great photos. If they’re dark or blurry, retake them until they’re appetizing.
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MENU GRAPHICS Most networks won’t let you post PDF files, so get creative with presenting your menu.
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They’re the heart of your customer service and one of the key differentiators between you and the competition. Train them well, be proud of them, and show that pride on social media!
20. INTRODUCTION Hello, my name is...
21. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT / RECOGNITION Who’s great? Who’s the unsung hero?
22. TRAINING Food tastings, deep cleaning day, training classes... Your customers will appreciate that you have a training program for your staff.
23. CELEBRATING WITH STAFF Staff holiday parties, birthday parties, new tattoo, graduation – any excuse to celebrate!
24. STAFF SPORTS Kickball, billiards, softball, cornhole, or whatever they do!
25. INTERVIEW
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SERVER DAY Most people don’t know this holiday. Promote it early so your customers can participate!
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SERVER DAY Retro photos are a cool way to show your staying power, and only slightly embarrassing.
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RECOGNITION From exec. chefs to busboys... everyone likes their contribution to be acknowledged.
If you have some big personalities, let them shine.
26. SHARE/RETWEET POSITIVE FEEDBACK If your customers have singled out your staff for kudos, let the world know.
27. NATIONAL WAITSTAFF DAY/SERVER DAY (MAY 21)
NATIONAL EMPLOYEE APPRECIATION DAY (First Friday in March) Remind your customers and make it a celebration for everyone!
28. looking good! Take pride in the simple things, like your uniforms, especially if they change seasonally or you offer similar shirts for sale to customers.
29. YOUR STAFF WITH THEIR PETS People love your restaurant. And animals. It’s destiny.
30. FIELD TRIPS & OUTINGS Paintball, mini-golf or visiting the local microbrewery for a private tasting – if you do activities as a group, share that fun, familial side of your restaurant.
31. GUEST CHEFS AND/OR BARTENDERS Keep your regulars engaged – mix it up! 10
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INTERVIEW If it fits with your brand, give a voice to the characters that make up your place.
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STAFF SPORTS Demonstrate your team spirit in a new light.
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LOOKING GOOD! New logo! New uniforms! New hats! Whatever you’ve got, show it off!
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RETWEETING FEEDBACK You already know they’re the greatest, but now the world will know, too!
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32. SHOUT-OUTS & THANK YOUS Be appreciative of your everyday customers. Where would you be without them?
33. THE PROBLEMS YOUR RESTAURANT SOLVES Highlight the awesome ways your restaurant makes life easier/better for your customers and the community.
34. CUSTOMER EVENTS Catered parties, customer appreciation events, etc.
35. SPECIAL CUSTOMERS Local celebrities, noteworthy groups and guests (always check with them before posting their photos online.)
36. REVIEW QUOTATIONS
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SPECIAL CUSTOMERS Thank them for choosing your place, and invite them to come back again soon!
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SHARE CUSTOMER POSTS It shows you’re listening, it’s good etiquette, AND it’s good publicity.
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CONTEST WINNERS Showing winners lets your customers know they might be next!
Share all the nice things they’ve said about you on comment cards, Yelp & TripAdvisor, and via e-mail.
37. KIDS Millennials care about your kid-friendliness, so promote what makes your place great family dining, including kid’s menu selection, coloring pages, and reviews (by kids.)
38. SHARE & RETWEET CUSTOMER POSTS If they’re posting about you, (hopefully) you’re doing something right! Show these socially-savvy fans some online love by sharing their post with your entire network.
39. CONTEST WINNERS When your customers win at Trivia night, karaoke, photo contests or any other store promotions, that’s a great post!
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KIDS They say the darndest things, and provide endless photo opportunities.
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REVIEW QUOTATIONS It’s your feed, so you can choose the very best lines to share.
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SHOUT-OUTS When your regulars have special news that’s tied to your restaurant, share it!
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KIDS Be nice to them. They’re your future customers (and your current customers, too!)
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CUSTOMER EVENTS When customers trust you with their life’s biggest moments, that’s wonderful news!
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40. INTERIOR / EXTERIOR
45. SPECIAL EVENTS
This can be interesting, especially if you have a unique decor.
Fundraisers, guest bartenders, parties, engagements, Paint Nite, Trivia Night, Ladies Night, Karaoke, etc.
41. CONSTRUCTION / RENOVATION Before and after photos of a restaurant build or remodel.
42. HISTORY OF THE BUSINESS If you have a cool story or history, share it, and don’t forget to celebrate the restaurant’s birthday or anniversary.
46. CATERING FACILITIES Show off your space, your skills and your style.
47. BUSINESS MISSION / VISION Help your customers understand your core values.
43. TIMELY INFO
48. PRESS COVERAGE
Opening Soon! Now Open! Updated seasonal/holiday hours Closings for private parties Discount days for certain groups
Link to articles on local publications’ websites.
44. NEW TECHNOLOGY Many people turn to social media to find out what’s new, so share any upgrade news.
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NEW TECH It doesn’t have to be flashy in order to be interesting, but it doesn’t hurt, either!
49. AWARDS Don’t be shy – if you’ve earned them, let the world know!
50. COOKING CLASSES This can be a great way to build deeper relationships with customers. If you offer classes, promote them everywhere!
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SPECIAL EVENTS Sharing them with your fans and followers creates a broader sense of community.
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TIMELY INFO Restaurants opening soon can use social media to build excitement and anticipation.
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HISTORY Noting friends’ birthdays and anniversaries is a staple on Facebook, so join the fun!
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AWARDS Winning awards is great, but spreading the word via social media is smart.
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RENOVATION When you’re working to improve your business, customers take notice!
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CATERING Not every restaurant offers catering, so if yours does, use great photos to make an impression.
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NEW TECH Tablet technology for customers and for point of sale systems is a growing trend.
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PRESS It’s not every day that your restaurant makes the news. Capitalize on the publicity when you can!
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CONSTRUCTION Sometimes the ‘Before’ photos are even more intriguing than the ‘After’ photos!
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AWARDS When acknowledged by your peers, be humble and gracious, but don’t forget to POST!
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PRESS Sharing content from local publications is free publicity for them, as well as for your business.
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TIMELY INFO See how many LIKES or FOLLOWERS you can amass before you even open your doors!
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HISTORY Find fun ways to announce key dates. Make those posts share-worthy to increase organic reach.
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TIMELY INFO Take photos while you’re perfecting recipes. You never know when you’ll need them!
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PRESS When you’re featured on the news, prepare for an influx of new customers. Be sure to wow them!
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51. SHOUT-OUTS TO OTHER LOCAL BUSINESSES
57. LOCAL HISTORY
Including competing restaurants. Be nice. We’re all in this together and you can never have too many friends.
Occasionally, share a local history blog’s post for some added culture and class.
52. SHOUT-OUTS TO LOCAL FOOD BLOGGERS
58. LOCAL CURRENT EVENTS
Restaurant reviewers are customers, too.
53. CONGRATULATIONS Spread positivity! When local individuals or groups have earned it, give them some love.
54. CHARITY AWARENESS Let your customers know if certain charities are close to your heart. You’ll find others who want to help, too.
55. SPORT TEAM SPONSORSHIP Local kids, schools and even adult leagues need encouragement (and sponsors!)
Anything fun going on? Unusual animal sightings, seasonal harvest, themed races?
59. LOCAL TRADESHOWS Bridal shows, car shows, regional industry shows, etc.
60. LOCAL FESTIVALS, FAIRS & FOODIE PARTIES Kite festivals, food festivals, wine festivals, BBQ festivals, ‘Best of’ parties, beer festivals, fireman’s muster, concerts, state & county fairs and everything in between!
61. WEATHER EVENTS Meteor showers, storms, eclipse, full moon, heat, cold, etc.
56. COMMUNITY SERVICE
62. PHOTOS OF LOCAL SCENES & LANDMARKS
Promote awareness and lend a hand.
Quickly, before drones are outlawed!
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PARTIES Foodie parties and galas give you a chance to impress many prospective customers.
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FESTIVALS Even if the festival isn’t culinary, it’s still good business to promote community events.
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LOCAL CURRENT EVENTS You know your customers. What would they feel is newsworthy?
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FOOD FESTIVALS Show o your skills and maybe win a few awards!
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LOCAL FESTIVALS Colorful, unusual traditions make charming social media posts.
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CHARITY AWARENESS Be involved. Increase awareness and let your customers know your values.
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WATCH OUT Only about 20% of your social media posts should be traditional advertising messages. The other 8 out of 10 posts should be informative, educational, interesting, interactive and fun – the kind of stuff you enjoy seeing in your own, personal feed!
63. SPECIAL OFFERS
69. CROSS-PROMOTION OF YOUR OTHER SITES
Feature your deals and promotions.
Hype your Instagram account on Twitter. Promote your website in your Facebook feed. This helps your restaurant become more discoverable on search engines and lets your customers know they have options for how to interact with your brand online.
64. GIFT CARDS For the person who has everything... or is simply hungry.
65. MERCHANDISE A strong brand can support all kinds of merchandise sales.
66. ENTERTAINMENT CALENDAR 67. CALL TO ACTION
70. POSTS TO DRIVE TRAFFIC RIGHT AWAY Bouncebacks, giveaways, coupons, secret word discounts (offering a set % off.)
71. PROMOTE ONLINE ORDERING / DELIVERY
Here’s what to do right now. Do it!
72. TODAY’S SPECIALS
68. PROMOTE CUSTOMER LOYALTY PROGRAM
Yes, you can post about your specials. Occasionally.
Many chains have moved their frequent diner programs into the digital age, but even if yours is old-school, use it!
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SPECIAL OFFERS The fastest way to your customer’s heart is those four little words: All You Can Eat.
73. COLLECT ADDRESSES FOR E-MAIL MARKETING It’s a more reliable way to reach your audience.
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SPECIAL OFFERS The word FREE is always a great attention-grabber, too!
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MERCHANDISE If your brand is strong, people will want to take part of it home with them!
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DRIVE TRAFFIC Bounce-back receipts are a great way to increase frequency in your regular customers.
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GIFT CARDS If you provide a consistently great dining experience, gift cards should sell year-round!
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ENTERTAINMENT CALENDAR Give customers reasons to join you again soon!
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CUSTOMER LOYALTY Do you have a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) strategy?
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SIGN UP Start collecting e-mail addresses today. E-mail marketing is efficient and cost-effective.
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ONLINE ORDERING Do you offer curbside pickup or a dedicated carry out window?
TODAY’S SPECIALS Yes, you’re allowed to post them. Just don’t post the same photo over and over.
ONLINE ORDERING If you have a website or app that offers mobile/online ordering, promote it!
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CALL TO ACTION Sometimes, just asking your customers to LIKE or SHARE or RETWEET can achieve the desired eect, but making your post fun and share-worthy helps!
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CUSTOMER LOYALTY Giving away a little something for free is classic, compelling restaurant marketing. (And you can collect their e-mail address for future marketing!)
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Social media games and contests are a great way to encourage interactivity and let your customers have fun with your brand.
74. NAME/CREATE THE NEW MENU ITEM
78. TRIVIA CONTESTS/QUIZZES
75. GUESS THE INGREDIENTS
79. COLORING CONTESTS
See the Croissants Bistro Facebook post below.
80. SCAVENGER HUNT
76. PHOTO CONTESTS Identifying photos, taking photos, sharing photos – People love photos and there are lots of ways to engage your customers with photography!
77. SOCIAL MEDIA MILESTONES
81. CONDITIONAL GIVEAWAYS SOCIAL MEDIA CONTEST RULES *** Each social network has their own official rules and restrictions for running contests, and some of them are unusual. Before you launch a contest, make sure you read their requirements:
Teasers can generate likes and shares: “If we get 100 LIKES on this post, we’ll...“ “If this post is shared 25 times, we’ll...” Also celebrate big numbers of FANS/FRIENDS/ LIKES/FOLLOWERS.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/page_guidelines.php Instagram: http://help.instagram.com/179379842258600 Twitter: http://support.twitter.com/articles/68877 Pinterest: http://business.pinterest.com/en-gb/brand-guidelines
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Croissants Bistro in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina offers multiple fun contests for their customers. A weekly “Guess the Ingredients” Facebook post awards a free dinner entrée to the first person who correctly guesses the key components of a dish. (above left)
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They also photograph their French mascot character in different locations around town, and whoever guesses the exact location first gets a free box of macarons. (above right)
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PHOTO CONTESTS The chains run dierent photo-based contests all the time. Check them out!
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SCAVENGER HUNT In the example above, the hunt has been redefined for the 21st Century.
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CONDITIONAL GIVEAWAYS Free app if they score the first touchdown! Free pizza if they win by 14 pts!
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TRIVIA CONTESTS Trivia night is huge in many bars and restaurants. Bring that energy online!
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QUIZZES They might take a little planning, but they’re a fun way to increase social media engagement and make your brand feel fun and light-hearted.
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CONDITIONAL GIVEAWAYS “What’s your favorite sandwich? Comment below for a chance to win a $50 gift card.” Of COURSE they’re going to comment!
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SOCIAL MEDIA MILESTONES Prepare some celebratory graphics using PicMonkey.com or Canva.com for your posts about reaching the big round numbers! And don’t forget to THANK your fans and followers!
COLORING CONTESTS Coloring isn’t just for kids anymore! Grown-up coloring books are selling out in book stores and online. Find creative ways to tap into that fun trend, and fun rewards for contest winners!
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One way to encourage social interaction online is by asking for customers’ thoughts and opinions directly. Knowing you care enough to ask, and that you’re listening to their input and feedback builds trust and stronger relationships with your audience.
Ask for opinions on ANYTHING:
86. TAGGING
84. MENU DESIGN & ITEMS
Warning: Don’t this too much, or you’ll become unpopular quickly. But once in a while, you can ask people to tag their friends in your posts. This increases the organic reach of your message, and gets your content in front of new eyes – potential new fans, friends or followers. Be VERY selective about the content of the post, because it’s an opportunity to make a first impression on a prospective customer!
85. Seriously... Anything
87. VOTING
82. T-SHIRT DESIGN 83. LOGO DESIGN
Let your customers vote their opinion on what specials you should offer by using likes vs. shares on side-by-side food photos. Encourage them to vote for your restaurant in regional ‘Best of’ competitions.
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ASK ANYTHING It’s especially relevant to ask for input on upcoming customer-focused activities!
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MENU INPUT Social media is a smart, informal way to collect feedback on menu selection or design.
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LOGO DESIGN Your customers may love your logo, or they may hate it! Find out!
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TAGGING This clever post from Sonic asks you to TAG a friend, increasing post reach.
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VOTING Official poll, informal vote, or even SurveyMonkey – just remember to share the results.
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VOTING When your customer’s vote counts the most, ask for their help. They’ll be there for you!
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You can post about everyday experiences, too. Those are the sort of real-world things people want to see from their friends’ posts on social media. It helps humanize your business and establish a friendly rapport, demonstrating that you’re not a big, faceless company – you’re real people with real lives running a restaurant they love. By its nature, this category could be exceedingly random, with content only limited by your creativity.
88. RANDOM LIFE COMMENTARY
93. ARTICLES OF INTEREST
Our server just hit 12,000 steps on her FitBit, and it’s not even 4 PM!
On Facebook, especially, people share links and listicles from sites like mashable, buzzfeed and lifehacker.
89. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR MOVIE NIGHT
94. SPORTS
Can we stream Sharknado yet?
Apparently, some people are passionate about this subject.
90. VACATION
95. HOLIDAYS / SEASONAL EVENTS
Everyone loves thinking and dreaming about their vacations, even if they’re just staycations.
91. MONDAY / HUMP DAY / FRIDAY These are universal touch points for many customers.
92. Shared Social Humor / Trending Memes Tap into popular trends or movements. Act fast, some only last a day or two.
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SHARED HUMOR / MEMES Everyone needs to LOL.
Acknowledge the big, national holidays and seasonal events, but also some of the fun, random days nobody has ever heard of!
96. NEWS OF THE DAY Some people get all their news from social media.
97. SCENIC PHOTOS Oooo! Aaaah!
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PHOTOS Great photos make great posts, and if they’re of your restaurant or food, that’s perfect!
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MEMES In late Summer, everyone riffed on the movie poster for the recent Straight Outta Compton.
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HOLIDAYS They don’t need to be legitimate, call-your-mom holidays. Any excuse will do!
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SPORTS Live-tweeting, fantasy leagues, group viewing, commentary – sports fans love it all.
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NEWS OF THE DAY If you notice a trending issue that complements your mission/vision, newsjack it!
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95 HOLIDAYS Check www.daysoftheyear.com for an exhaustive list of all the wackiest holidays that you and your customers could ever care to celebrate!
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RANDOM COMMENTARY You can ponder the meaning of life, or let your customers do the existential musing for you!
SEASONAL EVENTS The school year provides many shared life experiences for both young people and their parents. Social media is the perfect place to connect and commiserate – or celebrate!
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This document isn’t an exhaustive list! There’s plenty of room for your own ideas. As long as you’re staying true to your restaurant’s brand and personality, and not offending anyone, get creative and have fun with your social media posts!
98. Arresting ViSUALS That’s one way to grab their attention.
99. ANIMALS Cute or otherwise, they’re the Old Reliable of the internet.
100. TRIVIA / INTERESTING FACTS Water chestnuts are not nuts? And neither are cashews?! Mind = blown!
101. DAYDREAMING Share anything that’s on your mind.
102. HUMOR Although not appropriate for every brand, if you can make someone smile, even if it’s only a little smile, you’ve improved their day and made the world a better place.
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ARRESTING VISUALS This may be beyond your Photoshop skill level.
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DAYDREAMING Everyone likes a little escape from the daily grind.
ARRESTING VISUALS Don’t post something just to be sensational. Make sure it supports your brand.
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TRIVIA I’ll take Potpourri for $700, Alex!
TRIVIA It doesn’t even have to be food related – people love interesting facts!
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ANIMALS If they’re not camera shy, you can feature your feathered or furry friends.
HUMOR Being funny is harder than it sounds, and can take many forms.
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HUMOR There are endless variations on the stick figure family theme.
HUMOR If you’re going to have fun with a customer’s post, make sure it’s an extension of your brand identity. And make sure the person writing the witty comments is mature, responsible, and understands what’s at stake – your digital identity is serious business.
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ANIMALS Nom nom nom!
HUMOR Eclectic. Unexpected. Strange. A little meta. Perfect for your Millennial audience.
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Over 71% of online adults in the U.S. are on Facebook, and its massive international audience generates 4.5 billion LIKES each day. Direct uploads of user videos to Facebook now exceed links out to YouTube, making Facebook the platform of choice for social video sharing. Advertising on Facebook allows an unprecedented amount of control as to who sees your ads or sponsored posts and when.
Purchased by Facebook in 2012, this photo sharing network is hugely popular with Millennials. 68% of Instagram users are female. The user base is split 50/50 between iPhone and Android owners. Unlike Facebook, where users often share trending articles and memes of the day, Instagram is more about users sharing their personal view of the world via photos they’ve taken. It’s common to use many hashtags for a single post to make content more discoverable.
Twitter’s growth in the U.S. has slowed dramatically, but its user base is fanatically supportive. Although posts are still limited to 140 characters of text, you can now attach photos and videos. Twitter owns the Vine video network (6-second video loops) and is popular with a host of celebrities. Restaurants looking to launch a new Twitter account should be aware that core Twitter users expect LOTS of posts, not the once-or-twice-a-week you might get away with on Facebook.
SNAPCHAT
The messaging app that lets you take photos or videos, add text or drawings, and send these ‘snaps’ to your friends. The catch: you set a time limit (from one to 10 seconds) for how long your friends get to see the message. After that, the snaps disappear, and no one can see them any more. Though Snapchat refused buyout bids from Facebook ($3 Billion) and Google ($4 Billion), they’re still figuring out how to monetize the network (they’re experimenting with in app purchases now) and there isn’t a great ad platform for small businesses yet.
Pinterest is a visual discovery tool for pretty much everything. Need an idea for remodeling your kitchen? Check Pinterest. Themed children’s birthday decorations? Pinterest. New party recipes for the family reunion? You get the idea: visual inspiration and research made easy. But because so much restaurant marketing is visually driven, it’s a great platform to showcase all your most appetizing photos and what makes your restaurant stand out! Oh, and 85% of the users are female.
Whatsapp is an instant messaging app for smartphones purchased by Facebook for $19 Billion. It is currently the most popular messaging app in the world with over 30 billion messages being sent every day. That’s an astounding number.
YELP
The home of over 71 million crowd-sourced reviews of local businesses. Even if you have mixed feelings about Yelp, you should claim your restaurant’s page there and be aware of what’s being said about you. Like it or not, review sites are a key piece of your digital identity. It’s worth the extra effort to maximize the benefits you receive, while having a PR emergency plan for a worstcase scenario.
TRIPADVISOR
Similar to Yelp, but with fewer class-action lawsuits alleging extortion. Also like Yelp, you should claim your business page as owner/manager and make sure all your information is up to date (menu, hours, website url, etc.) And don’t forget to post all your best food and restaurant photos on the review sites! They’re often your customer’s last stop before deciding where to dine out, so make your page as persuasive as possible!
PERISCOPE
The newest kids on the block are the live-streaming apps: Meerkat, Periscope (owned by Twitter) and Facebook Live. These are early days of live video networks, but Periscope takes the early lead with 10 million accounts. Facebook Live is only available for celebrity users at this stage. How can you use it? How will it be monetized? Stay tuned. But consider this: as a restaurant, there is an exciting live show in your kitchen every single night.
FOUNDED: 2004 USERS: 1.4 Billion
FOUNDED: 2010 USERS: 300 MILLION
FOUNDED: 2006 USERS: 316 MILLION
FOUNDED: 2011 USERS: 200 MILLION
FOUNDED: 2010 USERS: 100 MILLION
FOUNDED: 2009 USERS: 800 MILLION
FOUNDED: 2004 MONTHLY VISITORS: 135+ MILLION
FOUNDED: 2000 MONTHLY VISITORS: 280 MILLION
FOUNDED: 2015 USERS: 10 MILLION
TOP 5 GRAMMAR ERRORS TO AVOID Read before you post! Poor grammar makes your business appear unprofessional. If you’re uncertain of your own grammar knowledge, find the grammar nerd on your staff and have them proofread your content before posting. You may have an English major who would love to show off their eagle-eyed editing skills and help you avoid these common mistakes.
1. MISUSE OF APOSTROPHES Adding an apostrophe - s does not make a word plural. In most cases it makes a word possessive. (Denny’s, Papa John’s) Apostrophes also form contractions like don’t (do not), we’re (we are,) and she’s (she is.)
2. THEY’RE • THEIR • THERE They’re is a contraction of they are: They’re going out for wings. Their is a possessive pronoun: I didn’t order those. The Buffalo wings are theirs. There refers to a place: Put the wings over there. My friends aren’t at the restaurant yet. They’re on the way there.
3. IT’S and ITS
This rule is confusing, so be extra careful! An apostrophe often indicates possession, but not here. It’s is a contraction of it is or it has. It’s in the fridge. It’s been ages since I looked in the fridge. Its (without the apostrophe) is the possessive form. The fridge has its own ice maker. Unfortunately, it’s broken.
4. YOUR and YOU’RE
Your is a possessive adjective. This is your salad. You’re is a contraction of you are. You’re going to love your salad.
5. TO • TOO • TWO To can be a preposition before a noun or an infinitive before a verb. I’m going to the bar to drink. Two is a number. These grammar rules are so confusing, I may need two drinks. Too means also or additionally. Great idea! I’ll have two drinks, too.
DIVIDE & CONQUER
QUICK POSTING TIPS:
As the number of social media networks has increased, some bars and restaurants have made them more manageable by delegating posting responsibilities to multiple members of staff.
Be true to your brand. Make sure your posts reflect the personality of your restaurant, speaking to your customers in an authentic voice.
One person handles Facebook, another does Instagram, while another posts on Twitter or Pinterest. That should allow the manager time to keep up with Yelp and TripAdvisor reviews and deal with any potentially serious customer service issues. If one of your staff excels at photography, consider giving them some extra time to take photos to be used across all your social media channels.
Be creative. People use social media to stay informed and entertained. Keep your content fun and your customers engaged. Think of it as sharing, not advertising. You're having a two-way discussion. It's more like a telephone than a megaphone. Don't post the same photo or message over and over. And post different content on each network you use. Your Instagram posts shouldn’t reuse your Twitter or Facebook posts. It takes time to find your voice and build your audience. Keep working on it.