Let’s face it, starting from purchasing our daily essentials to expensive ornaments and other luxury items, we depend on social media platforms for everything to check reviews, explore new businesses etc based on which we make our purchasing decisions.
Gone are those days when social media was used only to connect with new friends and stay in touch with them. It has become a powerful marketing tool for business owners and a place of trust and reliability for consumers. With the growing usage of smartphones, the number of users on such platforms is increasing at lightning speed.
According to restaurant social media statistics, more than 50% of consumers make their restaurant choices based on social media reviews and the overall social media presence of the restaurant. Moreover, around 71% of consumers say they would recommend a restaurant to their known circle considering its online ordering system and how quickly they answer on social media.
So if you are a restaurant owner you need to know the impact of social media on the restaurant choices of your consumers. In this article, you will learn how social media platforms influence your consumer’s restaurant choices and why you must have a good social media marketing strategy for your restaurant.
The Impact of Social Media Use on Restaurant Choices
The things that social media users mainly look for in a restaurant include its reviews, comments on posts, how the restaurant interacts with its clients, pricing, ambiance, and other personal preferences.
To make sure that people come to your restaurant, you need to build a strong social media presence. To create one. you must understand how the social channels influence their preference.
1. From counting Likes to bites, the incredible journey of choosing a restaurant
Social media platforms are all about likes, comments, and followers. The invention of platforms like Facebook, Instagram etc has drastically transformed the way people find and choose a restaurant to visit. The first thing that users notice in a restaurant page on social media is the number of likes it has received and the followers it has gained. The more, the better. This has made it essential for restaurants to be active on Social media platforms with regular interactions and promotional posts.
However, due to the pressure of other restaurant operations, many restaurants fail to stay consistently active on social media which adversely affects the business. Most restaurants today rely on online restaurant marketing services that include restaurant social media marketing as well just like FoodMato.
2. Increasing virtual appetite through images
Image-based social media platforms like Instagram play a pivotal role in attracting customers to a restaurant with enticing food images. Instagram is a massively popular platform where people look for the ambiance of a restaurant and also the kind of food it sells. The Instagram craze clearly shows the importance of great images in Social media marketing for restaurants, it means your restaurant’s food photography has to be on point. If you are still struggling to entice customers on Social media, connect with FoodMato which includes an alluring food photography service that is sure to grab eyeballs.
3. From scrolling to savoring, utilize the power of reels
Who does not love scrolling through reels on social channels? Creating reels is one of the most effective ways of catching the attention of your target audiences on social media platforms. Reels are engaging and trending. So make sure you harness the power of reels on your social media pages. These short and crisp videos are highly effective.
The best part about reels is that instead of creating fresh videos every time, you can combine multiple images to make a reel. Make sure you cover a variety of topics in reels including reviews, food recipes, behind-the-scenes activities, customers and more.
4. Social media for culinary guidance
Social media platforms expose users to a sea of new dishes, recipes, and more. As a result people also search for different types of food recipes, restaurant reviews, recommendations and more. Many people firmly depend on social media reviews and recommendations before visiting a restaurant with friends and family.
So you need to have a great social media reputation to bring new people to your space.
5. Social media as trendsetters
Many food items go viral on social media channels due to their extraordinary appearance, uniqueness and of course taste. Having the food becomes a trend with related hashtags. People also click photos with that particular dish and post them on their profiles.
As a restaurant try to add creativity to your dishes to make them look and taste amazing, so you can make them viral. You can also follow the trend and add such dishes to your menu which are on trend.
If you are not promoting your restaurant on social media platforms yet, this is high time you think of adopting the marketing culture. Now that you understand the impact of social media on the restaurant choices of your customers, you need to keep in mind the facts that we have mentioned here. If that sounds overwhelming to you don’t worry, FoodMato is here to help you. It offers a wide range of restaurant management features that will help you establish an impressive social media presence without hassles. You will also get restaurant marketing services that include social media promotion as well.
Discover its services now!
For social media marketing, here are the things you will get:
- Creating social media profiles.
- Food photography for regular posts on social channels.
- Video posting.
- Creating social media marketing strategies for restaurant.
- Managing social media community by replying to their queries quickly and more.
For more details of FoodMato and our services, contact our sales team now!