Blog for restaurants and gastronomic entrepreneurs

5 social networks to position your restaurant

5 social networks to position your restaurant

Social networks have become a means of dissemination for gastronomic businesses of all sizes, being a source of consultation to decide what dishes to eat or what restaurants to visit, in this article we will share the keys to succeed on your social networks.

 

Every year the traffic generated by the gastronomic sector in social networks increases gradually, untilgs such as #Food and #Drink with more than 220 million publications on Instagram, show the importance of digital social media.

Why is social media important to my restaurant?

Currently, social networks are the ideal means to communicate your gastronomic proposal to new customers without investing large sums of money, the reasons are many, they are mostly free media, they have a large number of users, they are innovative, which allows them to use them interact in very creative ways, many allow you to know data about your customers such as age, gender and tastes, they still have effective advertising systems, so far cheap compared to traditional media, without a doubt they are useful tools to promote your restaurant.

How to transmit my brand on social networks?

Before starting to think about which social networks your restaurant should be positioned in, it is necessary to introspect the message you want to convey, the objectives are important to draw a strategy that allows you to be successful in the digital environment.

To correctly transmit your message it is necessary develop a corporate image for your restaurant, list your virtues and the goals you want to achieve in the medium and long term, analyze the type of communication you have with your clients, it can be casual, formal, daring, reserved, among hundreds of variants, this will help you project a personality that makes click with your followers on social media.

In which social networks should my restaurant be?

89% of Mexican Internet users access their social networks every day and your restaurant must have a presence in the social networks that they use frequently, to know this information you can use any of the 5 strategies to attract customers  where we share tips to get feedback from your customers and check directly what social networks you use.

Another way to know the ideal social networks to position your restaurant, is to consult in search engines the number of publications where your restaurant is mentioned and analyze which ones have the potential to become a new communication channel.

Finally, you can base your decision on trends and strategies based on competition, all to improve communication with your current customers and get new diners, currently the social networks with the best positioning for your restaurant in Mexico are:

  1. Instagram with 57% of Mexican Internet users.
  2. Facebook with 98% of Mexican Internet users.
  3. TripAdvisor, which recently became a social network.
  4. Pinterest with 41% Mexican Internet users.
  5. YouTube with 82% Mexican Internet users.

According to a study by the Internet Association on the "Habits of Internet Users in Mexico 2018" the average Mexican uses 5 social networks.

How to take advantage of social networks for my restaurant?

Each social network stands out for the functions or amenities it offers its users and represents an opportunity for your gastronomic business, it is important to carry out a different strategy for each social network because the content is different between each platform, discover the benefits they offer and the strategies to succeed in each one.

Instagram

It is the social network par excellence for restaurants, with an approach that maximizes the visual environment "food enters through the eyes" allowing images and videos to be shared. This platform has millions of active users and is the main tool for attracting new customers.

On Instagram the gastronomic experience is lived through photos and short videos of your most exquisite dishes, you do not need elaborate content, the publications with the best response from users are the video clips plating the food, decorating the desserts and of course tasting food, unlike other social networks here the videos do not need large productions.

A trend on Instagram is the #FoodPorn content that focuses on sharing the most irresistible side of your food, photos and videos in high quality, in creative angles that whet your followers' appetite, a free tool that will help you discover hashtags for your restaurant is display purposes, keep a constant frequency and position your dishes on Instagram.

Facebook

It is the social network with the most followers in Mexico today, unlike Instagram where your followers become fans of your food, on Facebook users look for information, schedules, costs, type of food, promotions, references, photographs of the place and quality content.

On Facebook you have the opportunity to create a communication channel to:

  • Display your products.
  • Show your surroundings.
  • Introduce your staff.
  • Create albums with the dishes of each season, with special menus, with customer visits ...
  • Share curious or relevant news for your audience.
  • Broadcast live performances or events that are being held

The possibilities it offers to create advertising segmented by age, genre and location, makes this platform a valuable tool to attract customers related to your gastronomic proposal in your locality.

An important point to take into account when creating content for Facebook, are emotions, your publications should generate a reaction in your followers, make them fall in love with your service, amuse them with your events, surprise them with your dishes and make them angry for not opening 24 hours .  

TripAdvisor

Over the years, this platform has become a source of consultation for the most demanding diners, recently it has become a social network increasing user interaction by being able to express their recommendations from their profile by adding comments and a timeline is undoubtedly an excellent opportunity to discover the benefits that this new interaction system will offer.

The traditional mechanics of TripAdvisor is to offer its users a ranking with the best restaurants in their locality, with photographs of the spaces, the food and, most importantly, a rating system made by the customers who have visited the restaurant, being the latest of interest to your restaurant because that score, together with the number of customers who rated you, positions your restaurant at the top of the ranking and the comments offer users an idea of ​​what to expect when they visit your restaurant.

It is important to consider that your customers can offer a rating and leave comments on their experiences, even if your restaurant does not have an official account, take time to respond positively to the comments left by your customers, in case you have an unofficial profile on this platform you can claim it as your own in https://www.tripadvisor.com.mx/Owners

Pinterest

This platform is the most recent on this list and its proposal is to offer a source of ideas and inspiration to its users through pins that are attractive images that they can save on their boards to consult in the future, its users are largely from Female gender.

Pinterest can help reinforce the image of your restaurant, unlike other platforms here the product exhibition is well received as well as the recipes that surely as an expert in the gastronomic field you have some available to share and strengthen ties with your customers that are in this social network.

The way to reach new customers is through boards, on Pinterest users are looking for inspiration and if you can offer an attractive pin that helps them get motivated, you will undoubtedly have a lot of followers.

YouTube

In recent years, video has established itself as an ideal tool for digital content strategies for restaurants, the YouTube platform has established itself as the king of this segment, increasing the number of users in Mexico by 10% in the last year. Facebook and Instagram require a higher level of production, among its virtues it allows creators to form a community around their brand, in this case your restaurant.

One difference with the previous platforms is that YouTube mainly has a global impact, if you are in a stage of growth or opening new businesses in a franchise model, it will be an indispensable tool to take your message to different markets.

If you are starting your own business, it is still a key piece to promote your project, cooks and chefs are the ones who obtain the greatest benefits from this social network by positioning their name and culinary skills, favoring its growth.

Social networks are powerful allies to position the brand of your restaurant, evaluate your digital strategies and venture into platforms that promote your gastronomic proposal to new diners, remember that the content you share on your different social networks must be according to the platform and the consuming public.

turn your servers into salespeople