By now, you no doubt realize that social media is an essential tool in your restaurant marketing strategy. And Facebook is one of the top social media networks for restaurants. We’re going to look at why Facebook is so important to your restaurant marketing strategy, as well as ten specific Facebook tips for restaurants that will help you navigate the network like a boss.

Why Facebook is Important to Your Restaurant Marketing Strategy

We’ve talked about why social media, in general, is important for your restaurant — but why is Facebook particularly helpful to your strategy?

Consider for a moment that 72% of diners report using Facebook to scope out a restaurant before going.

If your restaurant is not active on Facebook, you risk losing touch with these potential diners.

Plus, Facebook has a lot of special features that have the power to help your restaurant connect with your customers in a meaningful way. These features — most of which are completely free — help you to engage more with your audience. This, in turn, engenders customer loyalty and helps them to remember you in the future.

But it’s not just important to use Facebook — you want to make the most of it. And that’s what we’re going to discuss. Let’s dig into ten powerful Facebook tips for restaurants that will help you crush it on the network!

10 Facebook Tips for Restaurants That Will Help You Get Ahead

1. Upload a Profile and Cover Photo

Okay, this is one of those Facebook tips for restaurants that might sound like a no-brainer, but you would be surprised at how many people skip out on their photos or use poor-quality photos. And this can confuse or even repel customers.

So how do you make the best use of your profile and cover photo?

The best photo to use for your profile photo is your logo. Make sure it is crisp, clear, and easy to read. You don’t want it to be so tiny that people can’t read it or make it out.

The same is true for your cover photo. This is the photo that sits just behind your profile photo. Avoid blurry photos or anything that is hard to recognize. What should you use here? Pick an image that represents your restaurant in some way.

If you’re not sure what to use for your cover photo, here are a few suggestions…

  • A photo of your restaurant’s storefront.
  • A photo of one or more of your dishes expertly photographed to make it as appealing as possible.
  • A photo of your team, looking happy and professional.
  • A photo of a nice view from the outside of your restaurant — i.e., if your restaurant has a classy outdoor patio or a view of the water.
  • A photo of your restaurant’s interior, perhaps a cool shot of the bar or of a romantic table set for two.

Remember, you want your cover photo to reflect some aspect of your restaurant. It should also be authentic — avoid stock photos and go for something that is real.

Also, take the time to view these photos across multiple devices to ensure that your customer is always getting the best visual experience.

2. Upload Your Menu

Your menu might just be the most important asset on your restaurant’s Facebook page. After all, if there’s anything that’s going to get people into your restaurant, it’s knowing what you’re going to feed them.

Make sure that you have a menu tab on your page that gives people easy access to your offerings. You can upload an image or PDF for this.

Avoid blurry photos where people have to squint to make out the items. Upload photos or PDFs that are clean, clear, and professional.

3. Include All of Your Info

You want people to find you as easily as possible. This means listing your contact information, including address, phone number, email, and hours on the About section of your Facebook page.

Another important bit of information to include is your restaurant website. This lends a level of legitimacy to your restaurant, showing that you’re not just a one-hit-Facebook-wonder, but a solid establishment with a full online presence.

4. Post Food Pictures

Food is at the center of any restaurant and it’s the reason people keep coming back. So your food needs to be center stage.

Take honest stock of your food pictures. Not all food pictures are going to put your food in the best light. So ask yourself honestly, do these pictures make my food look appetizing?

If not, take the time to play around with your lighting, background, and camera settings. You might even look up food photography tips to get some pro recommendations.

If you’re still having a problem, you might hire a professional food photographer from time to time to ensure that you’re getting the very best quality shots.

5. Share Videos

We cannot recommend video enough. After all, reports show people watch 100 million hours of video on Facebook every day!

It doesn’t have to be complicated. You could simply take a short video of your chef cooking the evening’s special or do a brief interview as the owner explaining the background of your restaurant.

People love to see behind the scenes of restaurants, including how the food is made and the people who work hard to bring your restaurant to life.

5. Showcase Your Events

Facebook Events are a great way to let people know what’s going on in your restaurant and stir up excitement for it.

You could use Events to promote a…

  • Trivia night
  • Themed dinner
  • Charity event
  • Live band
  • Karaoke night
  • Or whatever else you have going on!

With Facebook Events, you can list all the details, including potential ticket prices or cover fees.

The advantage of creating a specific Event is that it won’t just appear on your restaurant’s page. It will also appear when people check out events in their area. You will be able to see who is interested in the event and who plans to attend. And if they are interested, Facebook will also let their friends know about it.

6. Host Giveaways

This could be something as simple as a coupon for a certain percentage off their meal or free drinks.

This is a great way to build a bond with your audience. They will come to know you as a generous local business owner and want to support you more. Plus, there’s a chance that people will spread the word about the giveaway, and more people will learn about your restaurant and follow you.

This should, of course, be used in moderation. It can be a great way to get people in the door, but if you’re not careful, you could end up just attracting freebie-hunters. Test the waters and see how it goes. It might still be a good marketing tactic to pull out from time to time.

7. Take Polls

Polls are a great way to engage your audience and keep your restaurant top of mind.

You could poll your followers about what new menu item they’d most like to see. It could even be something silly, such as where they stand in the hot dogs vs. hamburgers debate.

Used from time to time, this Facebook feature can help you to engage with your audience and even show them the winning personality behind your restaurant.

8. Be Transparent

Transparency can work from the very beginning as well. Share with your audience where you source your ingredients, if you’re working with any local farmers, and how you ensure that all of your ingredients are top quality.

And there’s another way that you can be transparent…

As with any industry, you’re going to have ups and downs. There might even be rough periods where you experience bad press. During these periods, it’s best to be as transparent as possible.

Share whatever happened on Facebook, as well as the steps you’re taking to fix the issue. It’s better for people to hear it from you than to see a negative comment or even a write-up about it in the media.

10. Engage

Facebook is not a “set it and forget it” network. It is a continual investment of your time. To get the most out of your investment, you need to pay attention to it. Post regularly. Respond to comments. Answer questions.

Regular engagement is truly the fuel that will power your success on the network.

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With time and regular use, Facebook can become an essential tool in your restaurant’s marketing kit. We hoped you’ve enjoyed these Facebook tips for restaurants and have found some useful suggestions to empower your own restaurant marketing strategy.

We’d love to hear how it goes — drop us a line in the comments below!