Social Media Marketing Strategies for New Restaurants

Just like any business, a social media presence is extremely important. But I would argue that social media can have one of the most significant impacts on the success of new restaurants. If you don’t believe me, think of yourself as a consumer and how you discover new restaurants in your area. Personally, I am heading straight to social media, because here I not only can preview the menu, but I can see what the interior and vibe of the restaurant is, the foodie pictures, and drink options in great detail. (If the social media presence is done right).

Simply having a social media presence is not enough.

Representing your space, food, and staff effectively is very important to the success of your restaurant. Hiring a photographer to take photos of your dishes, cocktails, and customers is a great start! Adding some lifestyle aspects to the pictures will make them more interesting and helps put your audience in their shoes. For example, add someone dipping a hot wing inside a cup of creamy and dripping ranch. Or people cheersing their iced cold cocktails shifting the ice to the brim of the drink. People laughing, talking, and smiling while enjoying your food can also add that lifestyle vibe to the photos.

Reels and videos are also a wonderful way to showcase your restaurant.

With the rise of TikTok, short-form videos have begun taking over social media as a whole. It would be in every new restaurant's best interest to take full advantage of the art of those entertaining short clips. When filming reels I have found the process of sharing dishes in video form is very successful as well as video of staff/owners to create a more personal vibe to the place!

Keep in mind is the power of paid advertisements and boosting posts on social media.

Once you know your target audience, putting some money behind a classic and delicious-looking foodie post, cocktail post, or offer is an easy way to get your post in front of new eyes that would come check you out! Especially in the beginning stages, creating more awareness about your business within the community is a must. Allocating some marketing funds to paid advertising on social media should be a priority.

If you're opening a new restaurant, I know social media can help your business get in front of a new eyes as well as keep your restaurant top of mind for your current audience.