Social Media Ideas to Attract Bar Owners

As a bar or restaurant owner, y'all may non see the betoken of developing a social media marketing strategy for your make. Your business organization exists in the physical world.

You have regulars and pes traffic. Why would you need to venture into the online world?

Even if y'all merely own one small-scale location, a smashing social media marketing strategy can do a lot for your bar or restaurant.

Wouldn't it be great if more locals became regulars? If your business became a destination for out-of-towners? Well, you can do both with social media marketing for confined and restaurants.

In 2014, American spending on bars and restaurants surpassed grocery store spend for the first time in history. And y'all tin can count on Millennials to continue the trend.

Wouldn't it be slap-up to get a bigger piece of that pie?

That's why this article will show yous:

• Which social media networks are best for bars and restaurants.
• Which social media marketing strategies provide the greatest return.
• How to engage in social media direction equally a bar or eating house.

Social Media Marketing for Confined and Restaurants – The five Best Social Networks

Every bar and eatery is different. That's why you'll need to come up up with a social media marketing strategy that works for you. Here are some things to ask yourself:

• How many social media networks do I have the time and money to run?
• Which social media networks do my customers use the nigh?
• How often can I post on social media?
• Do I need to hire a social media manager?
• How can I integrate my social media strategy across channels?
• How do I want to tackle social media advertising and what's my budget?
• How of import is social media direction for bars and restaurants?

Which Social Media Platforms are the Best for Your Bar or Restaurant?

A word of advice. If you've only got the time and coin to run one social account on top of running your business, become for Facebook. The social network will give you the greatest variety of engagement opportunities, access to the biggest audition, and integration with a ton of complimentary marketing tools.

Here are the summit 5 social media platforms that are necessary for bars and restaurants:

• Facebook
• Instagram
• Yelp
• Twitter
• Snapchat

Later deciding which social networks are right for you lot, the next pace is to fill out your profiles. Here'due south a list of data that you won't want to forget to add across all channels:

• Opening Hours
• Elevation Hours
• Locations (Maps)
• Phone Number
• Social Handles
• Parking Options
• Cost Range
• Reservation Instructions
• Payment Options
• Attire
• Card
• Daily Specials/ Deals
• Description/ Story
• Website URL
• Special Services and Events

Facebook Social Media Marketing for Bars and Restaurants

Facebook is important for any bar or restaurant considering it'south the easiest identify to add all of the aforementioned data. It's also a place where you lot tin upload yummy photos, secure fans, handle customer service problems, interlink your social accounts, advertise, and create events.

Here are some unique Facebook features you might want to consider using:

• Menu (Daily Special Posts)
• Maps (Multiple Locations)
• Services (Online Ordering)
• Height Hours (Happy Hours)
• Reviews (+ Reponses)

Here'due south an example of social media marketing for bars and restaurants on Facebook:

Facebook ranks Panera Bread as one of the best performing restaurant chains on its site. Why? Because Panera is aware of two things – the trend in clean eating and video ads.

One campaign, centered around the new "clean" kids bill of fare, reached over vii million people and increased Panera's brand awareness.

Another thing Panera does well is create attractive, engaging posts that don't oversell or over promote. Here's an instance:

Pro Tip: Permit'due south say that you take a lot of photos with customers in them. When you take such pictures, tag the people you know. That fashion, your result photos cease up in more than newsfeeds, giving you greater reach. It's likewise great to share and promote customer photos.

Instagram Social Media Marketing for Confined and Restaurants

The expression, "we consume with our eyes," refers to the fact that we see our nutrient before we put it in our mouths. A fact that impacts our impression of what we're eating. Get a dish that looks like cat barf and you lot're non going to think information technology'due south tasty even if it is.

That'southward why and so many chefs and bartenders go the actress mile to add garnishes and flourishes to their final product. Simply with the advent of social media, there's a new reason to put in some extra endeavor when it comes to presentation.

A contempo report shows that 69% of Millennials volition photograph their food and post it to social media before eating. And there are around lxxx million Millennials in the American workforce. That's millions of people with millions of dollars taking millions of pictures of your nutrient or drinks.

Where do they mail service those pictures? Well, the mother of all social platforms for nutrient images – Instagram. And while yous're at it, don't just rely on the Millennials. Make sure you're posting enough of mouthwatering images yourself.

Here's an example of social media marketing for bars and restaurants on Instagram:

Forequarter is a bar and restaurant in Madison, Wisconsin. They modify their menu daily, giving them plenty of opportunities to mail service new images of nutrient and drink items on Instagram.

Yelp Social Media Marketing for Confined and Restaurants

When it comes to social media, Yelp isn't the offset platform that comes to mind. Simply for the gastronomic manufacture, it is ane of the top social media sites.

Now, yous may remember that Yelp is only a review site for customers. The virtually you can do is respond to reviews, right? Not quite. There are also plenty of other social media marketing initiatives for bars and restaurants.

For example, one of the easiest things you tin practise is claim your page on the site. At that place's a good take chances that your establishment is already on Yelp without your blessing. Get to Yelp'due south Find and Merits Your Business concern page so you lot tin claim your Yelp page and enter accurate business data.

Here's an case of a claimed business page that ended up in Yelp'southward roundup of the top 100 restaurants for 2017:

Let's say you lot really desire to engage. Why not consider hosting a local Yelp consequence? Near every urban center in the U.s. has a Yelp Community Manager who is in charge of connecting people with places. They organize and host costless events, ranging from multi-class tastings at fancy restaurants, to themed parties at swanky bars.

For example, one burger joint in Florida, BurgerFi, hosted simultaneous Yelp events in locations across the state. Over 200 Yelpers attended the event at their local BurgerFi. The restaurant provided some burgers and chips and got a ton of free, user-generated content for Instagram and Yelp in return.

Connecting with your Community Manager and hosting a Yelp event is a great way to engage with people who are already engaged in the culture of going out.

Here'due south an example of social media marketing for confined and restaurants on Yelp:

Pro Tip: And of grade, responding to reviews is the about powerful thing you can practise on Yelp. Whether the reviews are good or bad, your responses show users that you're listening. Plus, reviews are a great source of inspiration and a gratuitous marketplace research resource.

Twitter Social Media Marketing for Bars and Restaurants

Running a Twitter account for your bar or restaurant is a not bad way to get footling bits of information out on the web fast. Plus, it's like shooting fish in a barrel to integrate your Twitter handle with other accounts and so you're serving up a seamless social media experience.

Hither are some things that y'all tin can do with a Twitter account:

• Use it as your main channel for customer service issues.
• Post images of bill of fare items that modify on a regular ground.
• Ship out a quick updates or letters to your followers.
• Create engaging content that gives followers added value.

Hither'due south an example of social media marketing for bars and restaurants on Twitter:

Nosotros visited Yumiko Iihoshi, maker of our new Loving cup & Saucer Sets, in her Tokyo studio to acquire about her process: https://t.co/Zgd7hxEEhS pic.twitter.com/qIsJStEaSr

— Blue Bottle Coffee (@bluebottleroast) Dec 8, 2017

Bluish Bottle Coffee achieves 2 things with this post. First, they've updated their followers virtually their cup and saucer upgrade. Second, they've used the opportunity to provide readers with unique and engaging content.

Logic follows that if Millennials want to know both the source and origin of their food, they might similar the aforementioned information about their cups. Creating such content steers you away from straight selling – Come in and get a hot cup of joe for merely one buck! – and into the realm of creating a brand persona and a lasting relationship with your customers.

And don't forget another nifty employ for Twitter – dedicated customer service handles. Here'southward an instance of customer service for bars and restaurants on Twitter:

Pro Tip: If you're a bigger bar or restaurant, yous may need to hire a customer service specialist to handle a Twitter account similar Chili's. Keep in mind that customer service and social media marketing are two separate activities fifty-fifty when the erstwhile is conducted on Twitter.

Snapchat Social Media Marketing for Bars and Restaurants

As a bar, your target demographic is a little older than the Snapchat crowd. But for eating place owners, you may observe information technology interesting to note that Snapchat is the nigh preferred social media network for teens in the US.

Now, the unique features of the platform make it necessary to put some actress effort into coming up with a successful social media marketing campaign. Snapchat is based on sending and receiving content that lasts for a matter of seconds before disappearing. Not the most friendly medium for social media marketers.

Nosotros're on @Snapchat. Username: tacobell. Add us. We're sending all of our friends a undercover declaration tomorrow! #Shhh

— Taco Bong (@tacobell) May i, 2013

Most of the content on Snapchat centers on taking pics or videos and making them fun with doodles, captions, or filters. Only restaurants are seeing the virtually date when they create Geofilters. These are filters that are unique to a item location – your eating house.

Here's an example of social media marketing for bars and restaurants on Snapchat:

Taco Bell created a behemothic taco head Geofilter for Cinco de Mayo in 2016 that resulted in 224 1000000 views in one mean solar day. Non bad. Snapchat users dining at Taco Bell could use the filter on any snaps they took in the restaurants. The only downside? You have to pay for unique filters.

Tying It All Together With Google My Business organization Profiles

One thing that needs to go at the acme of your social media marketing "To-practice Listing" is challenge your Google My Concern Profile(s). Remember, if you're running a franchise, you will need to claim a profile for each location.

Why is this important? Claiming your profile allows you lot to evidence up in your own Knowledge Panel in Google search results. That'southward prime Google existent estate. Knowledge Panels incorporate nuggets of data nigh your business organization, including links to all your social media profiles.

Hither's an example:

Take multiple bar or restaurant locations? Never heard of franchise SEO and want to know more? Read our guide: Franchise SEO: How to Apply Local SEO to Multiple Locations

How to Use Social Media to Market Your Bar or Eating house

Your bar or eating house exists in the existent world, and then your social media marketing initiatives should reflect that. Hither are six ideas about taking your offline experiences online:

1. Create events and brand sure people can notice them.

Events are a surefire way to describe a oversupply to your bar or eating place. And that'south true whether your issue includes live music, trivia, or bad karaoke. The only thing yous need to do? Make sure people know you're hosting an outcome in the first place.

Later on you lot create an event on Facebook, you'll desire to list it on other websites likewise. That's especially true for bars and restaurants that hold regular events or have regular happy hours. Here are some ideas for local consequence listing sites:

• Eventful – Site for local, upcoming events. Pick your urban center and post your event.
• Eventseeker – Local event site with ticketing options and a modern look.
• Craigslist – The online classified ads site has a local result listing feature.
• Eventbrite – Helps yous set upwardly events and tickets, just it's a paid site.
• All Events – List an consequence for your city so users can discover information technology.

Here'due south an example of a Chicago upshot listed on All Events:

Do yous want to create a ticketed result? So you may also want to consider pairing up with event websites. In the example below, you can see that the Flatiron Bar in New York Urban center is selling tickets for its whisky and cheese pairing issue on Dark-brown Paper Tickets.

Also notice that Flatiron's event is a special experience. Do you lot run a similar outcome for your bar or restaurant? Then you may want to have things one pace farther and consider condign an experience host on Airbnb. Why?

Millennial travelers are at present into experience traveling. For example, with the introduction of Trips, Airbnb added bookable experiences in 12 cities worldwide. The booking website says that 13x more guests use experiences than home rental, the chief function of the website.

The 3 perks of being an experience host on Airbnb?

• Yous tin charge money for hosting your result.
• You can attract tourists to your bar or restaurant.
• You lot're hosting Instagrammers and social influencers.

2. Reward loyal beliefs like cheque-ins and user-generated images.

Are yous on Square? Apparently, the virtually 10 year-old app is not quite expressionless. Are your patrons checking in on Facebook? Do they click attending for your events?

When customers interact or cheque-in with your make, information technology's of import to reward them for their loyalty. That'southward as simple as offering drinks, free entrance, or appetizers.

Another great manner to reward customers is to collaborate with the content they share. Let's say you notice a great image that was shared by a client while dining at your establishment. Share it, comment on it, retweet it, or give it a similar.

Sharing and liking user-generated content shows that y'all're paying attention and rewards loyal customers. Plus, 53% of Millennials say user-generated content influences their purchasing decisions over traditional media or banner ads.

Starbucks runs a user-generated content entrada on Instagram every yr chosen The Blood-red Cup Contest. Usually, winners receive gift cards. All participants have to exercise is decorate and take pictures of their holiday Starbucks cup. For 2017, Starbucks issued a loving cup that customers can colour in for even more holiday fun.

iii. Use video features on Facebook and Instagram.

Video and live stream are where information technology's at, whether you do it for Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, or all three. Consider the fact that video will account for 82% of all consumer Internet traffic worldwide by 2021. All you need is knowledge nigh how and when to stream and a artistic idea about what to show.

For Instagram, you may want to consider using an app like Boomerang, that allows you to create mini, looping videos.

Pro Tip: If yous find that you lot create a lot of video content, you may also want to create a Youtube channel. Plus, if live streaming is your affair, don't forget near sites like Periscope.

four. Design space that'south neat for selfies and social sharing.

Alfred Coffee on Melrose Place is notoriously Instagrammable. The coffee shop is located on a stylish street, has a hip offering, and is known for its interior design. Having a space that you pattern with selfies and photos in listen is a peachy thought for enhancing your social media marketing strategy.

Here's an instance of Alfred's famous "Only First, Coffee" sign:

People await in lines to take pictures at Alfred Coffee. Having a selfie-worthy infinite in your bar or restaurant attracts customers and promotes user-generated content. Also, don't forget to create a corresponding hashtag like #butfirstcoffee.

That way, you tin rails, monitor, and appoint with your user-generated content. Added bonus? You tin can also find and appoint with influencers.

Hither's another example of a bar that has created a selfie-worthy space:

Bar Pacyfik in Warsaw, Poland, was designed with Instagram in mind. The pink neon lights and recycled Siricha bottles in the bath take proven to exist a favorite with the Instagram crowd.

5. Spotlight your employees for social media content.

The Sauvage Neo Bistro in New York Metropolis has a fabulous Instagram account with many enticing images of their nutrient and beverages. But every once in awhile they also feature their employees in posts. Hither's an example:

Spotlighting your chef, bartender, or server in social media posts has several benefits. In truth, there are too many benefits to listing here, but here are a few.

Starting time, y'all're giving your brand a human face and creating a genuine persona online. 2d, you lot're going to increase your reach and engagement.

Recollect of information technology like this – everyone on your staff has at least one social media profile complete with followers and reach. They're already posting most their work. Around 50% of employees say that they post images, videos, and messages about their employer often or from time to fourth dimension, and 33% mail without encouragement from an employer.

Imagined what your employees would post if y'all encouraged them and provided them with positive content virtually themselves? At that place's a adept hazard they would share that content and engage, increasing your reach beyond platforms.

6. Create content around trending topics and ask questions.

Following hashtag trends is a great identify to first. For example, #food has generated 240 one thousand thousand posts on Instagram as of late 2017. When you look upwardly #food on Instagram, yous can run across what sort of food posts are trending.

After searching for #food, licensed_to_distill'due south mail service showed up as a pinnacle mail. Here you can run across that craft cocktails and mixology are trending on Instagram. If you're a bar owner, you lot might want to craft a few cocktails yourself for social media posts.

Another popular Instagram hashtag is #foodies, with 71 million posts on Instagram as of late 2017. Notice that it also appears in our example. The hashtag represents a trend in knowing a food's origin and story. For Instagram Millennials, knowing the nutritional value and the cultural roots of the food is equally important as how well the food photographs and tastes.

Matcha is a cracking example of a trend that foodies find both salubrious and interesting. Some restaurants are buying into the trend wholesale with entire menus made from Matcha. Hither'south an case:

On tiptop of being trendy, Cha Cha Matcha has slap-up brand coherence across social channels. Using a color scheme, consistent font, and overall image aesthetic may seem trivial but it'due south not. Equally you lot can see, Cha Cha Matcha's pinkish and dark-green treats and pattern rake in the likes and comments.

Ready to go started with your Concern Page on Facebook? Not sure how? We've got you covered. Read our guide: 7 Simple Tips to Optimize Your Facebook Business Page

Concluding but Not Least – Understanding Social Media Direction for Bars and Restaurants

Social media management and social listening are the next level of social media marketing for confined and restaurants. Social listening involves collecting all mentions including a keyword or topical phrase and analyzing them for trends and patterns.

Yous can use social media management to rails your brand, enquiry trending topics, find influencers, and get a better understanding of your audition. Let's go back to our matcha example. From eleven November, 2017, "matcha" was mentioned over 60,000 times in total on social media:

That'southward quite a bit of people talking about matcha online, and so y'all decide to add together it to your menu. How can you use your social media direction tool to assistance y'all out in the concurrently? Hither's a sample of the kind of information yous can gather:

• Where matcha lovers are posting.
• Which hashtags they're using.
• Who is trending equally an influencer and where.
• What the sentiment is toward matcha and why.
• What people are proverb and sharing.
• Who y'all can tap for user-generated content.
• Where commenters are located.

For the keyword "matcha," nosotros can see that about posts are coming from Instagram (74%) followed past Facebook (xv%). Glancing at the source data makes information technology clear that matcha is performing far amend on Instagram than whatsoever other platform. Now, you know where to focus.

Popular Instagram hashtags are #matcha, #matchalatte, #foodie, #icecream, #sweettooth. Just by glancing at hashtags in mentions, we've found that matcha lattes and ice cream are the ii most popular means to serve the trendy food. Plus, you now have hashtags that volition help y'all position your content with the correct audience.

Notice in the postal service above that the restaurant, T to Tea, replied to the customer's comment. Engaging with content is a great manner to reward loyal customers, and an easy way to find such mentions is to invest in a social media management tool that fetches them for you.

Plus, you can utilize a social media management tool to find influencers and deport market enquiry. You'll want to follow influencers to find out how your topic is trending and to look for opportunities to appoint.

Market research helps you practise the same. You can find out how other bars, restaurants, or cafes are promoting matcha (or any topic) online. Plus, y'all can reach out to other bars and restaurants or private chefs or bartenders for collaboration and event initiatives.

Hither are our list of influencers for our "matcha" keyword:

The sentiment toward "matcha" on social media is overwhelmingly positive at 35%. Just iii% of mentions were categorized as negative. Upon further investigation, you will detect that you can recategorize most "neutral" mentions as "positive."

Social media marketing is the showtime step for confined and restaurants. But social media management and social listening activities are necessary for whatsoever local eatery or watering hole that wants to stay ahead of the game.

Non certain how to get started with social media direction? That'south okay, we've got you covered. Read our guide: The Complete Starter Guide to Social Media Management

Decision

The key to social media marketing for bars and restaurants is to unite your offline world with what's happening online.

Past finding means to promote, appoint, and please online, yous'll thrive in the real world.

All you have to do is know where to post and how to engage. Plus, by understanding social media management, y'all can take things to the next level.

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