Instagram for Restaurants: 5 Secrets to Success

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Instagram for Restaurants: 5 Secrets to Success

There are people who use Instagram, then there are people who know how to use Instagram. We aim to be the ladder. What about you? IG has become such a powerful marketing tool that it would be a shame to let this potential market reach go to waste. 

So what’s the best way to utilize Instagram for restaurants? Read on to get a few key tips that are sure to boost your following, and fill your seats.

1. Create Insta-Worthy Dishes

Instagram hasn’t developed a taste feature yet, so the visual appearance of your dishes has to be the force that gets customer’s mouths watering.

What looks better to you: a photo of a plate of fries on waxed paper next to a blob of ketchup, or a mountain of crispy golden fried potatoes nestled with creamy cheese curds drizzled with a gravy that shimmers like the moons of Saturn?

It doesn’t matter whether Saturn’s moons shimmer or not, you get the idea. This is your chance to make a good first impression, so make it count.

2. Improve Your Photography Skills

Use soft natural light, clean up the background, and use the rule of thirds! Properly framing a photo will make it much more visually appealing. These things don’t happen by accident. 

Use an Instagram photo editor to easily edit your Instagram photos. Editing photos will make colors pop and ease some of the harsher light tones.

Oh yeah and make sure there’s no dirty napkins or drink rings sitting on the table when you take your photo. Yuck. 

3. Interact With and Reward Customers

You must build a relationship with your customers over Instagram. Respond to people’s messages and like their comments. Engaging with customers will not only make them feel good, but it will also help keep your posts at the top of people’s feeds and help your posts show up on the Discover page.

Occasionally running contests with a reward is a great way to get people to share your posts and generate enthusiasm about your restaurant.

4. Stay on Brand

Consistency with your page is very important. When someone new lands on your page, you don’t want them to scroll through 15 images of tasty food and then be hit in the face with a photo of your dog. Your dog is cute, no doubt, but this doesn’t work. 

Be consistent with your brand in both the images you present and your voice in the captions and comments. Check out this article for some ideas on how to make your brand stand out.

5. Strategic (and Frequent) Posting

Utilize your Instagram business account to learn when traffic is highest. The app will provide insights into the best times to post. Use a scheduler to automatically post during these times. 

Oh, and post frequently. More frequent posting will keep you at the top of the feed and the forefront of your customer’s minds.

Use It: Instagram for Restaurants 

Using Instagram for restaurants is such a powerful tool to reach a new broad customer base. Regularly posting quality and engaging content at the right times will do wonders for your social media game. 

If you found this article helpful, check out the rest of our blog for more great information.