Restaurant-to-Consumer Social Media Engagement
If “a picture is worth a thousand words,” social media is to be thanked for taking Norwegian playwright Henrick Ibsen’s adage and using technology to digitally canvas the ether with multiple complex ideas, then framing them in a single image.
Restaurants use social media to draw in diners. Patrons and tourists take photos of their meals, run them through filters, and make the food look as enticing as possible. In a recent 2019 restaurant survey, almost half (45%) of the U.S. diners surveyed stated that a single social media post influenced their decision to try a restaurant for the first time. 74% stated they tend to order food regularly when socially engaged with the restaurant. Ryan Goff, Executive Vice President, Social Media Marketing Director at MGH, says, “when done right, social content marketing can have great influence over where diners choose to spend their hard-earned money.” Source: QSR
Other notable statistics from the survey included:
- 36% of U.S. diners follow restaurants on social media, and
- 39% of that group use social media to determine between dining out and delivery.
- 89% of U.S. diners have a social media account.
Social media casts a wide net. But, what if a restaurant doesn’t have a strong virtual presence or the owner doesn’t use social media technology as a marketing strategy? Or simply just doesn’t have the time.
Curating a basic virtual presence is easy, and it’s free! Explore your options, and then choose 1 or 2 social media channels you feel comfortable with, sites where you can simply post stunning pictures of your food and establishment.
Keep it basic and uncluttered, posting only engaging and relevant content – like the current menu, pictures of the most popular entrees and desserts, what delivery options are available, and any current promotions, such as “free delivery with your first order!” Even well-lit and creative images of an empty restaurant gives people an idea of the ambience, a place they would enjoy dining in. Remember, a single media post has the power to persuade diners to try a new restaurant.
Brand building at any level is essential. Implementing a virtual presence is “a process that promotes an image, creates loyalty and allows the business to maintain its current clientele as well as attract new customers.”
Putting a Virtual Presence to Work
As COVID-19 re-shapes how consumers dine out and restaurants offer their menus, building a long-term engagement strategy through social media platforms is vital. Run an operational analysis to determine how to implement new social media technology and strategies to improve upon your service model.
- It’s a fact that 77% of consumers recommend a restaurant or retail establishment to a friend after a single positive experience. Whether you have a simple or robust virtual presence, it allows the restaurant to openly respond to that experience, and thank customers if the post mentions a friend or family member recommended the restaurant.
- Saying thank you publicly holds just as much power as the single social media post that influences first time diners.
- Using feedback from third-party delivery apps informs how the service model can be improved.
- Responding to negative feedback shows a level of empathy and real-time engagement. Make it right. Send a direct message (DM) to the customer through your social media channel and present a solution.
- Feature customers who have continued to support the restaurant, even through the most challenging times, when the delivery was the only option during the lockdowns. Social proof of customer loyalty gains trust, shows transparency and encourages new customers to dine post-COVID.
Doing More
Through thick and thin, and even the pandemic, restaurants have tried many different ways to keep their doors open and provide service. Through all the changes and pendulum swings, there is still even more, to be done. Analyzing new business needs with a focus on creating a stronger virtual presence can help you adjust operating costs, and help you understand your restaurant’s operational standards in this new normal – what’s working and what isn’t – as it relates to retaining customer loyalty and enticing new customers.
Find out how to calculate the restaurant’s retention rate. Divide the number of active customers at the end of the month by the number at the beginning. This percentage helps define a new marketing strategy, especially if the customer ratio is lower at the end of the month. Also, consider the restaurant’s loyalty redemption rate. Divide the number of loyalty points by the number given out to customers. Use social media posts mentioning the loyalty program or change the terms to draw interest and shares.
Investigate if the restaurant had an increase in referrals. It might seem tedious, but combing through the restaurant’s social media account(s) and locating the number of referrals is a great way to understand how your virtual service strategies are working.
All of these virtual strategies and tips are exciting. Put them to work. Think about how your restaurant can do more, and then measure and improve upon a virtual presence to encourage customer loyalty.
Measure & Improve Your Virtual Presence
The winning combination is to own a robust virtual presence and use cumulative social media sharing to help your restaurant generate profits and gain new customer exposure. Even during the most unprecedented global health crisis, now more than ever, restaurants should consider increasing a virtual presence to encourage customer loyalty. Doing so will strengthen the restaurant’s brand post-COVID.
Restaurant-to-owner social media engagement is imperative to succeed. Whether it’s just to let the public know a favorite restaurant is still in operation, how the restaurant’s service model and menu have changed, and most importantly, to inform customers that the restaurant is available for orders and providing contactless delivery or curbside pickup. A virtual presence leads diners to order delivery, which in essence has become the new version of “dining out.” Post-COVID, when it is safe to do so, these lasting social media impressions will fill dining rooms to capacity.
Contact TRG today, and find out how your restaurant can increase its virtual presence to encourage customer loyalty.
