Social media is now a vital tool for restaurants looking to raise brand awareness and bring in new customers locally. As a social media marketer who specializes in the hospitality industry, I’m here to give you chefs and restaurant owners 5 trends that you can try to grow your social media following.

For an overview of different content strategies and platforms as well as some more tips, check out my first article here: 4 Social Media Content Ideas for Restaurant Owners: How to Reach More Customers Online (hospitalityinnovations.app)

1. Cocktail Recipe/Tutorial Videos

Instagram Reels and TikTok are no doubt the best ways to reach a large audience on social media with the least amount of paid advertising.  

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Cocktail making content is something I’ve seen frequently in my feed lately, and it does well in reaching a large audience.

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There are two approaches you can take to this trend: (1) Step-by-step tutorials and (2) Bartender spotlight

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For the step-by-step tutorial, the goal is to show each specific ingredient in the cocktail, then show the process of crafting it. In the caption, you will want to make sure to include the name of the cocktail and each ingredient. Your call to action can be to tell your audience to come in to your establishment to compare it to their homemade one.

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For the bartender spotlight approach, you will want to film one of your bartenders crafting a special cocktail. This is best for showcasing the experience that customers will have sitting at the bar. Many restaurants and bars will film their bartenders doing tricks or using fun techniques like torches and bubbles.

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See an example of this content below:

2. Behind-the-Scenes Content

People love to see what’s going on behind the curtain. This kind of content can humanize your restaurant and form a connection with your audience.

A couple ways you can achieve this are: (1) Kitchen videos and (2) Staff spotlights

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Kitchen videos can be IG reels or TikToks that show what’s going on in the kitchen. For example, you can show how chefs are preparing a certain dish. Be sure to tell the audience in the caption which dish they are making, and tell them to visit your establishment for a taste.

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Staff spotlights could either be a static image of one of your team members or a video of them doing their job or speaking on their job. This could be a server, chef, bartender, anyone. The key is to help your audience get to know them and make them inclined to come in and visit the restaurant.

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See an example below:

3. Serving Dishes to Customers

One of the most exciting moments when dining at a restaurant is when the food finally hits the table.

You can recreate this feeling on social media by filming an IG reel or TikTok of one of your most beautiful dishes hitting the table. Depending on the dish, you can include a few close-up shots as well.

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Be sure to include the name of the dish and maybe a few of the ingredients in the caption and tell your audience to come by your restaurant to try it out.

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See an example below:

4. Influencer Reviews

In recent years, many of the most successful restaurants get their start via influencer marketing. Influencers can catapult your reach to many more local foodies.

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One way to capitalize on this is to reach out to the local foodie accounts you see on Instagram. You can search for “Your City Name + Food” on Instagram to find a few accounts; for example, “DMV foodie”.

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A lot of times bigger accounts will charge for a feature, but it may be worth the price if your following is small. Depending on the account, some will come in and visit and make their own content to post from their visit, so all you have to do is initiate the deal.

See an example below:

5. Special Deals and Promotions

Social media is the perfect place to advertise your discounts and promotions. New or existing followers may see your post and be inclined to choose you for their next dinner due to the sales.

For example, you might have BOGO deal, a special price on seasonal items, etc.

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Clearly communicate the terms of the promotion and encourage people to come in before it’s over. Creating a sense of urgency and fear of missing out helps with the success of this strategy.

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See an example below (the caption tells the audience to get their special dish before it's gone):