How to get your restaurant known on Instagram

Social networks are now a key part of business communication. This goes without saying. You want to find out how to make the most of this and play your cards right to outwit your competitors.

To help you promote your restaurant on Instagram, in this article we look at:

• How can you use online communication to help you grow your customer base? How do you create an Instagram Business account?

• How to promote your restaurant on Instagram and stand out from the competition

Why should you promote your restaurant on Instagram?

What do the dishes on the menu look like? What is the ambiance like? Many customers look at a restaurant's Instagram account before going there. Sometimes, a good-quality Instagram account can replace a website. In addition to photos and their descriptions, you can indicate your contact information and provide a link to a booking page. To help you, package solutions exist, like that offered by Talk, which combines four services in one: food photo shoots by professional photographers, drafting of Instagram posts, sponsoring of your posts for better visibility and performance analysis.

4 stats and 4 reasons to create an Instagram account for your restaurant:

• Reach new target audiences 

In the UK, 32 million people use Instagram every month, so it's an opportunity to reach new targets! 

• Improve online visibility

69% of millennials take photos and videos of their meal before eating. With an Instagram account, your restaurant could easily be tagged on their story.

• Help the majority to decide   

93% of customers say that online reviews influence their purchase decision, so most customers like to see enticing photos and positive customer stories on your Google summary to convince them to give you a try.

• It's free!

£0 – an Instagram account costs nothing, but can quickly boost your visibility.

Creating an Instagram account for your restaurant page

To get your restaurant known on Instagram, you need a business account. In addition to the usual features, a business account provides access to statistics. This data (such as the posts that have generated the most reactions or interactions) will help you predict what your customers will enjoy so you can adapt what you offer at your restaurant.

Transform your Instagram account into a professional account in 8 steps: 

1. Sign up to Instagram

2. Tap 'Profile'

3. In the upper right corner, 'Edit profile'

4. On the bottom left, 'Switch to a professional account'

5. Tap 'Business'

6. Select the 'Restaurant' category

7. Discover the features, then tap 'Next'

8. The Instagram Business account is ready!

Six tips for getting your restaurant known on Instagram

1. Optimise your account as soon as you have created it

• Choose a username that is easily identifiable (and in line with your concept).

• Switch the account from Private to Public so that everyone can see your photos and story even if they don't follow you.

• Add a button

Although having good photos is essential for a platform like Instagram, they aren't much use if users don't know where to click to order or how to find your website.

Luckily, there's the Order Food button that you can add to your account via 'Edit profile'. It will appear below your bio.

Very useful at the moment, this button tells customers that you are still active and redirects them to a delivery platform such as Uber Eats, Just Eat or Deliveroo.

• Provide a complete bio

Key information to add:

• A brief description of the restaurant

• Address and contact info for the restaurant 

• Delivery and or Click & Collect option

• Link to your website (linktree)

2. Start posting and stay active 

Ideas for posts: 

• Mouthwatering photos that showcase your cooking and concept

• Photos of your menu, the exterior of the restaurant and the dining room

• Show a well-oiled team preparing dishes (to make it more human and give an idea of the ambiance when the restaurant is open)

• Recipe tutorials related to your cooking

• News about the restaurant (switching to the summer menu, change of opening times, reopening announcement etc.) 

By creating a posting rhythm, you create expectations among your followers who, through habit, will be impatient to see your next story, video etc.

The advantages of posting regularly:

• Generates loyalty

• Motivates the community

• Creates expectation

You should not, however, feel you have to post content at any cost. Be regular, stick to a pace that allows you to post often while having good-quality content. Be regular, stick to a pace that allows you to post often while having good-quality content. It can be once a day, once a week or twice a month - it's up to you! 

Always post on the same day at around the same time.

Opinions vary on the ideal time for this, but one thing is sure: for more engagement, post outside of working hours, before 9 am or after 6 pm.

3. Develop a community 

• Regularity

As we've already seen, posting often enough and at the same time has a big impact in terms of boosting your community.

• Interaction

Social networks like Instagram provide direct access to your customers and community. It's the perfect opportunity for a restaurant owner who wants to respond to questions or reviews (both positive and negative). 

To interact, you can also share videos in which your restaurant has been tagged (69% of millennials take photos and videos of their meal before eating.

• Collaborations

If you are trying to raise awareness of your restaurant and reach a specific target, influence marketing can be as effective as advertising (posters, radio or TV adverts etc.). 92% of consumers trust recommendations from people they know more than other types of publicity. 

It's a significant expense but will attract a lot of people to your restaurant, many of whom you can turn into loyal customers.

• Adverts

One of the advantages of being on Instagram Business rather than a traditional account is the ability to promote existing photos or videos on your account and, therefore, get your restaurant known to a wider audience.

4. Ensure that the account is in the right category

To be in the right category (and raise awareness of your business more effectively), you should optimise your account as follows:

• Hashtags

  under your posts (#food #pizzalondonSE1 #thainewcastle). Choose 2-3 related to your photo and it will appear in the right category if a user searches for '#pizzalondonse1' on Instagram. 

Be careful, overusing them won't help, on the contrary! If you use too many different hashtags, you could end up in the wrong categories.

• Good keywords

  (in the description, account name and posts)

• Add a location

  to posts and stories (location so that anyone interested knows exactly where to go)

5. Develop a graphic charter

This reference document lists the elements that make up the visual identity of your restaurant:

• Colour code

• Logo

• Font 

• Icons 

Following such a charter will make your posts easy to identify among the hundreds of other restaurants competing for a customer's attention. 

6. Take advantage of the various post formats

Variety of formats:

• Posts (photo, video, IGTV)

• Story (surveys, countdowns)

• Story highlights (to create themes)

Variety of content:

• Dishes

• The team

• Menus

• The restaurant (dining room decor, kitchen etc.)

Prioritise quality over quantity by using a professional photographer to get several shots of your best dishes.