Keeping up with Instagram and its ever-changing trends can be a huge challenge for any business. But for companies within the food and restaurant industries, using this platform frequently and effectively is key to your brand’s online presence.
Although this task may seem overwhelming or maybe even a little confusing at times, especially if you have to manage multiple accounts for your restaurant group at once, there are a few simple steps you can take to optimize how you’re using Instagram that are quick, easy and efficient.
Simple Step #1:
Put The Important Info in Your Instagram Bio
Your Instagram bio is probably one of the most important pieces of your profile. It’s the first thing people will see when they’re visiting your page and it should give them all the information they need.
A fully optimized Instagram bio for a restaurant account should include:
- The category of food that your restaurant serves
- A brief mention if your restaurant has any special features such as a rooftop area, outdoor patio, is on the water, etc.
- Hours of operation
- The addition of any special hours such as happy hour
- A link to your restaurant’s website or the restaurant group’s page
- A link to your address that people can open in Google Maps
Simple Step #2:
Have Entrees, Appetizers, and Cocktails Clearly Labeled in Captions
Although this may seem like a very obvious thing, many restaurants miss this simple step. Making sure that your entrees, appetizers and craft cocktails are labeled somewhere in the caption is an easy way for potential customers to choose your restaurant over another.
It can help people find out what they want to order if they’re visiting for the first time or what they should order the next time they’re at your restaurant.
Pro Tip: You don’t want to always label your entrees, cocktails or appetizers at the top or in the middle of your caption. Doing this makes caption content repetive or soley menu focused. To prevent this, try labeling what is pictured in the photo at the very bottom of the caption instead.
Caption Example:
Cheers to the weekend! Come join us on the rooftop bar.
🍽: Lobster Roll Sandwich, Tai Spring Roll app, and our Tropical Moscow Mule.
Simple Step #3:
Make Sure You Include Photos of the Restaurant’s Interior, Views, or Main Attractions
Including photos of your restaurant’s overall atmosphere is a huge selling point for people visiting your Instagram account.
A good portion of people will make the decision to visit a restaurant solely based on the type of environment they’re going to experience while eating there and many of these people head to a restaurant’s Instagram page to get these details. If you don’t have nice, high-quality photos of your restaurant’s aesthetic and vibe for people to view, you may be missing out on new customers who went to another restaurant that did showcase their dining experience on their account.
Now that you have these three simple and easy steps, it’s time to get out there and start #optimizing your accounts!