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Is your brand social media friendly?

Do your brand's stores offer a great brand-emblazoned backdrop for customers' social media food photos? What about geotags? Are you using them to "reach out and grab" nearby potential patrons? If you're not using these simple, inexpensive ways to increase footfall, you're probably leaving money on the table.

August 22, 2019 by Hannah Hambleton — Content Manager, Beambox

Delivery and out-of-store dining may be taking an increasing share of QSR business, but in-restaurant footfall remains an integral part of daily business for most brands. Still, many brands fail to use all the relatively inexpensive avenues that social media affords them to really get some powerful ROI on promotional efforts.

For instance, are your restaurants providing a brand-blasting backdrop for great food photos via Snapchat and Instagram? And what about geotags? Is your brand using them to reach out and grab customers in the vicinity? 

If not, you're leaving some great promotional opportunities and the money they can bring in, right on the restaurant table. Instead, really harness the power of this assortment of online platforms since they can be hugely cost effective and efficient ways to keep customers coming back. Start your footfall-increasing social media efforts with these ideas. 

Is your food 'ready for its closeup'?

Instagram's influence on restaurant design is really taking hold, so take this into account if you're looking to freshen your decor. Instagrammers and food bloggers want great lighting, food that stands out creatively and restaurants that offer a little something extra. 

Feature walls, neon signs and unusual decor can really help make your restaurant a talking point, which not only prompts more shares on Instagram, but more feet through your brand's doors. It's also a good idea to consider how social media-friendly your food looks as served, in order to fuel shares, likes and "Snaps" (images) on Snapchat. Photogenic food will take your brand a long way on social media.  

Do you 'reach out 'n' grab 'em with geotags?

Online reviews and local reputation are both vital to restaurant footfall, so it pays to make it as easy as possible for new customers to find you while they're on the go. Fortunately, social media was made for this. 

Increasingly, Instagram users are searching the app to find local businesses. You can tap into this potential, while even boosting impulse purchases by using geotags with your Instagram posts to urge Instagram users to find your restaurant when they're looking for a quick bite. 

Similarly, you can also add locations to Instagram hashtags. Sharing your location on all social media posts you make for your brand will quickly boost your overall footfall.

Get 'engaged' 

Customers want to engage with brands that capture their interest: Content creation and sharing via your QSR's social media channels are prime ways to bridge that gap and grow customer engagement. Use Snapchat to share all those gloriously sloppy burger Snaps or Instagram Stories that take customers behind the scenes in your kitchen. 

Take the time to also interact and engage with your followers by responding to their comments, asking for in-restaurant selfies or just polling on patrons' favorite dishes. This technologically assisted customer engagement builds a bridge between your brand, its customers and even potential customers. 

Reviews as route to 'social proof'

Great reviews contribute to positive "social proof," meaning more people will want to visit your restaurant since it has more reviews. It's vital then to garner as many great reviews of your restaurant as possible. 

Ask all your customers to leave a review on your Facebook page. Encourage Instagram followers to review you, too. Consider offering a coupon to anyone leaving a review (for example, on Tripadvisor or Yelp) and sharing it to their social media. 

Reviews work not only as a search tool to attract new customers in the area, but also as a way to keep your brand top of mind for recent guests too by encouraging those all-important repeat visits.

Could you repeat that?

Repeat customers are your most profitable patrons so encourage greater footfall from returning diners by enhancing their feelings of loyalty toward your brand. So, yes, encourage them to engage your brand on your Instagram or Facebook pages, but also use social platforms like Snapchat as a kind of digital loyalty card. 

That means, use Snapchat to provide friends there special discount codes for their next visit, or share coupons with Instagram followers. This has two benefits because it increases footfall while simultaneously boosting your brand's social media engagement. And that in turn, also fuels any future marketing drives.

Customer contest contentment

Social media contests are effective brand engagement tools that also build footfall. So consider staging a "selfie contest" where customers who share selfies on Facebook or Instagram from inside your restaurant are entered to win prizes. This is a great way to bring diners in and build a connection with them at the same time. 

The bottom line here is that social media is a low-cost, efficient and creative way to test strategies to increase your restaurant's footfall. The big benefit is that you simultaneously build both loyalty, engagement and just overall connection to customers you will hopefully retain for many years to come.  
 

Photo: iStock

About Hannah Hambleton

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Hannah Hambleton is the Content Manager for Beambox.com and writes about marketing and social media trends for small businesses and the hospitality industry.

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