How Instagram has morphed from a frivolous photo-sharing app into an influential marketing platform in the world of digital technology is awe-inspiring. Particularly for the restaurant industry, the app now promises unparalleled opportunities for engagement, customer acquisition, and brand loyalty. Today, Instagram enjoys the patronage of over 1 billion active users and is an excellent platform to exhibit culinary prowess and establish a community centred around your brand.
But remember, going viral on this platform isn’t as simple as doling out tantalising food photographs. It necessitates a strategic approach and understanding of the platform’s dynamics. We’re going to walk you through three actionable tips to augment your restaurant’s visibility and point out five frequent blunders you should sidestep.
Three Proactive Tips to Boost Your Viral Probability on Instagram
- Bank on Superior Quality Visuals
Instagram is inherently visual. Investing in high-quality images is indispensable to seize users’ attention. Consider putting money on a top-notch camera or employing a professional photographer to make sure your dishes look as tantalising on the screen as they do in person. Here are some aspects to consider:
Lighting: Opt for natural light. Position near a window or an outdoor setting for shoots.
Composition: Follow the rule of thirds for balanced and captivating images.
Editing: Employ editing tools to enhance the colours and make your dishes stand out.
- Liaise with Your Community
Cultivating a community around your restaurant is vital for nurturing engagement. Engage in beneficial exchanges such as responding to comments, liking, and sharing user-generated content, and creating interactive stories. Undertaking such activities not only promotes community bonding but also amplifies your visibility.
Hold Contests: Incite followers to post their own photos of your dishes with a unique hashtag.
User-Produced Content: Share customer content to convey appreciation and build trust.
Polls and Questions: Make use of Instagram Stories to solicit feedback or opinions, thus keeping your audience engrossed.
- Strategic Utilisation of Hashtags
Hashtags serve as an influential tool to enhance your posts’ discoverability. Employ a combination of popular and niche hashtags to widen your reach. Delve into research and identify hashtags that relate to your restaurant and the food business.
Popular Hashtags: such as #FoodPorn, #InstaFood, #Foodie
Niche Hashtags: such as #VeganEats, #FarmToTable, #ArtisanBread
Branded Hashtags: Develop a unique hashtag for your restaurant and incite customers to utilise it.
Five Common Faux Pas to Evade
- Inconsistent Posting
Aim to maintain consistency. Infrequent posting can result in a drop in visibility and engagement. Follow a content calendar and abide by a steady posting schedule. Plan at least 3-4 posts per week. If you lack resources to post consistently, contact King Kong or another marketing agency and remove this task from your to-do list.
- Overlooking User-Generated Content
User-generated content is a treasure for restaurants. It delivers genuine promotion and builds community. Disregarding customer posts about your restaurant leads to missed opportunities for interaction and trust-building.
- Neglecting Engagement
Never post content and disappear. Engage with your followers by acknowledging comments and promptly responding to messages. This proves you value their input, aiding customer loyalty.
- Bypassing Instagram Stories
Instagram Stories are a dynamic mode of interaction with your audience. Share behind-the-scenes content, daily specials, or customer testimonials. Stories keep your restaurant at the apex of your followers’ feeds and allow real-time engagement.
- Disregarding Analytics
Instagram provides in-depth insights into your audience’s behaviour and your posts’ performance. Leverage these analytics to hone your strategy, understand what works, and make data-driven decisions. Overlooking these figures can result in ineffective campaigns and missed growth prospects.
