You’ve spent hours agonizing over the menu and getting the decor just right, and now it’s time to open. But the restaurant business is tough: often the difference between folks flocking through your doors and those heading across the street comes down to word of mouth. Try these five tips to create buzz about your new restaurant, and watch the seats fill up!
- Build a social media following
The first step in getting people talking is getting people. Don’t be shy! Open a Facebook account and get your campaigns and content managed for you. Then ask your friends to follow you on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
The next step? Build that following: encourage customers to check in on Foursquare and Facebook; create hashtag contests to get them talking.
- Generate reviews
You know you’ve got a good thing going on – get people to write about it. Invite a critic for a meal, or list your restaurant in online directories like YP.ca or Yelp and encourage patrons to post reviews.
- Enlist experts
Don’t underestimate the reach of Instagram and Twitter gurus – find them and invite them to your restaurant and encourage them to share their experience with their followers If you find it too hard to manage both your restaurant and PR, seek help. Use a social media app like Hootsuite to coordinate your posts, or have our social media experts manage it for you.
- Tease with photos
These days, everyone’s a foodie! And we love our food pics. Post succulent images of dishes on Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook. Even better, create a video of your chef preparing a feature dish. Remember that food styling is a business for a reason, so consider hiring professionals to shoot the video or take the photos.
- Keep it up
Whatever you do, don’t fall off the wagon. Put up posters for special events, continue talking to media, and make sure your content is fresh and inviting – just like your food!
Need more help spreading the word about your new restaurant? Talk to an expert about this topic to see how it can help your business thrive.
