A robust online presence is non-negotiable for restaurants that want to make it big. Having an active social media presence not only increases your business reach. Social media marketing also aids in cultivating brand credibility and high-recall value.

If a recent survey conducted by the North American Restaurant Association is to be believed. Restaurants with a good social media presence saw a 95% increase in direct online sales. Out of the total sales, 22% were direct leads generated through social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, etc.

6 Social Media Marketing Mistakes Restaurants Shouldn’t Make!

But if things are indeed so great, why can’t many restaurants seem to be on social media and still be failing to generate business? You see, just knowing what to do isn’t enough. To succeed, you also must know what not to do!

Here are the top six fatal mistakes that are killing your social media marketing:

#1 Not Understanding the Significance of Social Media Marketing

When we say that you must have an active social media presence, we don’t mean you should post whatever you like. Being highly active, and being highly successful are two very different things. One of the biggest mistakes restaurant owners commit is treating the brand’s social media accounts as personal and not doing their due diligence.

Managing your restaurant’s brand social media presence is a highly complex task that requires skill and experience to accomplish. From running paid ad campaigns to creating branded content. It takes a lot of careful planning to create a robust social media presence. Hence if you don’t know what to do, then partnering with an online marketing company is advised.

To succeed on social media, you need an insightful strategy, great content, and masterful execution. While good SMM can do wonders, bad SMM can hurt your brand as well. Therefore when you ideate, design, and post any content/comment/etc. on social media, get an expert’s opinion.

#2 Posting Bad Content On Their Social Media Accounts

The content you post on your social media accounts that are aimed, at your target audience can either make or break your business. To be successful on social media, you must engage your target audience and entice them to come to you.

If you are only posting about different menu items, offers, discounts, and other ad-centric content, you have shot yourself in the foot. Users on social media carve authenticity from businesses, instead continuously advertising your business makes you the exact opposite of that.

Use social media to make your business more human. Reach out to your customers with real stories, behind-the-scenes pictures, culture posts, etc. If you can’t figure out what to do, then you must partner with an online marketing company to guide you.  Also, make sure to post about how you are offering contactless services and battling the COVID19 situation to cultivate trust among potential customers. Do not sell your customers directly on social media instead, entice them to come to you.

#3 Not Being Consistent With Your Social Media Content Strategy

Consistency is key when it comes to success on social media. In the age of abundance, the potential customers you are targeting have plenty of other options to choose from other than you. You may think that your restaurant is irreplaceable, for your customers that might be the case.

Not posting enough content can lead to fading away in the sea of competition. On the other hand, post too much and you end up spamming your target audience that will more often than not prompt them to unfollow you.

Hence, the secret sauce of success is creating a decent social media content schedule and being consistent with that content schedule. You must select the type, design, time, platform, etc. beforehand for a smooth and consistent branding experience on social media.

#4 Using Social Media As A Broadcasting Tool Rather Than A Communication One!

Social media is one of the most potent tools of our time that is built from the ground up to enable people to communicate. With the reach of social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc. you can not only reach a wide audience, but also target niche sub-groups within a larger audience.

Therefore you must take advantage of this feature and let social media act as a bridge between your customers and you. Let your customers use social media to communicate their ideas, feedback, and everything in between. Build a robust relationship and increase your reach by interacting with your customers by replying to their messages, linking their comments, and engaging with their posts.

#5 Bad Understanding of Your Target Demographics

All the significant social media platforms today offer businesses/brands the chance to conduct paid marketing. Restaurants/cafes/bars/etc. on social media have the ability to select and target specific people within a certain location, demographic, and other socio-economic factors.

Only boosting social media posts by paid marketing does not generate any business. Running ads to the wrong audience lowers the Returns on Investment (ROI) of your outreach. Instead, it leads to higher costs and propels you to spend more money. Undo wrong or generic targeting by selecting custom audiences from your CRM database or customers who follow similar pages and businesses on social media sites.

#6 Not Paying Enough Attention To Your Data Analytics

If you are not paying attention to your social media metrics such as most liked posts, most shared content, etc. Then you are depriving yourself of valuable insights for creating a social media roadmap for the future. These insights are essential in analyzing factors like the target audience. The type of posts they like or dislike, and what is the best time of day to post.

Use this data to create a social media strategy that’s aligned with the behavior and taste of your audience. Continuously test new engagement techniques and new types of content to improve your results. Social media today has become a crowded and extremely competitive place. Therefore, it’s crucial for restaurants to identify the most effective social media strategies that could help reach your overall business goals.

In Conclusion

Social media marketing is a dynamic endeavor that requires a constant evolution of your tactics to be successful. The above six are the foundational mistakes that many novice restaurants make. You can’t get complacent if you want to win big on social media.