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INTRODUCTIONꙓ1

The life of a restaurateur is a busy one —you’re juggling a seemingly endless list of vendors, keeping your razor-thin margins from becoming even thinner, and making sure more and more customers come through your doors. The last thing on your mind is the daun?ng world of social media.

While social media seems hard to keep up with — it's more important today than ever before to stay top of mind with customers. In fact, 49% of consumers learn about food through social networks.¹

The reality is, if you’re not doing at least the basics on social media, your restaurant is not achieving its full poten?al in terms of revenue and customer engagement.

1. Column Five, 2017 1. Column Five, 2017

Your Restaurant Isn’t Making the Most of Social Media

THE PROBLEM

• How to implement Facebook best prac4ces and maximize ROI.

• Simple strategies for using Instagram to show off your food and grow your following.

• 8 4ps for using Twi@er to spark conversa:ons with your loyal customers.

• How to use Snapchat to tell the story behind your food and build your brand.

R E A D O N T O L E A R N :

Not to worry, we’ve made social media simple. In this guide, you’ll learn the basics of the most popular social media plaForms, and recipes to kick your social strategy up a notch.

Social Media, Made Easy

THE SOLUTION

INTRODUCTIONꙓ�

CONTENTS CONTENTSꙓ3 ꙓ3

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Facebook

Instagram

Twi9er

Snapchat

Contents

2. Brandon Gaille, 2017 ꙓ�

Instagram feed, online menu, and more. And

for Facebook users, food is constantly on the

mind — studies have shown that 29% of social

media consumers are on a social media site

such as Facebook while they eat and drink

at home.²

Since its incepHon in 2004, Facebook has

grown to be the largest social network in the

world. Facebook is the best social plaJorm for

you to showcase relevant informaHon about

your brand and provide a gateway to other

important informaHon like your website,

AT A G L A N C E

Facebook

ꙓ�3. Column Five, 2017

Time your posts prior to meal :mes. You can also schedule posts ahead of :me if needed.

POST AT THE APPROPRIATE TIME.3

Post oAen, always think about who you are speaking to, and create posts that they would be interested in.

FREQUENCY AND CONSISTENCY IS KEY.4

FOCUS ON BEING DIRECT AND ENGAGING.

Ask your followers a ques:on, announce exci:ng news, promote a new menu item, or extend a special offer. 24% of consumers say they respond to conversa:ons on social media.³

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KEEP POSTS AROUND 2-3 SENTENCES.

Your goal is to get people’s aNen:on and give them something to engage with.1

Facebook Basics

7 POST ONLY YOUR BEST FOOD CONTENT.

Focus on using your best quality photos and most appe6zing videos to draw customers in.

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INCLUDE A LINK WHEN YOU POST A FOOD ITEM.

Whether it's a link to your website or a link to your online ordering menu, always make sure customers can order what you're showcasing.

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INCLUDE A PHOTO OR LINK WITHIN YOUR POST.

Posts with visuals and other interes6ng content, like news ar6cles, perform beAer on Facebook.

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4. Facebook, 2016

Facebook Ads allow you to hone in on poten<al loyal customers. Along with choosing to target the demographics and age range of people nearby, you can also reach people based on interests, what apps they frequently use, which ads they’ve clicked on in the past, and more.

If you’re new to Facebook adver<sing, start by choosing your most mouthwatering food image and seEng a monthly budget (e.g., $50) to promote your restaurant to the immediate area. Get started on Facebook Ads Manager and make sure to track your progress once the ad is running.

RUN A FACEBOOK AD.3

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Facebook users spend 3x more <me watching live videos than tradi<onal videos.⁴

Live-streaming an event your restaurant is a part of, or a behind-the-scenes lookat your restaurant opera<on (e.g., during the crea<on of a new seasonal menu, or a remodel), is a great way to engage viewers. Check out some sample videos from Facebook Live for more inspira<on.

GO LIVE ON FACEBOOK LIVE.2

POST QUALITY VIDEO CONTENT.

How do you leverage video as a restaurant owner? Get crea<ve. Show off the prepara<on of a unique menu item or cocktail. Take customers behind the scenes by showing them how you select fresh fish from a local market or prep homemade pasta. Introduce your staff and have one of them provide a tour of the restaurant. Pay aYen<on to angles and colorful visuals to grasp your audience's aYen<on.

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Facebook Advanced Strategies

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KEEP UP WITH YOUR ANALYTICS.

Last but not least, make sure your efforts on Facebook aren’t being wasted. Facebook offers in-depth analy=cs and insights so you can stay up to date with what is working for your brand. Create a document to track your analy=cs on a weekly basis, with notes like “ran a Spring promo=on.” This will help you to refer back later on, when you no=ce any changes in your analy=cs.

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GET SOCIAL ON FACEBOOK.

It is essen=al on Facebook to be responsive, especially since Facebookalso shows your average response =me on your Facebook Business Page. Customers are constantly expec=ng quicker responses from brands via social media. Keep responses short, direct, and posi=ve.

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ꙓ�5. Sta'sta, 2017

video, to name a few. Instagram allows you to

put your best food forward, interact with your

customers in an authen'c way, and reach new

people. It’s also the best plaBorm for high-

ligh'ng great visuals.

At well over 500 million ac've users,

Instagram’s audience eclipses that of TwiFer,

Snapchat, and Pinterest.⁵ In the last few

months alone Instagram has introduced

business analy'cs, Instagram Stories, and live

AT A G L A N C E

Instagram

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USE HASHTAGS.

To determine the best hashtags to use, think of keywords that describe your photo. For instance, if you’ve photographed a burger, search “burger” in Instagram’s hashtag sec?on and use those results as a star?ng point.

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For instance: when searching #burger, you’ll also find #bestburgers, and related hashtags such as #burger?me and #burgerlove. Instagram caps you off at 30 hashtags, so maximize the effec?veness of the hashtags you use by choosing ones that relate to your loca?on or cuisine type. You can include hashtags in your cap?on, or post them separately as a comment below your cap?on.

BE CONSISTENT.

Establish a theme you can maintain, such as a general color scheme, edi?ng technique, or photographic style.

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ALWAYS POST YOUR BEST IMAGES.

Avoid blurry or dark images, images that are too close up, or ones you simply don’t love.

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Instagram Basics

POST OFTEN.

Pos$ng between 4-7 $mes a week is a good benchmark and ensures you are maintaining an ac$ve account while not overwhelming your audience.

7

INTERACT WITH PEOPLE.

Respond to each comment on your posts, or at the very least, “like” the comment. Your customers will be encouraged to interact with you more, and that engagement increases the chance that your post stays closer to the top of people’s Instagram feed, or makes the Popular Page of Instagram.

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POST AT STRATEGIC TIMES.

Having a business account on Instagram makes it easy to see what $me of day your customers are seeing and interac$ng with your posts. Services like Planoly allow you to set up photos and $mes via your computer or phone, and will send you a push no$fica$on when your post should go up.

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FIT INSTAGRAM INTO YOUR IN-STORE STRATEGY.

Include your Instagram handle on in-store receipts, takeout menus, or flyers. If you can get staff to spread the word, even be>er.

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BOOST AN INSTAGRAM POST.

Instagram makes it easy by allowing you to target locals and set up an ad straight from an image you’ve already posted.

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INTRODUCE CONTESTS OR CAMPAIGNS.

Try giveaways, posts that encourage a response (such as asking a quesCon), or featuring customer’s content with a shout-out to them.

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Instagram Advanced Strategies

ꙓ��6. Talkwalker, 2017

networking tool, an engaging place to have

conversa:ons with customers, and ideal for

pos:ng updates on the fly. If that’s not

enough, TwiCer users are loyal: 86% get their

news from TwiCer, with 74% doing so daily.⁶

As a social media engine, TwiCer leads the

conversa:on when it comes to the latest news

and updates. It’s much harder to oversaturate

TwiCer, since tweets are priori:zed by :me

stamp with the newest first. It’s a great

AT A G L A N C E

Twitter

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USE TWO HASHTAGS OR LESS.

Hashtags will assist in filing your tweet within the appropriate topic of conversa6on, but overdoing it will only alienate your audience.

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KEEP TWEETS SHORT & SWEET.

The official limit is 280 characters, the ideal length is 140 characters.

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INCLUDE A VISUAL.

Tweets with visuals perform beCer, so aim to include a photo, video, or link whenever you tweet.

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Twi8er Basics

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SHARE CONTENT FROM OTHER INFLUENCERS.

To establish your brand as an authority in the space, interact with others who are already influen6al on Twi7er. Pos6ng their content or re-twee6ng and tagging them will encourage conversa6on, and it always helps to message directly and let them know you’ve promoted them - so they can one day return the favor.

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START YOUR OWN HASHTAG.

To invite interac6on and increase your exposure, introduce a hashtag and ongoing campaign that you run weekly.

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LIVE TWEET AN EVENT.

Let customers step in your shoes by live-twee6ng an event. You can do so by twee6ng updates or quotes from the event as they occur.

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Twi7er Advanced Strategies

ESTABLISH YOUR OWN UNIQUE VOICE.

Twi$er is the ideal place to establish your brand voice. You’ll see more interac:on from customers if they want to hear from you - so think of this as an opportunity to be an authority in your space, turn on the charm, or be clever with your tweets.

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4 RESPOND WITHIN AN HOUR.

Users expect quick responses on Twi$er, and will seek out brands for issues that fall in the customer support realm. Treat these dialogues as a way to show you are invested in your customers and responsive when needed. Your customers will appreciate your sincerity and will be more likely to come back in the future if their needs are addressed.

ꙓ��8. Adweek, 2017

7. Sta1sta, 2017

exclusively in restaurants.⁸ Showcase how

your specials are plated, give a sneak-peek

of a new dish, and highlight staff members.

If your restaurant is looking to tap the

millennial market and create a personal

connec1on with customers, this mobile-

only plaGorm is the way to do it.

Snapchat — the social networking app that

allows users to send direct videos and images

that disappear 24 hours aJer being viewed —

has become a powerful tool for restaurants.

The number of people using Snapchat

con1nues to grow, with over 166M daily

ac1ve users⁷ — 80% of whom use Snapchat

AT A G L A N C E

Snapchat

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Try to keep your Snapchat story to 10 snaps or fewer and make them impac8ul. The more you post, the more likely your restaurant will engage with customers looking for the inside scoop on your food and promo=ons.

POST FREQUENTLY AND CONSISTENTLY.3 10

Let people know you are on Snapchat on your exis=ng social channels(TwiAer, Facebook, Instagram) by pos=ng an image of your Snapcode. Users can use their own camera to snap a picture of the code and voilà! — they're now following your restaurant on Snapchat.

BUILD YOUR FOLLOWING.2

If you haven’t used Snapchat before, get started by downloading the appand crea=ng an account. For detailed instruc=ons on how to create an account, please follow these steps before moving on.

GET STARTED.1

Snapchat Basics

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• LINKSAdd hyperlinks to your Snapchat stories by clicking the paperclip icon and pas6ng your link. This encourages users to share informa6on and news to give some variety to your content. You can link to your website, or even link to your online ordering menu!

• CAPTIONS/DOODLINGAdd wi@y cap6ons or funny doodles to your Snapchat with the pen icon. You can either draw with an emoji or with a color from the pale@e bar.

Snapchat offers a collec6on of crea6ve tools you can use to decorate your photos. Create layers of filters, geotags, cap6ons, drawings, or lenses on top of your Snap. Here is a quick breakdown of the latest crea6ve tools to liven up your new Snap.

SPRUCE UP YOUR IMAGES.4

This feature is a great way to find out more informa4on about any Snapssent with the white-text, loca4on specific Geofilter. Users can swipe up on any Snapchat with the word “MORE” on the boFom – and they’ll see an interac4ve card pop up with basic details for the restaurant such as address, phone number, website, and hours. Users can also make reserva4ons via OpenTable or order rides to the restaurant via Uber or LyL. Context cards are a discovery and marke4ng plaNorm that will enhance your restaurant’s brand presence.

SPUR DISCOVERY WITH CONTEXT CARDS.2

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• Have customers send you a doodle of their favorite food

• Have customers take a screenshot of the hidden discount code in your Story

• Have customers send you a Snapchat with a new filter, s4cker or lenses

Here are some other examples of crea4ve ways to engage your Snapchat followers:

ENGAGE YOUR FOLLOWERS.

Get customers to follow you on Snapchat and purchase more food by sending them coupon codes through the app. Make sure there is a call-to-ac4on — en4ce customers to send you crea4ve Snaps by offering them a discount code.

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Snapchat Advanced Strategies

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Third, choose the geographic region users can use your Geofilter. The price of your filter will automa8cally adjust based on the coverage zone and dura8on of the ad.

Second, choose the 8me your Geofilter will start and end. You can opt for a longer term Geofilter if you want to establish a permanent filter around your restaurant.

First, upload or design your own Geofilter. If it’s your first 8me crea8ng a Geofilter, we recommend using one of their templates.

CREATE YOUR OWN GEOFILTER.

Geofilters are an effec8ve way to build brand awareness and promote your restaurant organically. Restaurants can create their own custom Geofilter on the Snapchat website. If it’s your first rodeo, we recommend using one of their templates. Once designed, pick the geographic loca8on and 8me — from as short as an hour to as long as 60 days. The price for each varies depending on the length and size, and takes approximately one business day to get approved.

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There you have it — everything you need to get started on social media and implement advanced social strategies.

If you’re a ChowNow restaurant client and want some feedback on your social media strategy, schedule a call — we’re happy to help. If you don’t already have online ordering at your restaurant, now’s a great @me to get started building your digital business. Get a free ChowNow demo from one of our experts to get started today!

www.chownow.com | 888-707-2469

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