5 More Tips for Marketing Your Restaurant on Facebook

If you’ve been following our posts, you know a thing or two already about setting up a facebook page for your restaurant, how to get more likes for your facebook page, and why it can be a great idea to ads for your business   But as with all facets of the internet, there is always a lot more to learn.  As the largest social network, with the most dedicated daily users, Facebook has enormous potential to do good things for your business if used correctly.  So, here are five more tips and tricks for marketing your restaurant on Facebook, to add to your existing repertoire.

1. Respond to Everything You Can

Social media can be a time consuming endeavour.  But by investing the time to respond to comments, reviews, and other interactions on Facebook, you help build a community around your restaurant’s brand.  A simple “thanks!” to positive comments doesn’t take too long, and shows commenters that you are there to read everything that goes up on your page, encouraging further interaction in the future.  And don’t shy away from responding to negative comments either.  By keeping a civil tone, being transparent, and responding to criticism in a rational way, you may win over past doubters.  At the very least, you will show other fans that you take feedback seriously, and are engaged with your page.

2. Show off your Staff

Part of what makes long time fans connect with your restaurant in person is the staff that helps keep your doors open.  People are always looking for that personal connection with servers, cooks, bussers, hosts, and anyone else they get to interact with at your restaurant.  So bring these people’s stories and personalities onto your media pages whenever you can.  Simple posts like “Happy birthday to ____” show fans that your restaurant cares about employees, and brings familiar names and faces into the realm of your web presence.  Just make sure your employees are comfortable with you mentioning them on Facebook, as you don’t want to invade their privacy or have a good-natured act blow up in your face.

3. Share your Press and Media Mentions

Did your business recently get a good review in the local paper?  Was your kitchen once the set for a food network reality t.v. show?  Your Facebook fans want to hear about it!  Every time you get a press mention, interact with a media outlet, or otherwise gain exposure through non-social media means, mention it on Facebook.  Doing so boosts the exposure you receive from such sources, thanks the newspaper or t.v. show that gave you the nod, and boosts the credibility of your restaurant with customers and Facebook page followers.  Plus, this kind of content is very shareable, and you can count on our loyal fans to repost articles you share that mention your eatery.  Even as print media declines, it is still a big deal to get a nice review in the paper, and you should share everything you are proud of on your page.

4. Share Education Content

Not everything you post on your Facebook page has to be directly related to selling your products.  If you post informational and educational content related to your industry or niche, you can expect your Facebook followers to interact with this content.  Which in turn boosts community and visibility for your future posts and material, all while making you seem more rounded and in touch with what your page followers want to see.  If all you ever post is specials and other material related to selling your brand, your page followers may tune out eventually, and not pay much attention to what you have to say.  But by keeping things interesting with educational and fun fact-based content, you can expect followers to stay more engaged with all of your posts, and tune in to what you post in the future.

5. Don’t Offer too Many Freebies

We have talked a bit in the past about the value and power of offering deals and promotions through Facebook, but you should be sure not to over do it.  If you post coupons almost every day, your loyal fans who would usually dine at your restaurant no matter what may stop coming by unless a discount is available.  Your Facebook fans shouldn’t receive so many benefits and freebies that they expect coupons, because when this happens they become less likely to pay full price for your products.  As a rule of thumb, posting a coupon more than once a week is probably too much.  You will figure out how to walk that fine line for your business, but keep in mind that posting too many freebies, coupons, and discount codes on Facebook will devalue your product, and it may be harder to charge full price in the future.

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