Imagine this: one day you wake up to the constant buzz of social media notifications on your phone. You open your eyes just enough to see that your Facebook page has climbed from 500 to 1,000 likes! \u201cHow could this be!?\u201d you ask. \u201cHow did all these people find me?\u201d<\/p>\n
You may not be surprised that word-of-mouth is still an excellent way to grow your customer base, but it may surprise you how many people are willing to try your restaurant based on a stranger\u2019s recommendation. The trick is, that stranger has to have a public platform with hundreds, or even thousands, of fans.<\/p>\n
Food Blogs and Food Bloggers \u2013 Who Needs Em?<\/h2>\n
A food blogger is a person who specializes in writing blogs about food (just like we\u2019re experts at writing blogs on restaurant marketing). They combine a love of food, an interest in cooking, and some great photos or videos to create a sought-after experience. Other people want to go to the restaurants that food bloggers visit and review kindly. So, to answer our question\u2026 YOU need them as a restaurant owner.<\/p>\n
But, who\u2019s reading blogs, you ask? More than \u00be of internet users<\/a>! Restaurant reviewers or food bloggers influence people’s buying and eating choices. There are different types of food bloggers<\/a>. Here are some of them.<\/p>\n In fact, make yourself known to all the writers of blogs that are a fit with your restaurant. Start by searching Google for restaurant blogs in your city. After reading a couple of posts, you\u2019ll be able to decide whether or not you think their site would attract potential customers. For example, if you own a burger joint run out of an Airstream travel trailer, a \u201cFood, Wine, and Lifestyle Blog\u201d might not attract the type of readers that would be interested in what you have to offer. Once you find a good fit, invite them to your restaurant for a tasty meal and writing inspiration.<\/p>\n Check out our Ultimate Guide to Restaurant Marketing that walks you through creating a marketing strategy to bring in new customers.\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n An influencer is a person who can change the way people behave because they have a following of people who have similar likes and dislikes. Influencer marketing for a restaurant is a great way to attract and engage customers. Do you know who the people are in your area who are foodies and influencers on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or SnapChat?<\/p>\n Influencers share photos and posts about their dining experience at a restaurant. When an influencer says good things about your restaurant, his\/her followers believe it, and of course, there is also the fear of missing out (FOMO) that followers don\u2019t want to have. Get noticed by the right influencers, and your customer base will grow.<\/p>\n Sometimes, the best local influencers are other restaurant owners. I\u2019m positive there\u2019s someone in your town who has a mass following of customers. Yeah…you know the one. You may even think, \u201cWhy do people like this<\/i> guy so much!?\u201d Whatever the reason, they\u2019re doing something right, and their influence and opinion can be a benefit to your restaurant. Getting an endorsement from the most respected restaurant owner in town could send hundreds of foodies flying your way.<\/p>\n Hey, we all get by with a little help from our friends.<\/p>\n Take for example this Proud Pie menu feature. Proud Pie is (you guessed it) a pie shop, and they also sell breakfast and lunch sandwiches. The owner of Proud Pie is deeply respected in the local food community. So when he creates a sandwich featuring the brisket from Daddy Duncan\u2019s BBQ, you can bet people are going to take that as a recommendation of Daddy Duncan\u2019s quality menu.<\/p>\n Many restaurants are reluctant to engage with food bloggers and influencers because they think it doesn’t work. Or they fear that the influencer won\u2019t say good things.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The truth is that food bloggers are not after free food. And in some cases, you may not even know they\u2019re at your place when they\u2019re dining. Here are a few of the benefits you can gain from being a part of this new marketing movement.<\/p>\n Restaurant food bloggers and local influencers have fans. More than you might have. This is a good way to get in front of more people on social media, where people literally spend hours per day shopping, planning, reviewing, and commenting. Use their social power to your advantage.<\/p>\n Even if you\u2019re not in a big city, you can gain local fame after a food blogger or influencer mentions you, visits, or reviews your restaurant. A recommendation from a social media influencer can have a significant effect by increasing the number of people who follow your social media accounts or even just showing followers that you\u2019re active in your community.<\/p>\n You don’t have to listen to your auntie who always complains that your soup is too salty. Instead, you can get honest and credible feedback<\/a> from a restaurant blogger. Some food bloggers have years of experience in the food industry. They can give honest feedback on your restaurant ranging from the food quality to ambiance and service, which provides you with an opportunity to make your fantastic restaurant even better.<\/p>\n Show some love to the new customers coming in because they saw you on someone\u2019s post. Play it up in the restaurant. Maybe even have a food special for those who saw you online and want to \u201chave what she\u2019s having.\u201d A great example of this would be to name a dish after the influencer. The influencer will be super flattered and probably share this (again) on their social channels.<\/p>\n If you would like to know more about digital marketing trends and best practices for restaurant advertising, contact the experts at IndoorMedia<\/a>.<\/p>\n Finding the best ways to advertise in your local area is key to driving new customers through the door every single day.\u00a0Learn more about some of the top restaurant marketing campaigns and how to apply them to your restaurant<\/a>.<\/p>\n The post Food Bloggers and Influencers for Your Restaurant Marketing<\/a> appeared first on IndoorMedia<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" You know that your restaurant is unique, but what does everyone else think? And\u2026 who\u2019s talking about it? Do you know? Imagine this: one day you wake up to the constant buzz of social media notifications on your phone. You open your eyes just enough to see that your Facebook page has climbed from 500 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":234177,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12023],"tags":[4095,2074,21019,8402,24339,11431,24340],"dealstore":[],"offerexpiration":[],"class_list":["post-234176","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-advertising","tag-bloggers","tag-food","tag-influencers","tag-marketing","tag-online-advertising","tag-restaurant","tag-restaurant-advertising"],"yoast_head":"\n\n
Social Media Influencers \u2013 Who Are These People?<\/h2>\n
![\"Proud](\"https:\/\/www.indoormedia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Proud-pie.png\")
<\/p>\nHow Does Influencer Marketing and Food Blogging Help Grow Your Restaurant?<\/h2>\n
1. Instant exposure<\/h3>\n
2. Improve brand image and awareness<\/h3>\n
3. Get some feedback<\/h3>\n
4. Increase restaurant sales<\/h3>\n
![\"downloadable](\"https:\/\/www.indoormedia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/4419756d-cac5-4601-aa06-d99c229376d1.jpg\")
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