A successful social media ad is all about strategic execution.
Of course, every good marketer knows that one of the most important steps is defining and understanding who your target audience is. However, if you’re in the food and beverage industry, there’s another layer to the process: capturing your target audience when they’re hungry!
Whether you’re thinking of running paid ads about your restaurant on social media or posting glorious food photos to lure in famished customers, here are a few tips to bear in mind:
Capitalise During Peak Times
Almost 50% of diners try a restaurant they discovered through social media. Chances are, these discoveries were made during peak times.
If you’re a restaurant owner curious about the best time to post or run social media ads about your restaurant, it’s when people are eating and looking at pictures on their phone. According to data reports from SproutSocial, these are the most ideal times:
Best times to post on Facebook for restaurants
- Best times: Monday noon, Friday 1–2pm.
- Best day: Friday
- Worst day: Sunday
Best times to post on Instagram for restaurants
- Best times: Monday 9am .– 1pm.
- Best day: Monday
- Worst day: Saturday
Best times to post on Twitter for restaurants
- Best times: Wednesday noon – 2pm, Thursday 8am.– 2pm
- Best day: Thursday
- Worst day: Saturday
Appeal To The Senses
It’s commonly said that people eat with their eyes first – and there’s science behind it! With all of our senses closely interconnected, we rely on a majority of them to determine what food options look the most appetising.
As social media content is mostly visual, there’s all the more reason to ensure your restaurant’s food is represented in the best way possible. Photos of dishes from your menu should be well-lit, vibrant and full of colour. In fact, yellow and orange are colours that evoke the feeling of hunger. If your dishes don’t include either of these colours, you choose to instead incorporate it into your menu.
Embrace Cultural Diversity
While you might take age, profession and location into account for your target audience, you may overlook cultural differences within your audience.
Regardless of where you live in the world, inclusivity is an astute mindset to have as a restaurant owner. Food is the fastest way to another culture’s heart – and being mindful of the potential cultural differences between customers can help you to run social media ads more effectively.
Think of the various holidays and traditions observed by ethnic groups or religions throughout the year. Are Muslims fasting due to Ramadan? Are Catholics abstaining from eating meat during Lent? By being sensitive to cultures and the dietary customs they practice, you can show your respect by pausing any social media ads during these periods.
