By Diana Nadim Adjadj, Contributor
Do people really read blog posts? The short answer is yes. The longer answer is only if they find a blog that piques their interest, covers topics that educate or entertain them, and that always has new stuff to read and see.
And what exactly is the purpose of a blog? Usually, it is to drive people to a company’s website where they are then presented with the value of the products or services they offer.
In your case, you may want your blog readers to come to your website where you entice them with your menu, along with amazing photos, presentations of your staff, events, and so forth.
But ultimately, where do you want those readers to come? To your restaurant, of course. Not that your website is not important. But your restaurant blog has a bit of a different purpose than most.
Do You Think a Restaurant Blog is for You?
Again, the short answer is yes. And the longer answer is only if you can write great stuff that will engage potential guests and do it on a regular basis.
But you really don’t have a lot to lose by starting one, as long as you have some great restaurant blog ideas that you can turn into great articles. That’s a two-fold task – first, the topic ideas; second, the actual writing of the articles.
Let’s Talk About Restaurant Blog Ideas First
There is such a wealth of topic ideas. First, lose the notion that it has to be about your restaurant. People who are interested in eating and food have all sorts of interests other than a single restaurant.
It is your job to provide a balanced blog, with some articles about you, your great food, your restaurant, and your staff. But, if that is all you write about, you will be boring and no one will want to come back.
Here are some basic topic ideas, both those related to you and your restaurant, and other more general topics that appeal to a broader audience of “foodies.” And that broader audience, that may have never heard of your restaurant, may decide to pay a visit.
Topics Related to Your Restaurant
Show off your most popular food items, with many photos, of course
Produce video of your staff – in the kitchen preparing food, waiting on and conversing with customers
Tell a few of your chef’s secrets (inside info is always great)
Highlight a few customers – interview them on video – ask them questions about their favorite foods and why
Tell your own story – how did you begin? What do you love about the restaurant business? Who are you personally? (People love stories)
Give a virtual tour – there are easy, cool tools to do this now.
Announce new menu additions and include a coupon for a discount
Topics Unrelated to Your Business
What makes a restaurant great?
How to pick the freshest produce in the grocery store
What are the best wines for which foods?
What are the origins of foods?
Recipes, recipes, recipes
Healthy eating (gobs of topics in this area)
How to read food labels
What makes comfort food “comfortable”
Best snack ideas for kids, teens, and adults
Food culture in your city – what foods is your city most famous for?
How-to posts: how to chop veggies; easiest way to make an omelet, etc.
Famous chefs and their stories
Easy hors d’oeuvres for your next party
And for more ideas? Read popular food blogs. Don’t copy their topics, but use their topics to get your own brain churning.
You may have noticed that a blog really isn’t about “selling” – it’s really about developing relationships and connections with people who like your topics, your style, and your tone.
Speaking of Style and Tone
A restaurant blog should not be serious – it should be entertaining most of all. Remember, you are speaking to people who like to dine out, who like food and eating. Occasionally, you may speak to healthy eating (and that’s a bit serious), but be light and conversational.
Creativity usually “wins the day”
Headlines are important – do some research on crafting great headlines
The article should be divided into sections with “telling” sub-titles
Numbers and bullet points should divide up content
Humor is always good
Every post should have visuals – photos, videos, infographics, etc.
Reading level should be about 7th grade
Problem is, most restaurant owners are not creative and skilled bloggers. And that’s okay. There are plenty of reasonable sources for blog writing. Just provide your topics and let these creatives go to work. You can find them on freelancer sites, like Upwork; you can find them through writing services, like Trust My Paper; you can find individuals who promote themselves as blog writers.
Ready for a Restaurant Blog?
Of course, you are. Here are just a few stats that might motivate you.
HubSpot has a few statistics regarding the success of blogging:
Businesses that have blogs and prioritize them in their marketing are 13x more likely to see a positive return on investment (ROI).
Businesses that publish at least 16 blog posts a month get about 3.5x more traffic than those who publish far fewer (breathe…you can get help)
And here are some more:
60% of consumers feel engaged more with a business after reading its blog content.
Content marketing, including a blog, costs 62% less than other marketing/advertising efforts and results in 3x the number of leads than that other marketing.
Given the low cost, the fact that you can outsource the writing if you need to, and the results that committed bloggers get, it’s worth your while to give it a whirl.
About the Author
Diana Adjadj is a writer and editor who has a Master degree in Marketing. She combines her passion for writing with her interest in research and creates thought-provoking content in various fields. Diana also runs her own 3to5Marketing blog. What inspires her the most in her writing is traveling and meeting new people.