The COVID-19 outbreak caused restaurant foot traffic to drop dramatically in 2020 and deep into 2021. To survive, many restaurants and sports bars pivoted their business by ramping up their delivery services.
The good news is that on-premises business is ticking back up. Even so, COVID has changed our industry forever. Not everyone is feeling comfortable returning to in-house dining and having a solid delivery service will continue to be paramount to success moving forward. This means restaurants shouldn’t abandon their delivery program. Instead, operators should continue to market it to their guests.
And just like Instagram is a great for marketing your on-premise offerings, it’s also perfect for marketing your delivery offerings. In this post, we’ll go over some ways you can creatively market your delivery service to hungry diners on Instagram.
Whet People’s Appetite with Your Content
Americans got used to dining at home all the time during the early stages of the pandemic. For many, that meant cooking more at-home dinners. That’s why you have to work harder at getting folks hungry for your food — and one way you can definitely do this is by posting appetizing content on the regular.
Don’t be afraid to get close and messy. Play up your visuals to show off the best of your menu in all the delicious ways possible. If having limited dishes to present is an issue, try exploring different angles, backgrounds, and situations. Why not try taking some shots in the kitchen while your dishes are being prepared?
Once you’re happy with your shots, don’t forget to edit them to make sure the lighting is perfect and that the colors of your food really pop. Again, the goal is to make your food look as appetizing as possible. To do this, you could use Instagram’s in-app editing features, or you could download your own editing software to really play around with some fun editing features.
Collaborate with Your Third-Party Delivery Partner
Now that you have content to share, you need to amplify it to as many guests as possible. One of the most effective ways to amplify is to collaborate with your third-party delivery service to ensure their app visitors see the best your restaurant has to offer.
For example, Uber Eats has a simple way to integrate your Instagram content into their platform. This instantly improves your presence on their ordering apps by highlighting your best food. And because your Instagram account is connected to Uber Eats, any images that you post to Instagram will automatically appear under your profile on the Uber Eats ordering app.
But it doesn’t stop there.
You can also post your own Stories on the Uber Eats app. From there you can highlight promotions, spotlight best-selling items, or even launch a new product. Stories are an easy way to keep your business top of mind with customers and help them find your storefront.
Use IG Stories to Engage & Lead Guests to Order
Speaking of Stories, did you know that 1 out of 4 Millennials and Gen Z-ers check out Instagram Stories before purchasing a product? So, if you’re not utilizing Stories, you may be missing out on a chunk of potential business for your restaurant.
Got a new dish you’d like to highlight? Use Stories to let people know all about it and get them ordering. You could even sweeten the deal by offering a special limited-time deal or promo that’s only available while your Story is up and running.
Another way to use Stories is to play around with its stickers and invite people to respond to you. Not only does this allow you to improve customer engagement, it also gives you access to valuable user-generated content which you could use to further promote your food.
Are you looking to serve up a new dish soon? Let people decide what they want to try from you next by using the poll sticker and inviting people to vote. The Links sticker is now available to all Instagram users, so you can link from your Stories directly to your delivery menu.
Of course, just like the content you post on your page, you should also make sure that the Stories you share showcase your menu in the best way possible. Story editor apps like Made allows you to choose from filters and templates and even create custom backgrounds, all to help you make your dishes stand out and hopefully, get people ordering.
Update Your Restaurant’s Website to Allow Online Orders
Getting people hungry enough to head on over to your website and order is one thing — making sure your site is ready for the influx of traffic is another or can at least redirect your guests to your third-party delivery partner, such as Uber Eats. Before advertising your delivery capabilities, make sure you have a reliable POS system in place, too.
Tweak your website to be intuitive for your customers, so that ordering is easy for them, and fulfilling their orders is a breeze for you, too. Make sure you have an integrated online food ordering system so you can manage your restaurant and grow your business in this new normal.
Conclusion
While the worst of the pandemic is behind us, business can still be tough for restaurants. Luckily, Instagram gives you the tools to market your restaurant and delivery program. As long as you know how to leverage the platform for yourself, orders are bound to keep coming in — from patrons and new diners alike.
Sponsored by Uber Eats
