By Laura Zamfir, Contributor
Coronavirus (COVID-19) has seen the world come to a standstill. It is still a difficult period for many industries. Especially, those that come into frequent contact with the customers.
The restaurant industry has especially been affected by coronavirus. The supply chain drying up and the total absence of the guests have threatened the future of many establishments.
And while this is a rough time to run a restaurant, the industry can’t wait for the crises to blow over. Restaurant operators still need get in touch with guests to let them know they’re still open for business and what their current services are. Connecting with guests is important, now more than ever.
Restaurants need to be part of the customers’ lives, thoughts, and discourse. Video marketing has emerged as the best possible solution to the problem.
Some reasons to use videos to stay connected with your restaurant’s guests:
Video content is hugely popular among the masses.
Restaurants can use videos to make strong emotional connections with customers.
Video encourages customer participation.
Native video is more likely to appear on guest feeds on social networks
Restaurants can use video content to build trust and brand loyalty.
Restaurants can use videos to boost business.
Here are four video marketing ideas that’ll help restaurants connect and engage their target audience during coronavirus.
Keep in Touch with ‘Restaurant Update’ Videos
Just because restaurants are still closed or hampered by limiting indoor dining, you don’t have to cut ties with your guests altogether. Update them on how the restaurant and its staff are coping with the pandemic.
Even after the restrictions are relaxed, guests will remain skeptical. They’ll hesitate to visit places where people gather in large numbers.
Operators can mitigate this by filming and publishing “update” videos with the steps you are taking to ensure both staff and guests’ safety.
For example: With cleanliness being on everyone’s mind, post videos that explain your disinfecting, cleaning, and hygiene protocol going forward. Show staff wearing masks and gloves and wiping down surfaces as guests leave.
You can also share your plan to keep the employees healthy; measures such as regular temperature checks, compulsory face masks, regular COVID-19 tests, strict quarantine measures for employees who are experiencing symptoms, and more.
If you’re going to impose age restrictions, change in timing, limit the numbers of customers allowed at a time, safety measures the customers need to follow, etc, then you need to let people know through multiple media formats – including video.
Restaurants can also use videos to spread awareness about the virus. Ask your employees to demonstrate how to wash the hands, properly wear a mask, or use hand sanitizer.
With the restaurant profits dipping due to the pandemic, you might only have a limited budget for video marketing. Luckily, it’s also easy enough to edit your own footage with phone or desktop apps. However, if you don’t have the time or skill for editing video, hiring a professional is worth the investment, especially with video editing rates dropping. You can shoot simple, short ‘update’ videos and hire a freelancer to edit the footage.
Increase Sales with ‘Home Delivery’ Videos
Most restaurants have been surviving the pandemic on the backs of their pickup or food delivery programs. Making sure your guests and social media followers remember this is paramount to continued business and video can help.
Post videos of how your restaurant is handling, cooking, packing, and delivering meals to off-premises guests. Demonstrate how your delivery team is dedicated to no-contact delivery and communicating to guests when their order has arrived. Show off the safety measures the delivery couriers follow. This is a great opportunity to show the entire process from order to delivery.
These videos can also serve as marketing material to draw traffic to your website. Also be sure to share “home delivery” videos on various social media platforms.
Post testimonial videos of customers who have tried your home delivery service. Using happy and satisfied guests in your public relations efforts is sure to boost orders.
Additionally, consider using the video call option to connect with customers to take orders, answer their queries, and address their grievances. The face-to-face interaction will make the interaction more personal and help build trust in a time where face-to-face interactions are extremely limited.
Engage Your Guests with Recipe Videos
People can’t visit restaurants and cafes right now. Even places that opened with limited capacity have curtailed their offerings. These have resulted in huge demand for recipe videos.
Restaurants can connect with their target audience by posting recipe videos on their website and various social media platforms.
Only some of your followers might show interest in complex recipes. To maximize guest interest, focus your efforts on producing easy-to-make recipe videos.
On YouTube or any other social media platform, restaurants can share recipe videos. You can make it a weekly affair and even start a hashtag such as #RecipeSunday to spread your campaign.
You don’t have to share your signature dishes. Restaurants can show how to prepare everyday dishes with a twist or maybe have your cooks show off their favorite meals to make when not on the job. Prepare a list of recipes worth sharing, use your kitchen staff to prepare the recipes, record the videos, and market them on social media platforms.
One of the biggest mistakes that restaurants make is not using social media influencers. Even in TikTok mistakes such as this could affect your reach.
More than 80% of marketers believe that influencer marketing benefits companies elevate above the noise and reach the target audience. Almost all businesses and marketers believe that video content is the future. Combining both these marketing techniques can help restaurants capture eyeballs and engage the customers.
Build Trust with Guest & Menu-Showcasing Videos
Nothing influences people more than showing your guests having a merry time in your restaurant.
Even though you might not have any recent clips to show, you can use videos shot before the pandemic to remind people of the good old days and the experience your team can offer.
Restaurants trying new recipes, and filming the customers sampling and excitedly sharing their opinion makes for great viewing.
Then again, if the restaurant is open for customers but with restrictions, you can share videos of how social distancing measures are being followed while still allowing guests to have a great dining experience.
Restaurants can also give the viewers a full tour of the place, introduce the staff, etc. to build customer trust.
Many customers want to try new and exotic dishes. At the same time, they would prefer to know what it is and what goes into its making before they decide to order. Showcasing your restaurant’s menu in your videos will help you engage the customers. This is especially so if your restaurant rotates menus regularly. Show off what’s on the menu for the season and whet your guests appetite.
There is more than one benefit of having a well-designed restaurant menu in the video format. Restaurants can increase the appeal of the menu by showcasing each dish from different angles.
Final Thoughts
There is no reason for the restaurants to wait until things get back to normal. They need a solid video marketing strategy now to maintain customer trust and loyalty. Now is also the time to forge new connections with creative ideas and videos.
These four video marketing ideas can be your stepping stones to a brighter future.
