By Harry Flynn, Contributor
Social media has become a powerful tool that accentuates the restaurant business beyond its brick-and-mortar nature and elevates how restaurants offer their services.
Instagram is one of the most influential platforms that can be used to boost your restaurant’s online presence. The visuals-oriented platform is perfect for showcasing your delicacies and vibrant restaurant culture. And leveraging Instagram influencer campaigns is one of the best ways to accelerate results.
Instagram influencers are content creators who have a huge following on Instagram. Leveraging influencers means tapping into their authority to boost your restaurant's online presence.
However, to run a successful influencer marketing campaign, you have to work with the right influencers, including micro-influencers, for your restaurant. Not all influencers, despite their persuasive numbers, will convert for your restaurant. So, you should find influencers that align with your voice, brand, and goal.
Here are five ways to find Instagram influencers to help boost the presence of your restaurant.
Tap Into Relevant Hashtags
Hashtags are powerful tools on social networks, especially on Instagram; hence this starts our deep dive into how to find Instagram influencers.
Hashtags compile similar posts together. This collection of similar posts is vital when looking for Instagram influencers.
The example above is a result of the hashtag #restaurant. This hashtag has over 54 million posts. The top-performing content on this Instagram hashtag is definitely from an influential account.
But before you even start looking for the influencer, you have to find the hashtags. Hashtags can be very general, or they can also be industry specific.
General hashtags are great, but they do not give you proper insight into who is the best influencer to work with. Such hashtags are used mainly by hobbyists. For example, the #restaurants used above can be a general hashtag.
Niche-specific hashtags, however, are more relevant in your search as the influencers using such hashtags understand the industry and how to position themselves.
Narrowing down #restaurant, you can combine it with a location. The number of results dramatically reduces, but you have better chances of finding a suitable influencer from such specific hashtags.
In addition to using specific hashtags, you can also check out the ad hashtag (#ad) or the sponsored hashtags (#sponsored) alongside the industry-specific hashtag to find influencers who have worked with other brands.
Therefore, when doing your hashtag search, find the influencer with the top-performing content on the hashtag. Then, check their:
following,
Instagram likes
average engagement,
posting frequency.
These markers will help you settle on the ideal influencer for your restaurant who’ll help you get more Instagram likes, followers, and, more importantly, brand exposure.
Perform a Google Search
Another way you can find an Instagram influencer to boost your restaurant presence is by performing a Google search. You will find round-up articles on Google listing the big influencers in your restaurant niche.
Enter the niche, the platform they are an influencer on, in this case, Instagram and location. Most restaurants are location specific, but there are upcoming virtual restaurants. Therefore, it is important to find influencers that operate and are influential within that specific location.
Here’s an example:
Since Instagram is a fast-moving space, you might find the influencers that were big six months ago are no longer as influential. Therefore, you should engage in an advanced search to find the most recent results.
Searching for an Instagram influencer for your restaurant on Google might not be the best of strategies, but it can be a start. You can try different combinations of keywords in the restaurant industry to see which results bring you the most relevant feedback.
Once you find a potential influencer list, you can work with, go back to Instagram and research them to ascertain that they are relevant and fit for your brand.
Check Competitors' Followers
Checking competitors’ followers can be considered reverse research. By conducting such research, you hit two milestones simultaneously.
First, you find an Instagram influencer in your niche.
Next, you find someone that’s interested in a restaurant similar to yours
So, here is how you conduct the research.
Go to your competitor's Instagram page by searching for them on the discover page. Analyze the type of following and engagement they have. See if they have influencers following them that would benefit your brand. Start a conversation to have the influencer work with your brand.
Use Influencer Platforms
The influencer market is maturing. Using influencer marketing platforms, you’ll reduce the cumbersome work of sifting through the entire Instagram and an endless list of Google results. You can now use a blogger outreach platform or influencer marketplaces to get influencers.
With influencer search tools such as foodietouch and nibbleapp, you are sure that you are dealing with the right influencer. This is because the platforms typically have a process to vet the influencers.
Below is an example of an influencer platform and the information they provide.
If you decide to use influencer platforms, you must commit to a budget because most of them will charge you for their services. However, their fee is usually justifiable since they help you sort the influencer. They often look out for audience demographics and other details like:
Authentic engagement rate
Gender
Age
Real follower count, or fake followers
You also get in-depth information about a social media influencer's previous sponsored posts and brand affinity. These valuable filters make looking for relevant influencers for your restaurant easy.
These platforms can help pinpoint the ideal influencer to boost your restaurant engagement, but the decision on who to work with solely lies with you. Therefore, ensure you are thorough and specific with your campaign goals and deliverables.
Analyze the Influencer’s Content
We have discussed ways to find the right influencer and content creator for your restaurant. Scrummaging through Instagram, reading countless articles on a search engine, and using influencer platforms only point you in the right direction. However, you are responsible for choosing which influencer to work with and who will creatively market your restaurant.
This decision is made by analyzing their content. Only by analyzing the influencer’s content can you know which prospective influencers will represent your restaurant best.
For a start, content on Instagram has to be high quality and relatable. Their content should relate to the experience of your target audience.
Other things that you should consider while analyzing influencer content include the following:
Do they connect with your brand voice?
What is their average engagement rate?
Are they authentic, and will they bring the same authenticity when working with you?
How is their content on other platforms, and are you okay with such an affiliation?
After thoroughly analyzing an influencer’s content, you can decipher their suitability to promote your restaurant.
In Closing
Restaurant presence in the current day and age is the difference between overflowing traffic and no traffic in the restaurant. Nowadays, people make decisions about where they will eat on social platforms. Therefore, being a formidable force on social media platforms will enable your restaurant to thrive.
One way to be influential on social media platforms is by using other influential figures, such as Instagram influencers. Instagram influencers have a voice on Instagram, and by leveraging their voice, you can build your restaurant's presence.
Wondering how to find Instagram influencers? Search for those who rank high on specific industry-related hashtags, search on Google, and get them from roundup articles about influencers in your niche. In addition, you can track which influencers follow and like your competitors' content or use influencer platforms.
However, before settling on an influencer, it is a best practice to analyze their content and ensure that their voice, tone, and brand values align with your restaurants. Once you find the right fit for your business, the sky is not even the limit.
About the Author
Harry leads the digital marketing team at Twicsy, a site providing services to Instagram users. He enjoys travelling and relaxing with friends in his spare time.
